Need to Improve? We’re the Improvement

Daily writing prompt
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

Key Takeaways

Practice doesn’t make perfect.

Learning one programming language can make learning another easier.

Learn to improve from failure, don’t fail to learn.

Did you want cheese on the fries? We just wanted a simple answer.
Photo by Antoni Shiraba, please support by following @pexel.com

Perfect Chasing Pefect

Perfection, what is it? Is it something achievable? Do we want actual perfection or do we, at its core, want to be better than others? These are all questions we might ask ourselves at one point or another, but perfection is highly sought after, and that much is a fact.

Clearly, perfection is an idea, more of a motivational tool than anything. We can see it with a phrase like “Practice makes perfect.” We all know this phrase; we’ve all applied it. However, it becomes increasingly evident that practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes better.

So, today’s question and what are we getting at? Keep reading, you may find that you and we have a few things in common. Ah, there’s nothing like sharing common ground.

Getting out of the friend zone? Now, that’s something to consider.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

We were asked; “What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?” It’s funny how none of these questions we’ve been answering are computer-related, but we’re still going to answer them anyway.

We believe, and we think many others can relate to this one, that operating outside of our comfort zone would be a small improvement. Although, to some that might be seen as a large improvement. It all depends on where you fall in life.

We’re not saying being in the comfort zone is bad, but it has the same benefits as being in the friend zone. You still get to talk to the person you’re crushing on, but the downside is the rewards are little to any. We’re not speaking from personal experience, but from the stories we’ve heard, regret is something consistent.

Hey, did you know that a house is just an expensive prison?
Photo by Ron Lach, please support by following @pexel.com

Why is getting outside of our comfort zone a small improvement? While yes, a comfort zone is a place where you find less stress, no one may harm you, and your skills do not require additional practice. You can become stagnant without realization.

Picture living in a nice house, there’s plenty of food, and relaxation is never a problem. This sounds great, ideal, everyone wants this. Now, on the other side of this coin. Picture the food begins to taste uneventful, night and day pass, and days begin to blend.

Adding weight to this side of the coin, are stories from your peers advancing in their careers, making a discovery, or coming up with an invention circulating in the media. These stories come from going outside to experience the weather and experiment with ideas.

In a computer sense, you knew we had to tie computers into this somehow, the beginning stages of when you’re learning to write code consist of staring at a black screen. We’re not joking, you can ask any person in programming, and they’ll tell you that most of your time consists of staring at a blinking line while you try to piece together what you want the computer to do.

With an idea at hand, you begin to type a line after some time spent staring into the void. Being a newbie, the number of syntax errors grains on your nerves, and builds frustration, but you stick with it.

You soon find yourself going from having difficulty writing one line of code to writing simple functions- one or two lines of code that perform a task, to building complex algorithms- are a set of instructions to perform a task. After which, go on to learn other programming languages.

A quick pro tip- it’s easier to learn another programming language after obtaining an understanding of one, they follow the same structure. Our point is that you can’t grow grey matter if you don’t challenge it.

Our comfort zone has been writing topics about IT (Information Technology), but we’re stepping outside of it by answering these questions. We’re seeing small improvements. How about you?

Click here if you want to read about our life direction.

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Programming in Starbucks

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two guys working with headsets on
Eric: I’m telling you, this new line of code I’m writing is going to be amazing. Just you wait, Ben.
Ben: Bro, I just heard the drum kit come from your headset, I know you’re on the hub!
Photo by Yan Krukov, please show support by following @pexel.com

Have you ever sat at your computer, stared into the dark abyss so long that within it you begin to see the reflection of your reflection, and after a few more moments, thought to yourself” I have no idea what I’m doing”?

If you said “no” and this is because well, you don’t have any experience writing a program, but you are curious about being a programmer, then oh boy. Fun ahead.

To those of you who said “yes,” I would like to extend a warm welcome to you into the “Programmer’s Block Club” as this is just as common as writer’s block. It’s infuriating when you watch a show or a movie with a programmer just coding away line after line from the start.

Most of your time is spent staring into the void of nothingness before anything happens. Sounds bleak? It is.

However, once you identify your target, this tends to become a rewarding experience because the toughest part about programming is figuring out what you want it to do in the first place.

Now, since programming is a large scope, there are too many languages to cover. For sake of all that’s holy (or probably unholy), we are going to use Java as a tool for our possible programmer… which is you.

So, as per usual, we are going to be going over what Java is, who and what uses it, how our world is shaped by it, and finally whether can you get in the field without a put-you-in-debt degree.

Not Your StarBizzy

hands and a cup of starbucks coffee
Sarah: It’s pumpkin spice latte season.
Joy: OMG Sarah, you are so basic.
Sarah: Don’t judge my basic. I see I have my cup here. Where’s yours!? Caffe Americano…hm.
Photo by Ade Rifaie, please show support by following @pexel.com

Looking at the logo of Java, you wouldn’t be wrong in your thought of coffee. I mean it does look like a cup of coffee and well caffeine is the sweet brown cocaine we jones for to start our day aside from whatever else your vise is.

What’s mine, you ask? Good question, it’s Jameson Black Barrel. Simple and classy, I mean coffee isn’t coffee unless you add some of that good ole “daddy thinking juice”.

What is Java?

someone holding the logo of Java.
Can’t afford the Dunkin? Have a Java instead.
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Java (not to be confused with JavaScript) is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is a general-purpose programming language intended to let programmers write once and run anywhere (WORA) meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need to recompile.

What does all this mean?

This breaks down to, being readable by humans (high-level), creating a data type defined by the user (class-based), and classes of data types linked with the functions with which they’re associated (object-oriented). Compile meaning translation to machine language for use.

a boy and his teddy bear
Young boy enjoying his teddy bear until he hits the teens, then it’s straight to yard sale with this one.
Photo by Anete Lusina, please support @pexel.com

Now, let’s say, you want to run a simple program. We’ll call it build-a-bear-that-won’t-terrify-your-children, the box where you place the bear is the environment in which you develop the bear, the material stuffed within the bear is your data type, the name (class) of your bear we’ll say is “Grizzly” which can be used for the creation of another bear down the line, and the voice of said bear is a function.

Putting all these together gives you a bear that your children will cherish until they become of age. Where in which they’ll forget the bear and tell you to shove it because they’re at the phase where they no longer want to be seen with you anymore, ah… that good ole teen angst.

A fun little thing to note is Java’s original name was “Oak”. Could you imagine Starbucks grounding trees in your coffee?

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Use for what?

man taken glasses off rubbing eyes.
Why is there so much use!? So much to learn!
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What uses Java, well the real question is what does not use Java? Most (if not all) laptops, data centers, gaming consoles, and cell phones use this programming language.

Nine times out of ten, your place of employment (if you still have one, covid did a number I know) should’ve updated their operating system to a later version instead of something installed in the 90s.

They label it “legacy” to sound as if it’s supposed to get better with age when in reality is code for “we are old as f***, and we don’t like change”. Yes, said mentioned place runs Java.

Being able to WORA (and no not WORM, that’s a virus) makes Java a programming language many developers use to create applications.

baby crying in fathers arms.
Dad: I was so close to making it out without you crying, I hate Target!
Photo by Phil Nguyen, please show support by following @pexel.com

Have you ever gone into a Target while wandering around and heard a god-awful chime go off?

Java runs in an application for that sound to be produced. The sound is loud, good luck to any parent to grab something quickly without waking up their sleeping newborn. One ear of that sound and it’s GG (Good Game) parents… you lose.  

Shaping Our World

pointing a digital world
Java around the whole.
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Having the ability to write simple code helps alleviate programmers from struggling with arithmetic errors and lessens memory constraints.

So, this means a lot of programmers that would be standing on top of a tall building staring into the void waiting for a strong gust of wind can take a step back because fixing bugs is easier to deal with and not have to worry as much about space.

Businessman looking over edge of tall building.
Programmers could have taken the song “Free Falling” to the extreme without Java.
Photo by Tom Fisk, please support @pexel.com

Banks and other financial institutions have Java running on their systems for safety and productivity.

Mobile applications that are created using Java include some popular ones like Twitter, Netflix, and Spotify to name a few.

It’s hard to go somewhere that isn’t using this language.

Would or Wood Not

someone sitting in front of a computer monitor.
I could learn how to program… but playing Minecraft could be better.
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So, you’re probably thinking programming is something that you may find interesting, and I might take my hand at learning Java.

Well, here are some things to note.

Traditionally, places of employment are going to require you have a degree in computer science. You can beat this out by attending meetups and linking up with people who are going to be your peers.

Build a portfolio of small programs you’ve created by yourself or with others. Working with others is better because it shows you can operate within a team.

A Java developer’s yearly salary can range from $57k – $140k depending on your residing state and level of experience.

sand in a hourglass.
Programming time after time. Photo from rosstraining.com

What you are going to need are a GitHub account, Stack Overflow, and a lot of patience. Companies will bring you in for a tech interview and before the interview, will have you take a programming assignment; therefore, you should have an account and frequently visit Hacker Rank as this will help you become a better programmer.

Programming is trial and error. 

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Think Java might be a programming language you might like?

Script a comment below about your experience learning a programming language.

Also, if you liked this and were interested in another programming language then check out my script on Rust.

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