the best way to learn programming is not by just reading books and coding basic examples. it is to take up a project which seems impossible and start doing it piece by piece, with the help of Google and stack overflow

I'd say getting into something more useful earlier on helps. But there's a high risk of choosing to complex of an idea. It's like when I want to learn about metalwork and think "I'll build a turbocharged V8 trike as my first project - I only need an engine, transmission, weld a frame and a few additional details". It's not actually impossibly but I'll likely be demotivated trying to do something that takes professionals a long time.

@Elkstorm true, you'll be demotivated for sure. your brains will be fried.
But with time, you'll begin understanding how this all works. you'll probably quit multiple times, but you need to get back at it. to do so, it's imperative that you put yourself in a position where you have to preform. how I did so was by joining an unpaid internship and claimed I knew something I didn't, So I had to step up.
I am not preaching, this is all from my recent experiences.

Solving real world problems while learning from better devs will help for shure :) I hate sitting by myself without someone to talk to.

that's how I started.. :)

@Elkstorm true. not to forget the struggle to restrain yourself from smashing your PC with a sledgehammer when things get frustrating (and frustration is the norm while beginning programming)

google to get new codes and stackoverflow to fix you problems

so what project is hard yet not too hard... c++

@tpalmerstudio just Google "what can I make with c++"or something like that.

true but the key to this method is a good way of venting your anger

But do understand the concepts and code very clearly along the way. The more you understand the more fun.

Do the project to learn, not to quickly finish.

@vjraj that's the beauty of it, you have to understand the concepts to complete your project. on top of that, now you have a specific reason to understand the concepts. that is, IMO , the vital factor.

I believe that this should be every programmers right of passage 😂 no matter how many times you fail miserably, if you keep at it and don't quit, you're a born programmer but if you quit, programming was never for you 🙂 well at least that's my opinion 🙌

You should do a project. But I think firat you need to have am overall view of the technology you are using or you will mess up really bad. In some technologies/languages you can't simple start code and go anywhere.

golden words.tysm.