[For Beginner Coders] Before you Google your solutions, note these things.

It takes time but we eventually get the things we need from Google. Lets understand few things about googling for our solution.

Here are some things a beginner must know if they are stuck on a problem and googling for results:

  1. Googling things without proper context gives vague results. eg. my code is not working is a vague statement. It does not specify what your code is and what part is not working. Be specific in asking questions. This thing builds with time but the more specific you become to understanding your problem, the more the possibility of coming closer to an answer by asking highly specific questions.

  2. Google search that appear first need not be your answer. Don't rush to apply what you see at first search. See you put a specific question and Google suggested you some links to check. Most links are SEO optimized to match your keywords. So when a article comes first it is likely connecting to the keywords in your query. But this does not mean it understands your query. When you click a link, read about the context of the question asked and does it match yours. If it doesn't match fully, don't rush to apply that code.

  3. Understand your search solutions. I get it, you got the answer and it worked for you. But why did it work for you? Do copy paste but understand what each line is doing behind the hood. Understanding this is very important because even if this logic works for your present problem, the same logic may interfere with your next problem. But if you understand how it is working, even if it interferes in other issues, you can navigate your way to the solution.

  4. Keep a log of what you search in the place you search. Let us say you are working in Visual Studio Code. You can create a file called like notes-projectname.txt and in that you write down what you thought was the problem, you note down the link that helped you and you write down in your own words what did the solution in the link do. This is important as we may not recall fast what exactly worked in the solution but keeping a log can help you to access your own understanding faster.

As you become more accustomed or used to googling, you eventually learn to pick up what is right. This process eventually helps you understand how to question well and how to apply your answers.