I need advice

[heady swift]

<@&987246964494204979> please have a look, thanks.

Here is an AI assisted attempt to answer your question 🤖. Maybe it helps! In any case, a human is on the way 👍. To continue talking to the AI, you can use </chatgpt:1108714622413963314>.

TJ-Bot

Hello, my name is Shinji. I’m new here and I’m looking for an adviser who can help guide me in my career path. I need someone I can talk to—not because I’m afraid, but because I feel lost. I don’t know where to begin, how to move forward, or even how to la

Hello Shinji, welcome to the server! It's great that you are seeking guidance for your career path. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and the community will be happy to help you out. Remember, it's okay to feel lost sometimes, but with the right advice and support, you can navigate through it.

Useful links:

• Career Advice - The Balance Careers
• 10 Tips for Career Changers - Monster
• How to Choose a Career Path That's Right for You - Indeed Career Guide

- AI generated response

[pine sinew]

The issue is that you're looking at this like there's some "to-do" list of things that will magically make you a professional. This "path" or "roadmap" you're looking for doesn't exist, and copying someone else's routine isn't going to automatically make you as good as them.

You're afraid of wasting time, but this whole thought process and search is a waste of time in itself. What you need to do to improve is to practice, stop worrying about making something useful and unique. Every project you take on is going to be useful in some way, you're going to learn something, guaranteed. Even if the result is the most useless and boring app ever.

Just build things, you worry about the wrong stuff. There's no shortcut or "optimized" way to get good, you just need to spend time doing the thing you want to get good at.

Also did you use an AI to write this question? The content is very ChatGPT-coded

I highly doubt anyone is willing to be your personal guru. You're free to ask questions here and people will answer based on their own experiences. But I would say that a guide is not what you need, you just need to change your view on how to become a skilled programmer. It's not about daily routine or discipline, it's about taking time to build things and actually write code - not wasting time on trying to find some magic resource.

[ruby venture]

It seems like your main issue is with knowing whether you're actually learning anything, since you say you learn things, but feel as if you cannot apply them for some reason. And an insecurity around that - which a student counselor or therapist might help with.

I think you might benefit from finding a student job that is industry related and involves coding - to get some experience in applying these concepts, and seeing whether you can do things with what you know. Possible jobs could be as a teachers assistant or as a software developer in a local company - smaller software related companies near colleges tend to hire students as part time software developers.

[still fulcrum]

I can’t help worrying. My motivation keeps slipping lower and lower, and I don’t even know anymore. It feels like I’m losing direction, and I’m not sure how to get back on track.

P.S. I don’t use AI.

[pine sinew]

So what do you think is the solution to that?

Finding some wizard that can magically make you a pro?

[ruby venture]

its rare people use an em dash (—) without AI

A student counselor, at the college, or private therapist/psychologist, would be better for tackling issues with motivation and loss of direction

The college probably has more people like you facing issues with motivation and direction, and would offer help

[still fulcrum]

That’s good, but how can I truly feel secure about my career? There aren’t many local opportunities where I live, and the few that exist have standards so high that I can’t realistically meet or afford them right now. It leaves me wondering how I can move forward and build something stable for myself.

[still fulcrum]

Yes.

[still fulcrum]

Well u are using "-" too...

[pine sinew]

"-" can be typed on a keyboard, "—" can't

AI uses "—" which can't

[still fulcrum]

No. None. I really need some guidance.

[still fulcrum]

Means — important

[ruby venture]

Are you sure? Have you asked the head of your department at the college and the administration?

[pine sinew]

what?

[still fulcrum]

Yes

[pine sinew]

You can never be 100% secure about a career because the job market changes all the time and needs fluctuate. If you truly care about improving and keep practicing, you'll be attractive to employers eventually and a job will come pretty much automatically.

[still fulcrum]

When you use the em dash (“—”), it means that the word or phrase following it carries special weight. The em dash is not just a simple punctuation mark—it’s a way of drawing attention, creating emphasis, or adding dramatic pause in your writing. Unlike commas or parentheses, which often blend information smoothly into a sentence, the em dash signals to the reader: stop here, this part matters.

[ruby venture]

that was definitely AI

[pine sinew]

That doesn't change the fact that AI uses it a lot and that it can't be typed on a normal keyboard

And yeah, that was 100% ChatGPT

[ruby venture]

Have you considered consulting a therapist nearby? Perhaps your country provides resources for that

[still fulcrum]

But how?

[still fulcrum]

—

[pine sinew]

How what?

[still fulcrum]

No. I really need someone

[pine sinew]

Your country doesn't have therapists?

[still fulcrum]

It does

[pine sinew]

So why did you say "No"?

[still fulcrum]

Like… could you tell me about your routine in the morning? I want to know how you start your day and what you actually do in your work. How is it—do you find it hard, or manageable? What are the challenges, and what parts feel rewarding?

I’m asking because I want to learn from someone real, not just from practice exercises or theory. I need to understand what a genuine routine looks like, something I can follow and draw inspiration from. A routine that shows me how things work in the real world, not just in textbooks.

What I’m really hoping for is to see how you approach your day, how you handle your responsibilities, and what lessons I can take from your experience. That way, I can start building my own routine and feel like I’m moving closer to the real world I want to connect with.

[ruby venture]

It seems like it more a case of struggling with motivation & confidence - and not something that seems like its inherently a technical problem where you need extra help with learning some CS related stuff. Unless there's a specific area you can articulate where you feel you struggle a lot, it seems like a therapist to help solve the core issues might help more

[pine sinew]

Why on earth would my morning routine affect my skill as a programmer?

You're looking at this like a TikTok crypto-bro

[ruby venture]

I think that's so unique to different people that it will have little actionable benefit for you ^^

[pine sinew]

You're honestly wasting so much time by wondering about routines and day-to-day life. Practice, write code, that's how you become good.

[still fulcrum]

Really?

[pine sinew]

Yes

It's not how things work

There's no roadmap, routine or list

It looks different for every single person

[still fulcrum]

How can you be so sure?

[pine sinew]

Think about it logically. If such a thing existed, would not everyone just follow that and become pros?

The government isn't hiding it from you man

[ruby venture]

You college is already in part a roadmap ^^ following that should let you go a long way

[still fulcrum]

Im afraid

[pine sinew]

You're just disregarding everything we say and being cynical, I've told you my take on it, do what you want with that. I'm out

[still fulcrum]

Aight i'll do it. Thank you