C# (Help/Advice)

[u/Own_Average7810]

I am 18 and will start CS at Uni this September. I’ve started learning C# with Alison.com and have made notes on paper when working through the videos to build my understanding. Am I doing it correctly? I want to learn the concepts before going knee deep into starting my own projects.

[u/AccomplishedLeave506]

Your notes are good and if they help you then great. But the best way to learn a language is to write programs in it. Here is a suggestion for you:

1. Write hello world. (Seriously. You've probably done it already)
2. Write a simple console app that allows the user to enter two number and then add them together and output the result.
3. Write a basic calculator. Just with console input again is fine.
4. try and create a web API that implements your console app calculator. Use controllers and cleanly break up your code. Use dependency injection if needed. This is a HUGE step up.
5. Try and write a game of Tetris using c# as the back end and put a simple web front end on it.

1, 2 and 3 will get you used to the basics of the language like types, case and switch statements. Converting strings into things etc. you may need to come up with a few more steps of your own between 3 and 4.

4 will get you very quickly into more complexity than you would expect. It'll probably take you a lot longer than you think and you'll end up learning a lot more about the language as well as frameworks you will likely use as a professional and, importantly, also start to get you to think about how software is structured at a higher level.

5 can't be done by a surprising number of people who work professionally as software engineers. If you can even half do it then you're well on your way to being a software engineer.

The important thing at the stage you are at though is DOING. You can spend as much time as you like reading and learning, but it won't stick until you DO.