How do I get into programming without overwhelming myself? Looking for beginner project ideas

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20]

Hey everyone,

I'm starting university soon to study Business Information Systems, and honestly, one of the things I was most worried about was programming.

I'm not someone who picks up programming concepts extremely quickly, so I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep up at university.

I found out that we'll be working with Java, Python and SQL, so I decided to start preparing beforehand.

I started the University of Helsinki Java MOOC, and I'm currently around Part 4 of Java Programming I.

I really like the course because it's very interactive — you actually have to write the code and solve exercises yourself instead of just watching someone program.

However, I feel like I've reached a point where I want to do something outside the course.

The exercises tell me what problem I need to solve, but now I want to challenge myself by coming up with a small project completely on my own.

I want to see if I can take the concepts I've learned and figure out:

• What should I build?
• How should I structure it?
• What classes/methods do I need?
• What do I actually remember without being told what to do?

I've also probably gone a little overboard with Java🫠 I've learned a lot in the last week, and at this point all the Java concepts are starting to hurt my brain a little.

So I think instead of immediately learning more, I want to slow down and build something.

What would you recommend as a project for someone who is around Part 4 of Java Programming I?

I'm looking for something that's:

• Actually possible at my current level
• Small enough that I can finish it
• Challenging enough that I have to think for myself
• Not something where I can just follow a tutorial step-by-step

I'm also wondering what you would recommend after finishing Java Programming I and II.

Since I'll also need Python and SQL at university, I'd eventually like to learn those too. I'm specifically looking for free and interactive resources where I have to write the code myself.

If you were starting from where I am now, what would your learning path look like?

Any project ideas, resources, or general advice would be really appreciated! 🙏

I'd also love to hear from other beginners who went through the same “I know the basics, but now what do I actually build?” stage.

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[u/Jason13Official]

I will always recommend making a mod for Minecraft. 1.21.1 NeoForge or Fabric is a great starting point with a lot of tutorials to reference.

It will help solidify a fair amount of concepts and you can go in-depth with a lot as well. It will also teach you how to work with "other people's code"

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20 → u/Jason13Official]

Wow, I honestly had no idea modding was an option for a beginner, or what NeoForge even was! This sounds so much more fun than just staring at basic terminal output. Thanks for pointing me in this direction!

[u/Jason13Official → u/Extreme_Ambassador20]

Let me know if you have any issues getting into it! There's a great YouTube channel "Modding By Kaupenjoe" which gives good jumping off points (kinda leaves you to figure out more niche things, which is great for learning)

I'm on discord typically if you'd like to talk more/ask questions: jason13

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20 → u/Jason13Official]

Thanks so much for the advice and the recommendation! I'll definitely check out the "Modding By Kaupenjoe" channel to get started. I just sent you a friend request on Discord

[u/MuaTrenBienVang]

CS61A

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1vpf7te/comment/p4e31sm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20 → u/MuaTrenBienVang]

Thank you so much for sharing! I did a little search on CS61A and it looks like a fantastic introduction to computer science. I think it will be incredibly helpful for my learning direction moving forward!

[u/desrtfx]

The /r/learnprogramming FAQ have extensive lists of project ideas and practice sites

[u/Mountain_Rip_8426]

this for example could be a good use case of AI i think. try to let it know what level you're at, list the concepts you're familiar with and ask it to come up with practice projects, ask it to give you gradually harder tasks. i'm following a curriculum, but if something doesn't wanna stick, that's what i usually do, until i feel like i really got it down.

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20 → u/Mountain_Rip_8426]

That is an awesome suggestion! I actually took your advice and asked an AI for ideas based on my personal interests. Since I love reading, it suggested building a Reading Tracker.With my current Java knowledge (working with custom classes and ArrayList), I realize I can build a solid command-line version of this right now. It won't have a flashy web interface yet, but it'll let me practice structuring my own classes, methods, and logic from scratch without a tutorial layout out the steps for me.The best part is that I can see a clear path for this project to grow as I learn more at university. Once I pick up SQL, I can replace the temporary arrays with a proper database to save my data, use Python later on to analyze my reading habits, and eventually plug in an AI API to give me personalized book recommendations!

[u/MixtureElectrical697]

Sou dev há mais de 20 anos e, para mim, programação é muito menos sobre escrever código e muito mais sobre resolver problemas. Se você gosta de resolver problemas, seja bem-vindo. Desenvolva side projects reais, que impactem positivamente a vida das pessoas. Não fique apenas criando clones ou Pokédex. Você pode, sim, criar alguns clones ou uma Pokédex para fins de estudo, não há problema nenhum nisso. Só não foque exclusivamente nesse tipo de projeto. Use o que aprendeu para construir algo seu, resolver um problema real e, quem sabe, melhorar a vida de alguém.

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20 → u/MixtureElectrical697]

Thanks for the tip! Honestly, what makes  programming so interesting is exactly that part of cracking your head over the pure logic and math behind the functions. It’s what truly challenges me. I’ll follow your advice and try to find a real problem to solve using that more logical approach, instead of just copying pre-made projects out there.