5 things I learned as a junior developer

As a junior developer at Blowfish Studios, I had the opportunity to work with C# and the Unity game engine. Here are some examples of things that I learned during my time at Blowfish Studios:

1) Have patience with yourself!

When I first started working at Blowfish Studios, I was excited to learn C# and the Unity game engine. However, I quickly realized that there was a lot to learn, and I found myself feeling overwhelmed at times. It was important for me to be patient with myself and not try to learn everything at once. I was, after all, starting a new C# coding job having never coded in the language before: it was going to take some time before I reached a solid level of competency. I took things one step at a time, and gradually I began to feel more confident in my abilities as the weeks/months went by. It turns out my boss was happy with my progress, even though I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at myself. So yeah, having patience with yourself is very important for your own mental health. Just enjoy the journey!

2) Learn as much as you can from your coworkers

One of the great things about working at Blowfish Studios was that I had the opportunity to work with a team of experienced developers who were willing to help me learn. I would often ask my coworkers questions and seek out their advice on how to solve problems. This not only helped me to improve my skills, but it also helped me to build strong relationships with my coworkers. No matter how many courses or YouTube videos you watch, it never replaces the insight and experience that you can gain from your fellow developers and coworkers.

3) If you need help, let someone know!

I learned this one the hard way! There were many times when I would get stuck on a problem for hours at a time, and I would try to solve it on my own. However, if I had been more willing to ask for help, I would have realized that many of these problems could have been solved easily and quickly with the help of my coworkers. In the end, I learned that it's always better to ask for help when you need it, rather than trying to solve everything on your own. Not only will this help you to overcome challenges and obstacles more quickly, but it will also help you to build stronger relationships with your coworkers.

4) Under-promise, over-deliver.

This lesson came to me the hard way when I was very late in delivering on a deadline for a project. My lead developer sat me down and taught me the importance of communicating with him regularly about my progress on the project, and to be realistic about what I could accomplish within a given timeframe. He also taught me the value of under-promising and over-delivering, which helped me to avoid disappointing my clients and my coworkers. From that day on, I made sure to communicate regularly with my lead developer, and to be realistic about what I could accomplish within a given timeframe. This not only helped me to avoid future deadlines, but it also helped me to build a reputation as a reliable and dependable developer.

5) You will have to learn to read other people's code.

At Blowfish Studios, I was often put on existing codebases that were written by other developers. This was challenging at first, but with time and practice, I became more confident in my ability to read and understand other people's code. This skill proved to be incredibly valuable, as it allowed me to become a more effective and efficient developer. Chances are, you won't be starting projects from scratch throughout most of your career (or all of it), so having the ability to decipher other people's code is essential.

In conclusion, working as a junior developer at Blowfish Studios was a rewarding and challenging experience. I learned a lot about C# and Unity, and I also learned valuable lessons about patience, communication, and managing expectations. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked at Blowfish Studios, and I am excited to continue to grow and develop as a developer. Thank you for reading, and until next time, happy coding!