This article is for every Tech newbie or enthusiast that has been experiencing imposter syndrome or even confused about what to do. I started learning Python early this year and the excitement I felt at the time seems to have disappeared as time has moved. Now I know that self-learning is not as easy as I thought it would be. Before embarking on my Data Science journey, I had zero knowledge of programming. All I had was my enthusiasm and my laptop. I haven't come close to where I want to be yet but I must acknowledge the progress I have made and highlight methods I used to keep going on my self-taught journey!

• Just like Hansel and Gretel, make sure to leave breadcrumbs on the path!

What do I mean? As a newbie, you can get lost in the vast knowledge there is in Technology and this can leave you feeling overwhelmed. You must, at the beginning of your self-learning journey, write down goals or what you intend to do with whatever you are learning. This will help you not to get lost. As you begin to learn the ropes of technology or maybe you began to learn a new language, also take further steps to find out its applications and how to involve it in your interests. The deeper you go into learning, the more career paths you discover. You can leave 'breadcrumbs' by blogging about your progress, setting goals with deadlines to meet, having accountability partners with peers equally learning as you are and so many other ways.

• Easy does not mean less work!

One mistake I made when I started off learning python was this; because I knew how easy it was, I put in less effort to learn it. Considering that I had zero knowledge of programming prior to learning the language Python, I was making a mess of my process. I know you must have read or seen people speak of how easy Python or Ruby or whatever language they are learning is. Remember that it doesn't equate to less effort. That one hour you dedicated to learning that programming language, you must be intentional about it. This means; cutting off all distractions and studying the concepts like you are writing an exam for it tomorrow. For instance, you are learning about comments, it might look easy at first and you may want to treat it lightly, but later on because you did not research enough or dedicate effort into mastering that small concept, it later becomes a means of frustration for you. So every little concept in whatever language or topic you learn, you must be deliberate in your learning of it.

• Finally, you must collaborate.

Yes! Make friends with peers who are learning just as you. Use social media platforms to look for people who have gone ahead of you in your learning path. Let's say you are learning Data Science with python, make sure to follow experienced Data Scientists on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. This is very important. When self-learning, there is a tendency to feel very lonely, so look for people who are equally learning as you are and be friendly with them. A lot of the tech friends I have now come from Twitter and Instagram. Whenever I feel confused by a hard concept I encounter in my learning process, I seek the help of my other tech friends, they willingly explain it for me until I can grasp the concept.

In summary, always keep notes or trails about your learning journey. This will enable you to know where you are going and not feel overwhelmed by too much information. Take time to master each concepts. Collaborate with people in your field, both peers learning as you are and experienced persons ahead of you. I hope this article helps you as it has helped me.