This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Mourya Vamsi Modugula
Nobody warned me. Nobody prepared me.
I just woke up one day, wrote a console.log("hello world"), and my life hasn’t been normal since.
So here are the things I really wish someone told me before I became a developer — the unfiltered, sleep-deprived edition.
1. Coding is 10% writing code and 90% “why is this not working?!”
You don’t just “build features.”
You fight with them.
You argue with them.
You question your worth over them.
2. Debugging is a lifestyle, not a task
You will spend more time debugging than writing code.
And that’s okay.
Debugging is just… detective work with extra crying.
3. Tutorials are lies
“Let’s build Twitter in 20 minutes!”
Meanwhile in real life:
It took you 40 minutes just to install dependencies.
4. Breakpoints are your best friend
Stop guessing.
Stop sprinkling console.log like confetti.
Just… break the point.
Your sanity will thank you.
5. Comments are time capsules from a past version of you who had hope
You will find comments like:
// TODO: Fix later (lol no)
// Don't touch this. It works. I don't know why.
Your past self was struggling. Hug them.
6. Big PRs are basically boss-level fights
20-line PR = nice
200-line PR = pain
2,000-line PR = may God be with you
7. You don’t need to learn everything
Stop trying to learn 14 frameworks at once.
Just pick one and vibe with it.
Your brain isn’t a cloud server.
8. Don’t memorize anything
Syntax? Forget it.
Exact parameters? Forget it.
Regex? Don’t even try.
Google + Docs = the real full-stack duo.
9. Never touch working code after 6PM
You will open one file…
change one line…
and suddenly your whole app combusts like it’s auditioning for an action movie.
Just. Don’t.
10. Imposter syndrome is permanent
“You’re not a real developer.” – your brain
“You literally just built a full app.” – also your brain
The trick is learning to ignore both.
Final Thoughts
Being a developer is chaotic, hilarious, painful, beautiful, frustrating, magical, and slightly traumatic.
But if you relate to at least 7 out of these 10…
Congratulations.
You’re officially one of us.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Mourya Vamsi Modugula
Mourya Vamsi Modugula | Sciencx (2025-11-24T04:10:37+00:00) 10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before Becoming a Developer (aka my villain origin story). Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/24/10-things-i-wish-someone-told-me-before-becoming-a-developer-aka-my-villain-origin-story/
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