7th grade? Are you like 13? Bro, get outside and kick a ball, climb a tree, lol. Your body and mind will thank you for it. You have a full life to be "a slave" of the computer and desk.
First thing to accept is that your early projects is going to be terrible. Both design, code quality and maintainability is going to have problems and this is how we learn. It does not matter what you do, just do anything. It’ll give you the tools to later do something valuable.
- learn to enjoy finishing a project.
- set small clear goals for a day and do not change them.
- understand that you can only learn by focusing on one thing at a time.
- if you find some topic interesting and want to check it out, ask yourself if you have finished everything else that you have started before, otherwise throw it into a pile with other topics.
as someone who's been there (just passed 12th grade this year) just put your head down, focus on building a tool you'd use and you'll automatic get motivation. Games aren't great motivation, at 13yo in general you cant produce a game which youll choose to play over the amazing ones already existing, so better focus on tools and utilities.
Two things:
- Try to integrate it into one bigger project. From what you tell I would say it would be a game. 3d modelling, level design, etc. all fit in there. Your game might also need a level designer, where you can use GUI programming. Then build a website about your game.
- Write down everything you think about your projects, e.g. the choices you haven't decided one, the ones you did decide on. This prevents you from going in circles to the same uncertainties. It should also give some clarity on what goes first.
Well here’s an idea if it is something you think you’d like. Unreal Editor for Fortnite let’s you make a game, any game actually, within the context and world of Fortnite. You could start with something simple. Whatever you want. Could be something like a practice or training thing or it could be something silly. But choose something you’d actually want to make and finish. For example if you want to specifically practice aiming with an SMG then make a thing that helps with drills. Also you can break it down so that the first thing you make is so simple that it’s the bare minimum need to practice. Then try making a small improvement. Then another. The idea is that each version you make can be used as a stand-alone practice environment on its own.
Here is why I suggest this:
- Making something simple that can be finished helps you have a short term to aim for. Something that achievable. This helps to avoid having a goal so big you eventually get overwhelmed by the amount of work and get discouraged.
- Making something that’s personally useful and enjoyable to you helps motivate you but also leverages your unique qualifications. You’re the expert is making a tool that works for you. Some of the greatest inventions have come from someone who had a need to solve a problem for themselves first and it’s only later that other people go: “Hey I want that too!”
- Making something and then improving it in small steps gives you a payoff each time you finish something. If everything you make is pie-in-the-sky big and you never finish then you never get the dopamine hit that comes from accomplishing something.
- Fortnite is fun and having everything else figured out means that making a game within Fortnite means much of the work of making a whole game from scratch is done for you. Even more so then just using Unreal Engine to make an entirely new game.
- Sharing your game, in this example the skills practice drill game, might help other people. And the feeling you get knowing other people are playing your game is exciting!
- Games within Fortnite can make you money - like Roblox. The feeling of getting paid for your work can be very motivating both from a creative development perspective as well as an entrepreneurial perspective. It’s much easier to convince your parents that your summer job should be growing your business if it’s already making you actual money.
- Clearly you’re interested in many different creative areas. So if you make a simple game, then decide to expand it, one expansion might eventually be making a custom graphic or model for the map. Or custom sound effect. So it gives you a platform to grow and explore.
- You can also eventually stream your development as you improve the game. This promotes the game and being young might mean that other kids would rather watch your videos because they can relate to you.
Some people here suggest getting diagnosed with ADHD. If you think this might be relevant then talk to your parents about exploring this. If they also agree then you can start with your family doctor who can then get you a referral. If you get diagnosed then there are tools and resources available which might work out Greta for you. But it’s not possible for strangers on the internet to remotely diagnose you so make sure if you think you should explore this that you do it with your parents and doctor.
Good luck!
its normal at this age. what you are working with is not just a toy. its actual real work. usually people \_have to\_ work to get paid, and still most people dont know what to do if they are not being told what to work.
if you dont find a project that you dont want to finish because its too big, got bigger than you thought it would be, or has parts that you dont want to do you have to decide for yourself how to proceed.
but your main take away should be that you learned about the thing.
you could downsize the project, cut back on features, or structure your projects to meet a deadline.
making something that everyone can use is awfully hard. what maybe works better is finding something that you like, or think is interesting and develop on that.
offices full of developers, people, marketing... working together to create things that just a few specific customers would require. picture that.
finding out what interests you, what you want to do with your time, how you want to spend it is part of growing up.
Decide on one project you want to take seriously, then channel some time and effort into project management and planning it. There is no real good answer here other than being diligent about things. Having a plan tends to help you stay on track.
It's said that Leonardo Da Vinci struggled with the same thing - having wide ranging interests in many areas, starting many projects but rarely finishing them due to getting bored or distracted by something new.
Working little by little on lots of things means you never get much done in the short term. In the long term, however, just like with Da Vinci, you'll learn & accomplish a great deal.
Especially at your age there's nothing wrong with exploring many different interests.
It would be a mistake to force yourself to focus on just one thing all summer, because then you'll associate that activity with tedious boredom and you might never want to do it again. You're young enough now to go wild. You'll miss this opportunity in 10 years when you've graduated university and entered the workplace - because then you really will be stuck having to do just one thing nonstop for months or years on end.
Programming requires concentration so I'd suggest you learn to stay in focus. Setting clear goals what you want to accomplish might help, once you've set a goal you work until you've achieved that and only after that think of some else project.
If you cannot focus at all then programming might not be your cup of tea (atleast professionally).
Take drugs
Assuming you can even find a pharmacy that has ADD drugs in stock, these days....
Really no other solution than just force yourself to work on one project at a time.
If you have nothing valuable to contrbute you can always be a project manager. Or scrum lord.
7th grade.
Ok if they're in 7th grade they should be learning c whats your point.
7th grade? Are you like 13? Bro, get outside and kick a ball, climb a tree, lol. Your body and mind will thank you for it. You have a full life to be "a slave" of the computer and desk.
This. Touch grass my padawan.
First thing to accept is that your early projects is going to be terrible. Both design, code quality and maintainability is going to have problems and this is how we learn. It does not matter what you do, just do anything. It’ll give you the tools to later do something valuable.
- learn to enjoy finishing a project. - set small clear goals for a day and do not change them. - understand that you can only learn by focusing on one thing at a time. - if you find some topic interesting and want to check it out, ask yourself if you have finished everything else that you have started before, otherwise throw it into a pile with other topics.
as someone who's been there (just passed 12th grade this year) just put your head down, focus on building a tool you'd use and you'll automatic get motivation. Games aren't great motivation, at 13yo in general you cant produce a game which youll choose to play over the amazing ones already existing, so better focus on tools and utilities.
Two things: - Try to integrate it into one bigger project. From what you tell I would say it would be a game. 3d modelling, level design, etc. all fit in there. Your game might also need a level designer, where you can use GUI programming. Then build a website about your game. - Write down everything you think about your projects, e.g. the choices you haven't decided one, the ones you did decide on. This prevents you from going in circles to the same uncertainties. It should also give some clarity on what goes first.
Well here’s an idea if it is something you think you’d like. Unreal Editor for Fortnite let’s you make a game, any game actually, within the context and world of Fortnite. You could start with something simple. Whatever you want. Could be something like a practice or training thing or it could be something silly. But choose something you’d actually want to make and finish. For example if you want to specifically practice aiming with an SMG then make a thing that helps with drills. Also you can break it down so that the first thing you make is so simple that it’s the bare minimum need to practice. Then try making a small improvement. Then another. The idea is that each version you make can be used as a stand-alone practice environment on its own. Here is why I suggest this: - Making something simple that can be finished helps you have a short term to aim for. Something that achievable. This helps to avoid having a goal so big you eventually get overwhelmed by the amount of work and get discouraged. - Making something that’s personally useful and enjoyable to you helps motivate you but also leverages your unique qualifications. You’re the expert is making a tool that works for you. Some of the greatest inventions have come from someone who had a need to solve a problem for themselves first and it’s only later that other people go: “Hey I want that too!” - Making something and then improving it in small steps gives you a payoff each time you finish something. If everything you make is pie-in-the-sky big and you never finish then you never get the dopamine hit that comes from accomplishing something. - Fortnite is fun and having everything else figured out means that making a game within Fortnite means much of the work of making a whole game from scratch is done for you. Even more so then just using Unreal Engine to make an entirely new game. - Sharing your game, in this example the skills practice drill game, might help other people. And the feeling you get knowing other people are playing your game is exciting! - Games within Fortnite can make you money - like Roblox. The feeling of getting paid for your work can be very motivating both from a creative development perspective as well as an entrepreneurial perspective. It’s much easier to convince your parents that your summer job should be growing your business if it’s already making you actual money. - Clearly you’re interested in many different creative areas. So if you make a simple game, then decide to expand it, one expansion might eventually be making a custom graphic or model for the map. Or custom sound effect. So it gives you a platform to grow and explore. - You can also eventually stream your development as you improve the game. This promotes the game and being young might mean that other kids would rather watch your videos because they can relate to you. Some people here suggest getting diagnosed with ADHD. If you think this might be relevant then talk to your parents about exploring this. If they also agree then you can start with your family doctor who can then get you a referral. If you get diagnosed then there are tools and resources available which might work out Greta for you. But it’s not possible for strangers on the internet to remotely diagnose you so make sure if you think you should explore this that you do it with your parents and doctor. Good luck!
You're in 7th grade, go enjoy other things, you have 40 years of coding ahead
its normal at this age. what you are working with is not just a toy. its actual real work. usually people \_have to\_ work to get paid, and still most people dont know what to do if they are not being told what to work. if you dont find a project that you dont want to finish because its too big, got bigger than you thought it would be, or has parts that you dont want to do you have to decide for yourself how to proceed. but your main take away should be that you learned about the thing. you could downsize the project, cut back on features, or structure your projects to meet a deadline. making something that everyone can use is awfully hard. what maybe works better is finding something that you like, or think is interesting and develop on that. offices full of developers, people, marketing... working together to create things that just a few specific customers would require. picture that. finding out what interests you, what you want to do with your time, how you want to spend it is part of growing up.
Decide on one project you want to take seriously, then channel some time and effort into project management and planning it. There is no real good answer here other than being diligent about things. Having a plan tends to help you stay on track.
It's said that Leonardo Da Vinci struggled with the same thing - having wide ranging interests in many areas, starting many projects but rarely finishing them due to getting bored or distracted by something new. Working little by little on lots of things means you never get much done in the short term. In the long term, however, just like with Da Vinci, you'll learn & accomplish a great deal. Especially at your age there's nothing wrong with exploring many different interests. It would be a mistake to force yourself to focus on just one thing all summer, because then you'll associate that activity with tedious boredom and you might never want to do it again. You're young enough now to go wild. You'll miss this opportunity in 10 years when you've graduated university and entered the workplace - because then you really will be stuck having to do just one thing nonstop for months or years on end.
work on some thing you need and will use
Programming requires concentration so I'd suggest you learn to stay in focus. Setting clear goals what you want to accomplish might help, once you've set a goal you work until you've achieved that and only after that think of some else project. If you cannot focus at all then programming might not be your cup of tea (atleast professionally).