Pair Programming is underrated
I learned to code in a coding bootcamp, which was an amazing experience. Part of what made the experience so much fun were my cohort mates. Now that I’ve graduated, I still talk with and hang out with those friends, but I don’t really code with them as much anymore. I primarily do solo coding now. Coding with someone is one of my favorite things to do. And by coding with someone I’m talking, like actual pair programming, not working on the same project but on different things. I’m talking good ole share your screen and both work on it. I LOVE that. So besides my personal taste, how is it beneficial?
Talking about Code
Have you ever been trying to explain a code problem to someone and you just couldn’t get it out? Or what you did explain is just gibberish to the other person? This is exactly something that pair programming helps to prevent. It forces you to TALK about CODE. Talking about code is immensely beneficial to everyone involved. Not only does it help you to learn technical speech, but I’ve often found that whilst trying to tell someone about my problem, I then figure it out. On the other side, the person you are talking to has the chance to comprehend the technical speech, as well as being exposed to a bug or problem they may have never encountered before.
I really can’t say enough about the benefits of talking code. It’s something that I haven’t done recently, and I can notice the difference. I’m not saying that in order to be good at programming, you HAVE to talk to someone about your code, but it most certainly doesn’t hurt at all. Go out there and find a buddy to code with, and see the benefits for yourself!
Exposure
I briefly mentioned this before, but since it’s such an overlooked piece of the puzzle in my opinion, I thought I would mention it again. This is a huge perk for all parties involved. You get to experience things and talk about things that you might have never seen before. What better way to learn something new than talking to someone else and helping them figure it out? Sure it can take a while longer than just watching a guide or something.. But let’s be real here, how often have you been watching a tutorial and had to rewind because you zoned out or realized you were looking at your phone and missed it all? Because I’ve caught myself doing that very frequently. So having someone else there to reign me in and keep my on track is very helpful to me.
Responsibility
As before mentioned, having someone to reign you in is very helpful to me. I often get frustrated with bugs and when I’m on my own with all the temptations literally sitting next to me, rage quitting temporarily is something that has definitely happened in the past. I’m sure we all have been there, some missing ‘;’ or ‘,’ has caused the worst error to appear and no matter how often you look over your code, you just can’t find that missing piece. It is rage inducing no doubt. So having someone else there to also take a look and maybe see the thing you missed, but I think more importantly there to keep you from boiling over. There’s something about being frustrated at code with someone else that is just.. funny sometimes? Where as on your own, it’s nearly always rage inducing. And when you do finally figure out what’s wrong, having that person there to do a mini celebration can completely change your mood.
I honestly can’t say enough about the benefits of pair programming. However, you’ll never know the true benefits if you don’t get out there and do it for yourself! I highly recommend you going out on the big ole interwebs and trying to find yourself a buddy to code with! It’ll help you grow in ways you didn’t know were possible! Enjoy!
