The hidden curriculum of coding

Six lessons that every student should learn

Students starting university or still at school are sitting down in front of their laptops to write their first line of code or to wrestle with more advanced projects in computer science courses. Paula Rosenberg, Director, Communities at Stack Overflow shares six lessons they can learn.

For many students this is the first step on a long journey toward a career in technology. Yet even as they learn new languages and frameworks, many encounter the same obstacles: imposter syndrome, coding roadblocks, and the challenge of finding their place in a professional community.

Data from Stack Overflow’s latest Developer Survey shows that 11% of its users are students, and 25% have fewer than five years of professional experience. Their success matters – to their own careers and to the health of the wider tech ecosystem. What practical steps can students and graduates take to level up their skills, build confidence, and prepare for the workplace?

Learn to ask good questions

Every developer, from beginner to veteran, has moments of doubt. Imposter syndrome is so common that many experienced engineers see it as part of the job. One of the best ways to counter it is to learn the art of asking good questions.

That means moving beyond “Why doesn’t my code work?” and instead framing questions that clarify what you know, what you’ve tried, and where exactly you’re stuck. This kind of self-diagnosis improves the chances of getting useful answers and deepens your own understanding of the problem.

For students, asking questions in this way normalises not knowing everything and turns uncertainty into an opportunity for growth. In classrooms and online communities alike, those who admit what they don’t know – and show their reasoning – tend to learn faster, build trust, and ultimately thrive.

Go beyond the quick answer

It can be tempting, when deadlines loom, to copy and paste the first solution you find online. But treating coding help as a shortcut misses the bigger opportunity. In addition to testing to ensure an answer is correct, true progress comes from understanding why a solution works.

Slowing down to read explanations, retype code by hand, and experiment with variations may feel inefficient in the moment, but it develops habits that employers prioritise: critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience. Wrestling with roadblocks ensures lessons stick and prepares you for the kind of complex, ambiguous problems you’ll face in professional settings.

Tech leaders consistently say they want people who can learn, adapt, and reason. Syntax matters, but the ability to apply knowledge flexibly is what stands out. Students who adopt this practice this early will be better prepared for the realities of modern software work.

Build skills through community

Coding can be a solitary activity, but successful developers rarely work in isolation. They participate in communities – whether in a university study group, an open-source project, or an online forum with millions of peers.

For students, joining these communities is more than a way to get help. It’s a chance to practice collaboration, give feedback, and share ideas. It’s also an opportunity to build relationships and network. Commenting on others’ questions, suggesting improvements, or even offering partial answers are all low-stakes ways to start contributing. Over time, these interactions build communication skills and a reputation for being a constructive member of a team.

Many employers now look at a candidate’s presence in developer communities as a factor in their hiring decisions. A profile that demonstrates thoughtful contributions can serve as a portfolio of soft and technical skills, showing an ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and persist through challenges.

Treat mistakes as milestones

Another critical mindset shift is learning to see mistakes as milestones. Every experienced developer can tell a story of broken builds, bugs that took days to track down, or answers they posted that turned out to be wrong. What sets successful technologists apart is their ability to use those moments to improve.

Students who practice sharing work, receiving feedback, and iterating in public spaces are effectively rehearsing for the collaborative nature of professional development. When interviewers later ask about a time you dealt with failure or worked through a difficult challenge, those experiences become ready-made stories that demonstrate resilience and growth.

Start building your professional brand early

Perhaps the most underrated advantage of participating in the developer community as a student is the opportunity to start building a professional brand. Sharing your thought process, collaborating on projects, or contributing to discussions may seem like small steps, but over time they create a footprint that others – peers, mentors, and potential employers – can see.

Research consistently shows that personal branding influences hiring decisions. For developers, this doesn’t require slick self-promotion. Simply engaging constructively, documenting your learning journey, and offering help where you can already signals curiosity and commitment.

A long-term investment

For today’s students and early-career developers, learning to code is only the beginning. The more difficult, and ultimately more rewarding, journey is learning how to learn, how to collaborate, and how to grow within a global community of technologists.

By asking better questions, treating solutions as opportunities to deepen understanding, engaging in communities, and embracing mistakes, students build the foundations of successful and resilient careers. Those who develop these habits early will be better prepared to contribute, adapt, and lead in the years ahead.