I like programming courses.
I've taken many of them.
Some completely changed the way I work.
But there is a point where another course stops helping you.
And starts becoming procrastination.
Courses Feel Like Progress
That's why this trap is so easy to fall into.
You watch three hours of React.
Progress.
You complete a Python module.
Progress.
You earn another certificate.
Progress.
Everything feels productive.
But then you open an empty code editor and try to build something without the instructor.
Suddenly:
“I have no idea what I'm doing.”
That feeling is uncomfortable.
So what do many beginners do?
They buy another course.
Knowing Is Not the Same as Doing
Programming has a huge practical component.
You can understand what an API is and still struggle to create one.
You can understand SQL joins and still spend two hours debugging a query.
You can watch someone use Docker perfectly and have absolutely no idea why your container refuses to start.
The difference is experience.
Courses can transfer knowledge.
They cannot transfer experience.
You have to create that yourself.
Use Courses as Tools
The better way to use a programming course is not:
Course → Course → Course → Course → Job
It is:
Course → Project → Problem → Research → Project → Next Skill
Learn enough to start.
Then build.
When you find something you don't understand, go back and study it.
This creates a completely different relationship with education.
You stop learning things because someone told you they are important.
You start learning them because you actually need them.
And that knowledge tends to stick.
One Course, One Project
If you're stuck in tutorial hell, try this rule:
Every major course you finish should produce something that wasn't part of the course.
Learn backend development?
Build your own API.
Learn databases?
Design the database for your own project.
Learn Docker?
Containerize something you already built.
Learn cloud?
Deploy it.
The objective is not to collect certificates.
The objective is to become capable of building things without someone holding your hand.
Courses Aren't the Problem
Random learning is.
A good course can save you hundreds of hours.
A bad learning strategy can waste hundreds.
So no, you probably don't need another random programming course.
You need to identify the skill you're currently missing.
Then learn it.
Then use it.
Have You Ever Been Stuck in Tutorial Hell?
How many courses did you finish before realizing you still couldn't build something alone?
I'd genuinely like to hear your experience in the comments.
And if you're going to take another course, at least make sure it's worth your time.
I've taken a lot of programming courses throughout my career, and some were much more useful than others.
So I put together a list of 10 Udemy courses I genuinely recommend for developers who want practical skills.
No promises of becoming a “10x engineer.”
Just courses that can make you more useful.
👉 Check out the 10 Udemy courses I recommend
Choose the skill you actually need.
Then close Udemy and open your IDE.
