Communication skills are important for success in any career and programming is not an exception. Programming students need to learn how to write and how to communicate their ideas.
In any organization, the programmers with the most power and influence are gifted writers and speakers. They can write and speak English clearly and convincingly. They can persuade different people, writing clear technical specs and comments for programmers and clear technical documentation for end users.
Writing is hard for everyone and strong writing skills require hard work. For programming students who have 100% Math mind, producing high-quality prose is extremely challenging. But you have to learn how to write before your graduating if you want to land a well-paid job or, at least, if you don’t want to fall into despair searching for someone whom you can ask ‘make my thesis’.
Here are some top tips that can help you learn to write clearly and effectively.
Make Writing Routine
How to become a good writer? The answer is simple: you should write. There is no magic. It’s the process of writing that makes you a writer. If you start doing it, it’s all about improving.
Many colleges have special ‘writing intensive’ classes where students have to write a lot to pass them. Take those classes. You can look for writing classes in any field of writing that requires completing a lot of weekly or even daily assignments.
You can start writing a journal or a blog. Make writing a part of your daily routine. If you write regularly and a lot, soon you will notice that the writing process has become easier and you write more productively.
Build Your Vocabulary
A good word choice is a characteristic of all good essays because it allows a writer to express his thoughts clearly and concisely. Make an effort to build your vocabulary and you will be able to convey your ideas more effectively and be more persuasive.
Read widely – fiction of different genres and non-fiction books that cover a wide range of topics. If you come across any word you don’t know, look for it in a dictionary. Reading allows to learn new words in a context and to use them properly.
When writing, use a thesaurus. Learning synonyms will add variety to your language and you will avoid repeating the same words. But keep in mind that not all synonyms can be used interchangeably – there is a subtle difference in their meanings. You should always check how new words are used in the context and look for correct examples.
Learn suffixes, prefixes, and roots. Many of them have the Latin and Greek origin. They will help you learn a lot of words because you will be able to deduce their meanings.
Learn To Write Better Code
Actually, programming and writing have very much in common because they are both communications. Strong programming skills can help you develop specific skills that are necessary for writing an essay, scientific report, feature story or a case study. Writing code can help you
- develop organizational skills
- explain sophisticated ideas in simple words
- write concisely and precisely
- become a good self-editor
- follow a style guide
Use these tips and techniques regularly to take your writing to new heights.