Happy Coding
Throughout this program, you’ll face many different challenges — not only in coding, but also in how you study, plan, and manage your time. Because our program offers a lot of freedom, it’s important to learn how to create your own structure and find a study approach that works for you.
Happy Coding is here to help you navigate that journey. On this page, you’ll find practical tips on planning your week, staying focused, organizing your work, and turning new knowledge into real output. Whether you’re unsure how to start a project, struggling to keep a routine, or feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to learn, this page offers guidance to get you moving again.
The goal of this page is simple: to give you tools that make studying easier, more intentional, and more effective. Every student learns differently, and this page helps you discover your own rhythm and strategies. Use this page whenever you need direction, motivation, or a fresh idea for how to approach your studies. You don’t have to figure everything out alone — let Happy Coding support you along the way.
Getting started with studying
Starting a free-structure study program can feel overwhelming — there’s no fixed schedule, no fixed pace, and lots of freedom. That’s why it helps to take a step back and build a personal system: a study routine, a realistic weekly/monthly plan, and a way to break down large tasks into small, manageable ones. This section helps you do just that: set up your own schedule, organise your time, plan ahead — and build the habits that make learning and working on projects sustainable.
Building a Study Routine
This video explains how to set up a study schedule that is realistic and sustainable. It helps you break down large tasks into weekly and daily plans. Ideal for students who struggle to structure their self-study time.
Creating a Personal Study Schedule
This video explains how to design a study plan tailored to your lifestyle and energy levels. It gives concrete tips for prioritizing tasks and balancing study with other commitments. Great for self-paced learners.
Time Management Techniques
Covers practical strategies for planning your day and week, avoiding last-minute stress, and using time efficiently. Includes time-blocking techniques and prioritization advice. Essential for staying organized in a flexible program.
Breaking Tasks Into Manageable Chunks
Learn how to divide large subjects or projects into small, achievable tasks. The video explains balancing work across multiple topics and preventing overload. Very useful for planning long-term learning goals.
Learning Strategies
Learning effectively is more than just putting in hours — it’s about how you study and practice. This section focuses on strategies to make your learning stick: using active recall, spacing out practice, taking effective notes, and turning knowledge into tangible skills. By applying these techniques, you’ll retain more, understand concepts deeper, and be able to use what you’ve learned in real projects. These videos will guide you through practical methods to improve your study efficiency.
Active Learning & Self-Testing
Learn why testing yourself is more effective than simply rereading notes. This video demonstrates techniques for quizzing yourself and reinforcing memory. Perfect for students who want to retain programming concepts long-term.
Spaced Repetition
Explains how reviewing material at increasing intervals improves retention. Shows practical ways to implement spaced repetition using flashcards and digital tools. Great for mastering syntax, algorithms, and theoretical concepts.
Translating Knowledge into Real Output
This video walks through a sensible, structured process for learning programming — starting with basic concepts, then doing guided projects, and then pushing yourself to build real, personal projects on your own. It emphasises avoiding “tutorial‑hell” by applying what you learn right away. Very helpful if you want to turn learning into actual software you build yourself.
Productivity
Avoiding Multitasking & Staying Focused
Explains why multitasking reduces efficiency and retention. Offers practical ways to focus on one task at a time. Useful for programming tasks that require sustained attention.
Managing Your Energy Levels
Shows how aligning study and work with your natural energy peaks can improve productivity. Includes tips on scheduling high-focus tasks at the right time of day.
Deep Work & Getting into Flow
Teaches strategies to reach a state of deep focus where productivity and learning are maximized. Includes advice on minimizing distractions and structuring sessions for flow.
Pomodoro Technique
Explains how short, timed study sessions can improve focus and reduce burnout. Provides a practical example you can follow along with in real study sessions. Great for students who struggle to maintain long periods of concentration.
How to Maximize Your Productivity (As a Software Developer or Learning Programming)
Three potentially very valuable tips for software developers.
Programmer Flow State: "In The Zone" Coding
In this video a bunch of strategies are shared that you can use to avoid getting interrupted.
This is why you shouldn't interrupt a programmer
A comic to make the point.
Motivation & discipline
Staying motivated and disciplined is one of the biggest challenges in a free-structure program. Motivation can fluctuate, but discipline is what keeps you moving. This section focuses on building consistent habits, setting meaningful goals, and maintaining progress even during low-energy periods. The videos here provide strategies to help you stay committed, motivated, and productive over the long term.
Building Consistent Habits
Explains the science behind habit formation and practical methods to make habits automatic. Shows how small, consistent actions lead to big results over time. Ideal for creating daily study routines
How To Stay Motivated
Offers tips for keeping motivation high, even when progress feels slow. Covers mindset techniques and strategies for tackling challenging subjects. Helpful for programming and long-term projects.
Setting Meaningful Goals
Explains why vague goals fail and how to set clear, actionable, and measurable objectives. Includes tips for aligning goals with your personal values and study priorities.
Achieving Goals
These are some stupidly simple that you could follow to help you achieve your goals.
Wisdomination - Screw motivation, what you need is discipline.
Part 1: Motivation is a counterproductive attitude to productivity. What counts is discipline.
Wisdomination - Practical discipline
Part 2: Tips on how to actually build discipline.
Procrastination & Overwhelm
Procrastination and feeling overwhelmed are common obstacles, especially in a self-directed program. Sometimes the hardest part is simply starting a task, while other times it’s managing the workload without burning out. This section focuses on understanding why you procrastinate, strategies to get moving, and ways to tackle tasks step by step. The videos here give practical tools to overcome inertia and regain control of your study process.
Tim Urban - Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
Funny and awfully recognizable explanation of procrastination. Especially the case of non-deadline procrastination, identified near the end of this video, may be an important life realization!
Managing Overwhelm & Workload
Feeling overwhelmed? Learn a simple brain dump technique to manage stress and regain clarity with therapist Emma McAdam in this Therapy in a Nutshell video.
Imposter syndrome
Many students experience self-doubt, feeling like they aren’t “good enough” or that they don’t belong — also known as imposter syndrome. These feelings can affect motivation, confidence, and willingness to take on challenges. This section focuses on understanding and managing these feelings, cultivating a growth mindset, embracing mistakes, and building self-confidence. The videos here provide practical advice for thinking differently about yourself and your abilities.
Elizabeth Cox - What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it?
The imposter syndrome is very, very prevalent among software developers. It's important that you recognize it as such.
TheSchoolOfLife - The Impostor Syndrome
Another interesting take on the imposter syndrome.
Developing a Growth Mindset
Explains the difference between fixed and growth mindsets, and how adopting a growth mindset can improve learning, resilience, and problem-solving. Want to know more, read the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" (Carol Dweck).
Overcoming Mistakes
Explore what prevents us from learning from our failures, and how to become more resilient through cultivating a growth mindset.
Mental & Physical Health
Studying in a self-directed program can be intense, and maintaining mental and physical health is crucial for sustainable learning. Stress, lack of sleep, poor posture, and low physical activity can all negatively impact focus, memory, and productivity. This section provides strategies for managing stress, maintaining balance, and creating healthy habits that support both your body and mind. The videos here give practical tips to stay energized, focused, and resilient throughout your studies.
Programmers and Depression: Why No One Talks About This and 8 Powerful Ways to Overcome It - article
Eight sensible things to do that may help you fight off oncoming depression.
Programmers and Depression: Why No One Talks About This and 8 Powerful Ways to Overcome It - video
Video version of the above article.
Programmers and Depression: Why No One Talks About This and 8 Powerful Ways to Overcome It - video
Video version of the above article.
Managing Stress
Explains simple and practical techniques to reduce stress in daily life and study routines. Includes breathing exercises, mindfulness tips, and prioritization strategies.
Sleep, Breaks & Recovery
Explains the role of sleep in memory consolidation and learning efficiency. Offers tips for improving sleep quality and scheduling effective breaks.
ACT StudentHelp
Our academy created a surprising useful website with information on all kinds of problems that may crop up during your studies, and links to Saxion facilities that may be of help.
7 ways to maximize misery (and thus, what not to do!)
Some light fun, while giving you an idea about things you can do, or rather should do the opposite of if you want to improve your quality of life
Programmers Should DEFINITELY Exercise (If You Don't Want To... DIE?)
A very convincing and actionable video about the three most cliche pieces of lifestyle advice.
Programmer Posture
Software developers spend excessive amounts of time sitting and staring downward at screens. This video warns you about the dangers of turning your body into the physical embodiment of a chair
Learning to program
Learning to program effectively is about more than just following tutorials — it’s about practicing, experimenting, and applying concepts in real projects. This section focuses on strategies to understand new programming concepts, practice efficiently, avoid getting stuck in “tutorial hell,” and use debugging and projects as learning tools. The videos here provide guidance for turning your study time into real coding skills and building confidence in software development.
How do you learn how to code
Learning to code is pretty overwhelming so this video should break down the essential steps and resources you need to start coding as a beginner. .
Get out of tutorial hell
Explains why spending too much time on tutorials can slow learning. Offers strategies to transition from tutorials to actually learning to code.