Yes, new programmers spend a lot of time just getting things to work.
But, from years of managing summer interns, the biggest surprise to new programmers is the amount of non-code stuff that needs to be done alongside actual coding. Doc, comments, peer reviews (and the associated rework). The sooner they learn this is part of the job, the sooner they'll fit into the team's workflow and contribute at a high level.
But, from years of managing summer interns, the biggest surprise to new programmers is the amount of non-code stuff that needs to be done alongside actual coding. Doc, comments, peer reviews (and the associated rework). The sooner they learn this is part of the job, the sooner they'll fit into the team's workflow and contribute at a high level.