Struggling to learn React? You’re not alone. Here’s my real-life story of React learning struggles, imposter syndrome, and the mindset shift that helped me overcome it all.

React Learning Struggles: My True Story of Almost Giving Up and Coming Back Stronger

My React Learning Struggles & What Changed Everything

When I first started learning React, I thought it would be exciting — modern, in-demand, and developer-friendly. Everyone on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube made it look like the ultimate tool that would “change your career.”

But no one warned me about the confusion.
No one told me about the moments I’d stare at my screen and wonder…

“Am I even smart enough to do this?”

The Struggles Begin

I still remember the first time I saw useEffect.
I had just gotten used to writing vanilla JavaScript and a bit of HTML/CSS. React’s JSX was confusing enough. And now there were hooks?

Everyone else seemed to “get it” so quickly.
They were building dashboards, deploying portfolios, and contributing to open source.

Meanwhile, I was stuck with one component, trying to understand why my state wasn’t updating.

What made it worse?

I was comparing myself with developers who had been coding for years. I thought I had to catch up. I thought I had to be perfect.

So I pushed harder.
I watched 3-hour tutorials.
I followed along with YouTubers, typing exactly what they typed.

But nothing clicked.

And then came the imposter syndrome.
It crept in slowly — the feeling that maybe this wasn’t for me.
That maybe I was just faking it.

The Breaking Point

One night, I was working on a to-do app (of course 😅), and everything broke.

The components weren’t rendering.
The props weren’t passing.
And the console? Filled with errors that felt like they were mocking me.

I closed my laptop.
I stared at the wall.
And I seriously thought — Maybe I should just give up.

Why waste time?
Why fight so hard when nothing makes sense?

But Then… A Shift

I don’t know what made me do it, but instead of quitting, I did something else.

I paused.

I gave myself permission to not be perfect.
I told myself: “It’s okay to not get it yet.”

I stopped watching long tutorials and started building small things.
Tiny components. One feature at a time.
No pressure. No perfection. Just practice.

I also started reading the React docs — slowly. And surprisingly… things began to make sense.

Each day, I’d understand one small concept.
And those small wins? They built momentum.

What Really Changed Everything

What truly helped me was shifting my mindset from:

“I need to master React fast”
to
“I need to enjoy learning React slowly.”

Once I made peace with the fact that learning takes time, I stopped feeling like an imposter and started feeling like a student.

I also started sharing my journey online — even the failures.
And the response was shocking.

People didn’t laugh.
They said: “Same here, bro.”
“I thought I was the only one.”

The Lesson

If you’re learning React (or any tech) and it feels like too much…
If you feel like you’re not smart enough…
If you’re tempted to quit…

Let me tell you: You’re not alone.

React is hard when you start — not because it’s impossible, but because it’s different.
The syntax, the logic, the ecosystem — it takes time.

But time + patience = progress.

Even if you don’t believe in yourself yet — believe in your effort.
Because every line of code, every tiny bug, and every confused Google search is part of the story.

Reader Reflection

• Have you ever felt like quitting something you loved?

• What helped you keep going?

• Who could use this reminder today?

🌟 Enjoyed this story?
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Let’s grow, learn, and code — together. 💻🚀