Master Git and GitHub: A Simple Guide

👋🏽 Hey there!

If you’re just starting out in coding, there’s a good chance you’ve heard people throw around words like Git, GitHub, commit, push, and more like it's second nature.

But honestly? When I was new to all this, it felt like everyone was speaking a secret developer language that I didn’t get.

I used to wonder:

“Wait, are Git and GitHub the same thing?”
“What’s a commit?”
“Do I really need to learn this just to write code?”

If you’ve had these questions, you're not alone. I’ve been there, feeling overwhelmed and low-key scared to touch the terminal 😅

But once I started understanding how Git and GitHub work, I realised they’re actually lifesavers for anyone working with code, especially if you're building projects, learning new things, or working in teams.

So let me walk you through how I learned it all — no jargon, just simple explanations and a few lessons I picked up along the way.

First up — What Even Is Git?

Git is a version control system — but let’s keep it simple.

Imagine writing a long essay. You keep editing, deleting, and adding new stuff. Then suddenly, you realise you preferred the version from two days ago. What do you do?

That’s where Git comes in — it’s like Google Docs’ version history, but for your code. You can:

Save specific versions of your project (called commits)
Track every little change
Rewind to earlier versions when needed
Work safely without the fear of “breaking everything”

Here are a few basic Git commands I started with:

git init — to start a Git project
git add . — to tell Git which files I changed
git commit -m "message" — to save a version with a message
git status — to see what’s changed
git log — to look at the commit history

Once I got the hang of it, it actually made me feel more in control of my work.

Okay, So What’s GitHub Then?

Git is the tool that works on your local computer. GitHub is a cloud platform where you can upload your Git projects.

I like to think of it as:

Git = your personal diary
GitHub = putting that diary online, safely backed up, and optionally shared with the world 🌍

On GitHub, you can:

Store and share your code
Collaborate with others easily
Showcase your work (super helpful for internships or job hunting)
Contribute to cool open-source projects

Once I started uploading my projects to GitHub, it felt like I was finally building a portfolio — something real I could show.

My First GitHub Push (and That Proud Feeling)

I still remember how excited (and slightly scared) I was when I pushed my first project to GitHub. It felt like something only “real” developers did.

Here’s what I did:

Created a repo on GitHub (left everything blank)
Opened my terminal and typed:

git init  
git remote add origin https://github.com/myusername/myrepo.git  
git add .  
git commit -m "initial commit"  
git push -u origin main

And boom — it was online! Seeing my code on GitHub for the first time was honestly a proud moment. 🥹

My Everyday Git Flow (It’s Simple)

Now, this is the routine I follow most of the time:

Make some changes
git add .
git commit -m "describe what I did"
git push

That’s it. Every time I update something, this is the flow.

And if someone else has worked on the code, I just do a quick git pull to get the latest version before pushing again.

What’s This “Branch” Thing?

I used to be scared of branches because I didn’t understand them. But now I know — branches are just safe zones.

Imagine wanting to try a risky idea — like redesigning a page. You wouldn’t want to mess up the main code.

So instead, you create a branch like this:

git checkout -b new-idea

Now you can do whatever you want in that branch. If it works, great! You can merge it into the main one. If not, just delete it. No damage done 🙌

Learning Collaboration (The Hard and Fun Way)

When I started working with other people on GitHub, I ran into a bunch of new terms. Here are some I wish I understood earlier:

Fork = Making a copy of someone else’s project
Clone = Downloading a GitHub repo to your own system
Pull request (PR) = Suggesting changes for a project
Merge conflict = When two people edit the same thing, Git needs help deciding which version to keep

My first merge conflict was scary. But now I see it as a normal part of team projects — and fixing them makes me feel like a boss 😎

Why I Can’t Imagine Working Without Git & GitHub

Looking back, here’s what these tools gave me:

A clear, trackable way to manage my projects
Confidence to experiment without fear
Better collaboration and teamwork
A real portfolio I can link to in my resume
More structure and peace of mind while coding

It’s like going from messy notes to organised folders. Total upgrade.

Final Thoughts

If Git and GitHub feel overwhelming right now, I get it. But take it one step at a time. Don’t worry about memorising everything.

Start with:

Making a small project
Running basic commands
Pushing it to GitHub
Exploring how branching and pull requests work

You’ll slowly become more confident, I promise.

“Commit early, commit often — and don’t be afraid to break things. Git’s got your back.”

Thanks for reading! If this post helped you even a little, I’d love to know. And if you’re learning Git right now you're doing amazing 💪 Keep going!

Code, Commit, Push: Understanding Git and GitHub the Easy Way