Let’s be honest—some of us walked into tech with starry eyes, dreaming of becoming app builders, ethical hackers, or AI engineers…
Only to realize halfway through: “Wait, what is Git?”

Back in first year, I thought the biggest challenge would be passing exams.
Turns out, the real problem was discovering that half the tools needed to thrive in tech weren't even mentioned in class.

Here are a few of those crucial things I wish someone had whispered in my ear earlier:

1. Git isn't optional—it’s your project’s memory

Git lets you track the progress of your code like a time machine. Made a mistake? You can revert. Want to try something new? Create a branch and experiment.

Yet somehow, it's not emphasized until much later—if ever.
Now that I’ve seen its power, I can't imagine building without it.

2. GitHub is more than storage—it's a community

At first, I thought GitHub was just where “serious developers” lived.
Turns out, it's a goldmine. You can:

Browse other people's projects
Learn how real-world code is structured
Even contribute (yup, you can actually add value even while learning)

It's also your tech portfolio. One day, a recruiter might peek at your repos 👀

3. Databases aren’t just backend talk

Relational, non-relational, PostgreSQL, MongoDB...
When I first heard these names, I thought I had taken a wrong turn into an MBA class.

But databases are at the heart of most apps—from storing passwords to remembering your playlist. If you’ve ever wondered where your app “remembers” things… well, now you know.

4. I’m still learning Docker—but I wish I knew earlier

I haven’t mastered Docker yet, but here’s what I’ve gathered:
It helps you package your applications so they can run anywhere—without the “but it works on my laptop” drama.

It’s part of the DevOps world, but knowing about it early lets you plan your learning path better. Now it’s on my radar—and maybe it should be on yours too.

5. Blame won't fix it—curiosity will

Yes, the system didn’t teach us some of these tools.
But let’s not stay stuck in the blame game.

Instead:

Ask questions
Explore outside the curriculum
Connect with people who’ve walked this road

We don’t have to wait until 4th year industrial attachment to start being technical.

Final thoughts

If you’ve stumbled across a tool, concept, or resource that made you go:
“How come no one told me about this earlier?”
You’re not alone.

But now that we know better, let’s keep learning—and share what we find.

Things They Forgot to Tell Us When We Were Starting Out in Tech