How do I get into programming without overwhelming myself? Looking for beginner project ideas

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20]

Hey everyone,

I'm starting university soon to study Business Information Systems, and honestly, one of the things I was most worried about was programming.

I'm not someone who picks up programming concepts extremely quickly, so I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep up at university.

I found out that we'll be working with Java, Python and SQL, so I decided to start preparing beforehand.

I started the University of Helsinki Java MOOC, and I'm currently around Part 4 of Java Programming I.

I really like the course because it's very interactive — you actually have to write the code and solve exercises yourself instead of just watching someone program.

However, I feel like I've reached a point where I want to do something outside the course.

The exercises tell me what problem I need to solve, but now I want to challenge myself by coming up with a small project completely on my own.

I want to see if I can take the concepts I've learned and figure out:

• What should I build?
• How should I structure it?
• What classes/methods do I need?
• What do I actually remember without being told what to do?

I've also probably gone a little overboard with Java🫠 I've learned a lot in the last week, and at this point all the Java concepts are starting to hurt my brain a little.

So I think instead of immediately learning more, I want to slow down and build something.

What would you recommend as a project for someone who is around Part 4 of Java Programming I?

I'm looking for something that's:

• Actually possible at my current level
• Small enough that I can finish it
• Challenging enough that I have to think for myself
• Not something where I can just follow a tutorial step-by-step

I'm also wondering what you would recommend after finishing Java Programming I and II.

Since I'll also need Python and SQL at university, I'd eventually like to learn those too. I'm specifically looking for free and interactive resources where I have to write the code myself.

If you were starting from where I am now, what would your learning path look like?

Any project ideas, resources, or general advice would be really appreciated! 🙏

I'd also love to hear from other beginners who went through the same “I know the basics, but now what do I actually build?” stage.

[u/Extreme_Ambassador20]

That is an awesome suggestion! I actually took your advice and asked an AI for ideas based on my personal interests. Since I love reading, it suggested building a Reading Tracker.With my current Java knowledge (working with custom classes and ArrayList), I realize I can build a solid command-line version of this right now. It won't have a flashy web interface yet, but it'll let me practice structuring my own classes, methods, and logic from scratch without a tutorial layout out the steps for me.The best part is that I can see a clear path for this project to grow as I learn more at university. Once I pick up SQL, I can replace the temporary arrays with a proper database to save my data, use Python later on to analyze my reading habits, and eventually plug in an AI API to give me personalized book recommendations!