1) Never rush. Take as much time as you need to solve a task. Ensure that the code you have written is as good as possible. It should be "almost perfect." 1b)

1) Never rush. Take as much time as you need to solve a task. Ensure that the code you have written is as good as possible. It should be "almost perfect." 1b) You write "solid enough" which is the wrong goal if you want to improve. You must strive for perfection because that gives you the most skill improvement per unit of time invested. 2) Write down what criticism your code is getting. Try and extrapolate. For example, if your code causes a NullPointerException on certain inputs, see if you can figure out why you made that error and what you should keep in mind to not make it in the future. 3. Seek input from people more experienced. Like on Stack Overflow, the sister site Code Review (http://codereview.stackexchange.com/ http://codereview.stackexchange.com/) or among colleagues. 4. Never give up. And practice, practice, practice!