Great advice. I'd add to those book recommendations 'The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master' as well, great and fun read from beginning to end and

Great advice. I'd add to those book recommendations 'The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master' as well, great and fun read from beginning to end and good to open at any spot and read just a section. Also a fantastic read, Peter Norvig's "Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years" (http://norvig.com/21-days.html http://norvig.com/21-days.html), read that one ASAP, good to calibrate your expectations, when I first read it was both at once a cold shower of reality while simultaneously infusing in me a drive to become a competent and skilled programmer.