Every developer remembers the first time they stared at a bunch of coding errors that made absolutely no sense. Mine looked like hieroglyphics. The console was screaming in red, and I was convinced my computer had turned against me.

The truth is, those early moments of confusion are where real developers are born. Each error becomes a story, a puzzle waiting to be solved, and eventually a quiet victory.

When I began learning JavaScript and later started exploring other frameworks like React and Next.js, and a few other tools, I faced every kind of bug you can imagine. From missing brackets to invisible typos, each mistake felt like a disaster at first. But as I learned to read coding errors instead of fear them, I discovered something beautiful: debugging is how you learn to think like a developer.

In this post, I’ll share how I solved my first five coding errors and what each of them taught me, and how debugging built my confidence as a developer.

Table of Contents

• 1. The Syntax Coding Error That Made Me Laugh Later
• 2. The ‘Undefined Is Not a Function’ Mystery
• 3. The ‘Cannot Read Property of Undefined’ Error in React
• 4. The Next.js Fetch Coding Error That Taught Me Patience
• 5. The Logic Error That Changed How I Think
• What These Coding Errors Taught Me About Being a Developer
• Bonus Tips for Beginners Debugging
• How Debugging Built My Confidence as a Developer
• What I’d Tell My Beginner Self

1. The Syntax Coding Error That Made Me Laugh Later

The very first coding error I ever faced was the classic syntax error. I had written my first JavaScript function with so much excitement that I forgot a simple closing parenthesis. When I ran the code, the console flashed:

Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token.

At that time, I didn’t even know what “token” meant. I stared at the screen for twenty minutes trying to find what went wrong. I even retyped the entire line twice before realizing I had missed a tiny bracket at the end. That day I learned the most important lesson of JavaScript development – computers do exactly what you tell them, not what you mean. Syntax errors are like grammar mistakes in your code. They remind you to slow down and pay attention to detail.

Here’s what the faulty code looked like:

function greet(name {
console.log("Hello, " + name);
}

And here’s the corrected version:

function greet(name) {
console.log("Hello, " + name);
}

So small, yet so powerful. That missing parenthesis taught me the value of reading error messages calmly instead of panicking.

Now, whenever beginners panic over their first coding errors, I remind them: “Your first bug will teach you more than your first tutorial.”

(💡 If you’d like to improve how you write readable code, you might enjoy my post How 3 Small Coding Habits Can Transform Your Workflow and Code Quality

2. The ‘Undefined Is Not a Function’ Mystery

After conquering syntax errors, I felt confident enough to build my first small project, a to-do app using plain JavaScript. Everything went well until one day my browser said:

TypeError: addTask is not a function.

I had written a small function to add tasks to the list, but it refused to work. I tried console logging everything, renaming variables, and even restarting my browser. Finally, after an hour of careful troubleshooting, I realized that I had named my function addtask (with a lowercase t) in one place and addTask (uppercase T) in another. JavaScript is case-sensitive, and that tiny difference was the whole problem.

That day I learned to respect naming conventions. Consistency in variable and function names is not about style, it is about communication with the computer. It also taught me a deeper truth about coding, that debugging is not about finding what’s broken, but understanding how your code behaves.

Here’s what the faulty code looked like:

function addtask(task) {
tasks.push(task);
}
addTask("Learn JavaScript");

The corrected version:

function addTask(task) {
tasks.push(task);
}
addTask("Learn JavaScript");

It was such a tiny change, yet it opened a huge door of understanding. I began writing my code more thoughtfully, naming functions in camelCase and keeping my logic organized. I soon realized that many beginners face similar coding errors, often blaming logic when the real issue is naming. Since then, I’ve treated every variable name as a promise: clear, consistent, and readable.

3. The ‘Cannot Read Property of Undefined’ Error in React

As I moved to React, my coding errors evolved from simple typos to mysterious runtime issues. My first big React bug came when I was building a simple component that displayed user details. I had written this piece of code:

function UserCard({ user }) {
return <p>{user.name}</p>;
}
And then  I rendered  it like this:
<UserCard />

The console screamed:

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘name’).

Of course, I hadn’t passed the user prop. React expected user.name, but user didn’t exist at all. When I finally passed the correct prop, everything worked perfectly.

<UserCard user={{ name: "Shubhra" }} />

Lesson learned: never assume data exists until you’ve checked it. Undefined-property errors are common coding errors in React. To prevent them, I now use optional chaining:

function UserCard({ user }) {
return <p>{user?.name || "Anonymous User"}</p>;
}

That tiny ?. symbol became my peacekeeper. It keeps apps from crashing and teaches humility because assumptions are the root of most JavaScript coding errors.

(📘 Reference: MDN Web Docs – Optional Chaining Operator (?.))

4. The Next.js Fetch Coding Error That Taught Me Patience

My fourth big coding error happened when I built my first Next.js project. I wanted to fetch data from an API inside a server component. It looked so simple in the docs, but my screen showed:

Error: fetch failed.

I checked my internet connection, restarted the dev server, and even switched APIs. Nothing helped. The real issue? I had accidentally written htp:// instead of https:// in my fetch URL

It sounds silly now, but at that moment it felt like the hardest bug in the world. After hours of trial and error, I spotted the typo and everything suddenly worked. My console finally printed the data, and I jumped in victory.

Here’s a ***corrected version ***of that code:

export default async function Page() {
const res = await fetch("https://api.example.com/data");
const data = await res.json();
return <div>{data.title}</div>;
}

That harmless-looking typo taught me patience. Debugging is not just logic; it’s mindfulness. When facing coding errors like this, I now trace step by step, logging every stage with console.log() until clarity appears.

Patience, persistence, and calm observation solve far more bugs than panic ever will.

5. The Logic Error That Changed How I Think

My fifth memorable coding error wasn’t a red error at all. The code ran perfectly fine but it just produced the wrong result. I had written a small JavaScript program to calculate total expenses:

const prices = [100, 200, 300];
let total = 0;
for (let i = 0; i <= prices.length; i++) {
total += prices[i];
}
console.log(total);

The console printed NaN. I couldn’t understand why. I checked each number, rewrote the loop, and even printed intermediate values. Finally, I realized my mistake. The loop condition used <= instead of <. That meant when i reached prices.length, the code tried to access prices[3], which didn’t exist. Adding undefined caused the total to become NaN. Fixing it was simple.

Corrected version:

for (let i = 0; i < prices.length; i++) {
total += prices[i];
}

That single symbol (<= vs <) changed everything. Logic errors like this are silent teachers. They don’t crash your program; they challenge your reasoning. Now I often use console.table() or write quick tests to visualize data, a habit that prevents many hidden coding errors.

What These Coding Errors Taught Me About Being a Developer

Looking back, each mistake was a mentor in disguise.

• Syntax errors taught attention to detail.
• Undefined function errors taught discipline in naming.
• React property errors taught safe data handling.
• Next.js fetch errors taught patience.
• Logic errors taught analytical thinking.

Together, they shaped how I debug and how I think. Debugging is no longer punishment, it’s exploration. Every fix gives that small spark of mastery that keeps you learning.

For more on improving focus and clarity, you can read Gardening for Creativity: How Nurturing My Garden Makes Me a Better Coder

It shows how even non-technical hobbies can refine the patience you need to tackle coding errors calmly.

Bonus Tips for Beginners Debugging

1.** Read error messages slowly.** The browser console and terminal are your helpful companions. They don’t criticize you, they guide you. When you learn to decode them, debugging becomes faster.

2. Use console.log strategically. Track variables before and after changes to catch subtle coding errors.

3. Save files and restart servers. Half of debugging React or Next.js issues is remembering to refresh or restart.

4. Simplify complex code. If something complex isn’t working, simplify it until it does. Complexity hides bugs.

5. Celebrate every fix. That small dopamine rush keeps motivation alive.

How Debugging Built My Confidence as a Developer

In the beginning, I believed good developers wrote perfect code. Now I know that good developers write buggy code and fix it thoughtfully. Debugging is the heart of development, not a side skill.

Solving my first five coding errors didn’t just make me technically stronger; it made me calmer, more curious, and more confident.

Languages like JavaScript, frameworks like React, and platforms like Next.js will keep evolving, but the art of debugging remains timeless.

If you’re exploring performance in your own projects, check out Next.js Landing Pages: 7 Proven Ways to Optimize Perceived Performance for Better UX

What I’d Tell My Beginner Self

If I could whisper something to my beginner self, it would be this – don’t fear the red text.

Every time your console shouts at you, it’s teaching you a new language, the language of logic and patience. Those first five coding errors built the foundation of my development journey, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Next time your React component crashes or your Next.js API call fails, breathe and ask, “Okay, what are you trying to teach me this time?”

Debugging is not just fixing problems, it’s communication between you and your code, sometimes heated, sometimes funny, but always meaningful. That’s how confusion turns into confidence, and mistakes turn into milestones.