As a new programmer, everyone tells you to build. But just as important is reading. Reading code is a powerful exercise - dissecting the source code of gems and libraries used in Rails offers the opportunity to examine patterns and design choices, while building confidence in new developers. But good code reading isn't as simple as scanning the source. The concrete guidelines outlined in this talk can maximize the benefits of your future code reading sessions and help you grow as a developer.

Hacker-in-Residence at the New York Tech Meetup. Graduate of the Flatiron School.