Drilling

Any participant in sports can tell you the value of drilling. The military understands this too, it would be foolish to believe the United State's military dominance in comes primarily from its technology. The technology is just a toolbox. The members need to know how to use the tools effectively in order for the tools to have any value. This is done by constant drilling. Constant practice, breaking the tools down to elemental parts and using them in various scenarios.

As a person learning to program, you need to know the examples you have collected inside and out. Take your various programs examples and synthesize a new one. Look for the least common denominator, rewrite them to make them more versatile. At some point they will be rewritten in a way that the become truly your creation. Using them to create a program that you can can give out as a calling card is a good way to find employment in this field. Especially when you can describe how it works inside and out, emphasizing you master of the important concepts.