You don't. No worries there, you're just starting. Find something that inspires you and write code around that (do it in your favorite language or use it as an excuse to learn a language). Do a small project, do many small projects, do projects with friends. Read code - grok some of those libraries you're gluing together. Read about coding (O'Reilly's 'Beautiful...' series is great). If you enjoy programming, it'll come together. Keep the beginners' mind forever.
I think getting your hands dirty with something you are interested in is the key here. Too many classes in "software engineering" deal with contrived examples built around concepts you are "supposed to be learning." More freeform projects allow you to become invested in what you are doing and accelerate your learning.
Comments
You don't. No worries there, you're just starting. Find something that inspires you and write code around that (do it in your favorite language or use it as an excuse to learn a language). Do a small project, do many small projects, do projects with friends. Read code - grok some of those libraries you're gluing together. Read about coding (O'Reilly's 'Beautiful...' series is great). If you enjoy programming, it'll come together. Keep the beginners' mind forever.
I think getting your hands dirty with something you are interested in is the key here. Too many classes in "software engineering" deal with contrived examples built around concepts you are "supposed to be learning." More freeform projects allow you to become invested in what you are doing and accelerate your learning.