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And I mean practice on some project that you are personally interested in completing, some genuine goal, not an exercise or theoretical. /academic challenge.
You may be surprised to find you're able to help people solve technology problems that comp sci majors struggle to understand.
Keep moving, inward, onward, upward.
When I work on my own things, I waste a lot of time trying different ideas/implementations because there's no time constraints or due date.
Let's say you want to make a single player Tetris game right now, on a platform of your choice. Could you do that?
Everyone struggles as they strain to reach the next level. Do you enjoy the struggle or its outcome? If you're not having fun now, programming as a career will seriously suck for you. If you are having fun, don't worry about your speed or how well you grok algorithms - find a job, any job, and try to kick ass at it. That'll set you up for a better job. Rinse and repeat.
Some developers I've worked with are incredibly smart, but also know that of themselves and (with that knowledge) prefer to work without the constraints of having to explain themselves to others. However genius doesn't scale well, and this kind of attitude can make them less effective in teams. So learning to be a team player and adopting scalable ways of working can be a strength of your lack of ego, if you choose to see it that way.
Don't just think there's one set of criteria that all employers are looking for. Present your best self and I'm sure you'll find somewhere to work.
Of course the alternative is to not be a programmer; there are still plenty of related disciplines you can choose from.
Ultimately it's up to you to decide if you even love doing programming; recall why you chose this major; do some soul-searching and decide whether you have the motivation and interest to continue. Maybe take a short break go to the mountains or somewhere else, and clear up your mind.
Coding is not an activity reserved for the "gifted". Your daily thought processes are far more complicated than coding, and it's highly likely you have all the capacity you'll ever need to be good at it. Before you know it, you'll know 5-10 different languages and pick new ones up in days. You'll be able to solve problems in a dozen different ways, and translate problems from one structure to another; much the same way that you can already do with human language.
Ask yourself if you give-a-f*ck enough to stick with it. That's the main factor in most pursuits, the other considerations are for suckers and mostly benefit someone else.
Some disabilities can be helped with aggressive nutritional support.
You can also learn coping mechanisms to help you work around your weak areas more easily. The exact mechanism will depend very much on the disability in question.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience.
I'm medically handicapped. I have days when I'm fairly together and days when nothing comes easily. I do a lot of self care and I have learned coping mechanisms. I am more productive than I used to be and some tasks are just easier for me than others.
I also raised and homeschooled two sons who have disabilities. They still live with me.
If you have a disability, you may well face similar frustrations with anything you try. Some disabilities can be helped with aggressive nutritional support. You can also learn coping mechanisms to help you work around your weak areas more easily. The exact mechanism will depend very much on the disability in question. I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I'm medically handicapped. I have days when I'm fairly toget…
> Some disabilities can be helped with aggressive nutritional support.
What do you mean? Any examples you could give?