The thing is, it's all been a bit scattered - some computer architecture, algorithms and data structures, playing around with new languages. As fun as it's been, I'm starting to feel like I could be making better use of my time and interest to build towards something, especially since it's all on my own time. So that's where my question stems from - what do I build towards now? - I use Kotlin and Python at work - is it worth it becoming more deeply familiar with these languages? - Or should I focus on software architecture and design patterns, concepts that transcend computer languages to some degree? - I could afford to learn more about algorithms and data structures too, is there a good way to do this that isn't just memorizing, but also implementing them? - Or should I try to learn new technologies that could maybe have uses at work now or later, like containers or databases?
I think related to this and also really important is a question about how to best go about these things. For example, do I read books (there's plenty of suggested reading that comes up oh HN)? How can I best make use of new knowledge - should I focus on things I can apply easily? Do I jump into open source software? Or should I find a job where the environment is better for teaching young devs? Though I'd probably have to learn more to prepare for an interview...so maybe there's other stuff to focus on first.
If anybody has any advice or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.