A developer’s diary is a personal log where you record your thinking process while working on a task — the decisions you made, the doubts you had, the dead ends you hit, and the moments things clicked. Writing it down is not about producing a report; it is about understanding your own work more deeply.
This activity is not graded. There are no marks, only discussion with your mentor. The goal is to build a habit of honest reflection that will serve you throughout your career.
Avoid: AI-generated summaries of your session. If your diary says “I asked AI, AI did it,” your mentor may ask whether you actually understand what is written — because writing it yourself is the whole point.
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Basic fact-marking (“worked on the task”) |
| 1 | Task descriptions with specifics |
| 2 | Reflection on decisions and pivots |
| 3 | Weighing multiple options (Architecture Decision Records) |
| 4 | Deep technical analysis with lessons learned |
Aim to make each entry slightly more thoughtful than the last. Start at whatever level feels natural.
Name your file <your-github-handle>-YYYY-MM-DD.md and place it in your diary folder.
# YYYY-MM-DD
## What I worked on
<!-- One or two sentences: what task or problem you were dealing with today -->
## What I did
<!-- Bullet list of concrete things you tried or built -->
-
## Where I got stuck
<!-- Describe the obstacle — error message, concept that was unclear, decision you couldn't make -->
## How I worked through it
<!-- What you tried, what helped, what did not. If still stuck, say so. -->
## Decisions made
<!-- Any choice you made (algorithm, approach, tool) and why you picked it over alternatives -->
## Open questions
<!-- Things you still don't understand or want to investigate next time -->
## Time spent
<!-- e.g. 2 h -->
You do not need to fill every section every time. Skip sections that genuinely don’t apply — but resist the urge to skip “Where I got stuck” just because admitting confusion feels uncomfortable. That section is often the most valuable one.