Aspiring young computer programmer here. Requesting a list of things that every young programmer should know and begin working on. I want to become an expert like you guys, so anything will be helpful. Maybe let me know what the best text editor is, what languages are the best, what is the best language to learn first, and what some good starter projects are. Should I learn by reading or by doing? What are some thing that I'm not likely to learn for awhile that you have learned through your experience?
Read SICP. Seriously. This is the single best book on computer programming you can find on Earth. The earlier you read it, the smoother your progress will be.
Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming by Peter van Roy and Seif Haridi comes in second. This one can be used as a cheatsheet for concepts that you encounter in PLs you learn.
Make sure you read SICP and at least browse through CT&MCP before trying to master an industrial language (C, C++, Java, Python etc) because learning a new programming language isn't about syntax, it's about mastering the concepts it heavily uses. One who refuses to learn the theory hardly ever sees principles on which his system is based and thus never moves beyond helloworlds and buggy 5-page PHP websites.