---
title: 'I Spent 24 Hours Learning Arduino'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=-zWdzUf6oWM'
video_id: '-zWdzUf6oWM'
date: 2026-06-13
duration_sec: 182
---

# I Spent 24 Hours Learning Arduino

> Source: [I Spent 24 Hours Learning Arduino](https://youtube.com/watch?v=-zWdzUf6oWM)

## Summary

A high school student with software experience attempts to build two Arduino projects in 24 hours: a sequence memory game and a joystick LED controller. The video documents the challenges of transitioning from software to hardware, highlighting the steep learning curve.

### Key Points

- **Obsession with tech** [0:00] — The creator has built websites, APIs, and a mobile app as a high school student, but never worked with physical electronics.
- **First project: sequence memory game** [0:43] — Aims to build a Simon-says style game using Arduino, LEDs, buttons, and a buzzer.
- **Struggles with basic circuits** [0:55] — Initially could not light a single LED, but learned circuit fundamentals through trial and error.
- **Wiring and coding challenges** [1:10] — Took an hour to wire buttons correctly and faced difficulties coding the game logic in C++.
- **Second project: joystick LED controller** [1:46] — Uses an Arduino Nano and a joystick module to control LEDs; completed in under an hour after learning from mistakes.
- **Is learning electronics worth it?** [2:30] — Concludes that hardware and software are distinct skills; for software-focused individuals, electronics may not be practical but can be fun.

### Conclusion

The creator successfully built two Arduino projects, but emphasizes that hardware and software require different mindsets. While electronics can be enjoyable, it may not be worth the investment for those already deep in software.

## Transcript

Recently, I've become obsessed with
tech. Just this year, I created multiple
websites, APIs, and even a mobile app
all whilst being a high school student.
But, what I haven't done yet is create
real-life tangible electronics. Well,
that changes today. I ordered a small
amount of parts from Amazon, and by a
small amount, I mean a module kit, some
breadboards, which are basically just
naked circuit boards, microcontrollers,
sensors. Oh, yeah, it has two layers.
Wires, even more wires, and an entire
cupboard full of parts like LEDs,
buttons, resistors, and more. And of
course, you can't forget my MacBook Air.
I'll be using this machine to do all the
programming. Well, enough talk. Today, I
have to build out two different working
Arduino projects to prove that I
understand electronics. For this first
project, I want to build out a sequence
memory game exactly like the one on
Human Benchmark. Basically, an algorithm
will create a random sequence that gets
longer as you recall more of the pattern
correctly.
But, the bad news was I could barely get
a singular LED to light up.
The good thing is that now I know
exactly how circuits work. So, I got to
work trying to wire buttons, but I
immediately regretted that a few seconds
later.
As you can see now that it's been
another hour, I finally got all the
wiring right and began coding the
sequence memory logic. Arduino uses C++,
which is a coding language I'm familiar
with, so this part should be easy,
right?
Okay, I guess this was much harder than
I thought. A few more blog articles
later and many attempts of debugging, I
finally got the sequence memory game to
work, and I even added a buzzer for some
sound effects.
Okay, it's the second day, and now that
project one is out of the way, that took
way too long. I'm going to proceed with
the second project, which is going to be
a joystick LED controller. This time,
I'm going to ditch the large
microcontroller and use this teeny tiny
one called the Arduino Nano, which
shouldn't be an issue considering that I
now know exactly how circuits work.
Nevermind, I literally did the first
step wrong. The joystick was a bit more
complicated with five different wires,
so I hopped on YouTube to find a
tutorial. Luckily, this time I did a bit
more thinking before actually doing, so
I was able to bang out this project in
less than 1 hour.
I'll be honest, it's a bit less cool
than my first project, but definitely
teaches some important stuff about
wiring and coding. Now, it's finally
time. I want to address the question, is
it worth learning electronics such as
Arduino? Well, for me, probably not.
This is because as someone who has
experience in software, a lot of people,
including me, think that software and
hardware are basically interchangeable.
Just because I can code and deploy a
full stack website doesn't mean that I
can light up an LED as you saw in this
video. I see that hardware and software
are two pretty different sub niches of
tech, so it's probably better choosing
one or the other. But, for fun, yeah,
why not? Arduino is amazing.