Learn the Rust syntax and ownership model you need before writing Solana programs.
Build enough Rust fluency to reason clearly about ownership, data modeling, control flow, and common program structure.
Install Rust, learn the Cargo workflow, and understand the basic syntax every later lesson depends on.
Practice variables, functions, loops, and input handling with small focused exercises.
Understand moves, immutable borrows, mutable borrows, and how Rust prevents invalid memory access.
Practice the rules around references, mutation, and move semantics without falling back to unnecessary cloning.
Model related data with structs and attach behavior with methods and associated functions.
Practice defining structs, choosing method receivers, and building small stateful models.
Combine syntax, ownership, and structs into one guided CLI build before moving into richer Rust control flow.
Represent mutually exclusive states safely and use match to write explicit branching logic.
Practice enums and pattern matching through a small wallet manager exercise.
Learn when to use vectors, maps, and strings, and how to work with them without fighting ownership.
Use vectors, hash maps, and strings in realistic exercises that prepare you for program account data.
