While many agree commenting is essential for maintainable code, it’s difficult for someone who hasn’t yet worked in a community-reviewed codebase to implement best practice. Commenting questions often bring conflicting answers: Code should be DRY, but well-placed comments save future devs. How can someone find the commenting style that is best for them as they learn, grow, & contribute? My survey of 130 developers, CS majors, bootcamp grads, & hobbyists confirms some expectations and brings others into question. Join me for a data-based chat about the experiences of growing developers and the steps we can take to encourage a growth mindset in developers at all levels.