How to understand that you are developing and how to find friends?

Question

IT education

I have been self-taught for a year now. It seems that I know React, but due to the fact that I do not communicate with other developers, I feel stupid, unsure of every word, and it seems to me that I did not teach at all. I tried to go to all sorts of telegram channels to talk / get to know each other, but somehow it failed.
I wanted to unite at least one person and make several projects for the portfolio

Answer 1

The surest way is to get a job.

Answer 2

I tried to go to all sorts of telegram channels to talk / get to know each other, but somehow it failed.

Try more. Great place anonymously and therefore you can communicate without any consequences (shameful, stupid questions that, as you think, can "spoil your reputation").
Create a resume, publish it on several (important!) sites. Determine for yourself that you know what you are going to, etc.
Respond to vacancies, go through social security, ask for feedback.
Subscribe to events in your city that are dedicated to programming. Believe me, they are even in the smallest cities.
So you will gradually build communication and understand your "place in the food chain."

Answer 3

Add to all thematic channels. Try to answer questions, if you don't know then dig yourself. Remove from inappropriate channels.
Make a portfolio yourself. Periodically post it for review in thematic channels where you answer questions.
It is pointless to unite with anyone at this stage, since there is no common base and a lot of time will be spent on communication. Waiting for a mentor to appear and teach you how to program is naive. It is better to methodically make portfolio projects and ask for feedback on thematic resources. It makes sense to unite with someone when there is already a solid base and you want to share responsibilities. For example, file a joint project, where one makes the backend and the other the frontend and learn how to communicate in a team.
Also, from a certain stage, it is worth starting to go to interviews. There they will evaluate the portfolio and level much more carefully, give recommendations where to dig and what to study. Yes, there are inadequate ones, but basically I personally met positive and adequate people with whom it was pleasant to communicate for 2-3-4 hours at an interview, and even after a failure, I left with new knowledge.
You can talk and get to know each other when you are already a specialist and work in a team. And on specialized resources it is better to communicate on business. After all, people go there to solve problems, not to make friends.