Learning to write code is extremely popular and quite lucrative financially. However, there are a lot of clichés about programming that our modern society still clings to, no matter how absurd they might be. These misconceptions might be holding you back when thinking about starting to learn to code. They shouldn’t! This articles looks at some of the most common myths about developing software and explains why they’re not true…
1) Learning to code is like climbing Everest
Coding is just like any other skill. Yes, it will take more than a week. But no, you don’t have to be a genius to do it. Writing code is also not something limited to people with a university degree. There are plenty of online tools that will help you learn how to code, many of them free. Programming, being born in the era of the internet, relies a lot on communities, forums and exchanging experience online. CodeCademy is one of the most popular site that offers free initial tutoring.
2) I should learn the „best“ language
There is no “best” programming language to learn. There might be some that are very popular right now and others are sworn by in certain fields. But the one, big truth about all languages is – they change, they evolve and many of them fade out. So don’t fall into the trap of learning the one most hyped language and forgetting about the rest. Many projects will require an extensive knowledge of different ones. This article is a great place to start for an introduction to what languages there are and how they are mainly used.
3) It’s all about math
Some people confuse programming with mathematics. These are not the same. A programmer mostly writes code – this doesn’t necessarily require a deep understanding of all fields of math. You are going to need some basic algebra, but that’s pretty much it for most programmers out there. If you hated math in school, don’t despair, coding might still be a viable thing for you to do.
4) It’s not about creativity
Creativity, on the other hand, is something that often gets ignored in the mainstream understanding about programming. It is an essential part of being a programmer. Programmers face many problems and look for ways to find good solutions to them. They have to be fast, elegant and not prone to too many errors. Tackling those problems require a lot of thinking outside the box. Additionally, design and layout are very often a part of the programmer’s job as well. If you build websites for example, design is going to be some of the most important work you do. And that’s as creative as it gets.
5) Programmers are alone all the time
Next up – the myth of the lonely male sitting in front of his computer late at night, chugging down energy drinks and writing code at mesmerizing speed. First and foremost – there are a lot of women in programming nowadays. Secondly, it’s not necessarily a profession for the lone wolf. Let’s go back to the example of creating a website. There’s a lot of client communication involved in that. You have to make sure you know just what the other side wants and explain to them what exactly can be delivered. Similarly, a lot of programming jobs nowadays require you to meet face-to-face with external clients or other departments. If you’re a freelancer, talking to others will be an essential part of your everyday work.
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