Learning to code later in life
One day, after accidentally having too many kids, I realized that I was over 30, well into my career, and I still didn’t know how to write computer programs.
I started my professional life working in production and broadcast, using technology without really understanding it. Subconsciously, I started steering my career into selling and product managing broadcast solutions, then went even further afield into other types of technology (such as machine learning, big data management and the like.)
I’ve always loved computers, and have always wanted to learn to write code (In the 90’s, I was obsessed with something called HyperCard). But a lack of self-confidence and the pursuit of other interests kept me from being a true computerman™. Time to make that change… as MJ would say.
For years I was too afraid to even start to learn computer programming. Every time I would pick up a book about it, or listen to friends tell me how amazing it was, I’d feel overwhelmed. Indeed, there is a steep learning curve at first, but once you get over that curve, its as smooth as a 1993 Apple Macintosh LCIII’s mouse ball.
What I didn’t really understand was the basics of computer science. You must learn this first. I’m not talking about drawing some triangles on paper and thus discovering the underlying math of a modern day CPU, I’m talking about learning the fundamental concepts in computering™; functions, clients, servers, APIs, data, etc.
If that ALREADY scares you, don’t worry, it scared me too. But the only way you’re going to get through that mess is to just dig in and start doing. This is how I learned to code; https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x
That is Harvard’s CS50 online course. Its tough, time-consuming, and moves incredibly quickly. But don’t let that discourage you, its totally doable. All you need to know going in is that computers exist. That is it! I went in with my love of computers and came out the other end building useful web apps in JavaScript with PHP server code using MySQL to store and retrieve data. You basically get over that big learning curve you were so afraid of. Once you learn these basics, you’ll have the tools to learn all of the languages, frameworks, and complexities that make up our modern, web-driven world. I cannot sing enough praises for this course.
I don’t have any plans to do programming professionally, but as a tech entrepreneur, the knowledge I now have has been invaluable. All of my subsequent success has so heavily relied upon my understanding of computer programming. The moral of the story is that it is never too late to learn computer programming, and in today’s world, its an incredibly valuable skill. Thank you David Malan.
