There is something inherently sexy about computer science. Perhaps it’s the way it makes you algorithmically and logically think about things, or maybe it’s the fact that it literally controls almost everything in the world. Nonetheless, it’s a universal language, and frankly, if President Obama thinks it important enough to avidly promote it, I do believe it essential to any modern man’s repertoire.

Its influence in the world is obvious. Programming is the backbone to the Internet, as essential to daily tasks as air is to our bodies. Computer science is one of the fastest growing fields, and computer scientists are in high demand. Every company is looking for somebody who is computer literate, and proficiency is quickly becoming one of the basic skills required of candidates.

After looking around and seeing the influence it has on the world, students begin to worry if they have not yet been exposed to this crucial skill. Many think that it is too late to begin programming, that only those who start young have the potential to make a significant difference in the world. While there may be some correlation between starting at a young age and a vibrant display of enthusiasm for the field, there seems to be little correlation between starting age and technical proficiency. True, those who start at a young age will have years of experience behind them, but let this not discourage you from joining their ranks as programmers and the innovators of the future.

Taking a look around the computer science scene, it’s unfortunately fairly uniform: young white male programmers with a light sprinkling of ethnic and gender diversity. These were the ones fascinated by the world of technology at a young age and have taken the initiative to start young. We should be increasing the diversity in such a homogenous scene, yet the feeling of inferiority in comparison to with previous experience in the field is so pervasive that it essentially drives away all parties with potential interest. This should not be the case. Computer science, like any other language, is open to anybody interested. We were all once beginners, and the first few steps are always the most embarrassing, the most error-prone, the most difficult. The main thing is that we need to start.

College provides so many opportunities for aspiring computer scientists. Start with your school’s introductory computer science class. The lessons learned there will serve as an amazing base on which you can continue further exploration. Don’t stop there, though. Continue researching, working on projects of your own, enlisting the help of those around you. Go to hackathons, they’re full of people excited with computer science and they have such a wonderful community of students. There are a few coming up: MHacks is on January 17-19, PennApps on February 14-16, and our own HackPrinceton on March 28-30. And last of all, perhaps the most important of all, dare to dream big and dare to take the first step; it’s never too late.