“Silicon Valley startup stereotype: a bunch of 22-year-old geniuses with zero social skills who code late into the night trying to build an app that’s supposed to change the world.” This image is responsible for many misconceptions about the tech industry. Like many cliches, if you look closely, you will find no truth to it. The “What will stop you from learning programming” article will explain some miconceptions that don’t let you learn programming.
These are dangerous misconceptions that prevent people who have great potential for success every day from learning programming and pursuing this career. Well, it’s time to put an end to these misconceptions. I hope this article will be a source of relief for those still hesitant about learning programming.
I have to be a math genius to be a programmer
Basically, the path to learning programming is the same as pursuing any other career path. It is hard work that guarantees success, not talent! Despite this undeniable fact, society still wrongly assumes that software development is a niche industry; Geeks, Mathematicians, and Prodigies.
Many people are hesitant to enter the programming world because they think they have to be good mathematicians to become a programmer. But the reality is that a person’s math skills are not directly related to their programming skills. You can still become a good programmer even if you only know very basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
In fact, to become a programmer, you don’t need to know how to approximate a definite integral using a parametric variable. All you need to learn programmeing is basic algebra, logic, practice problem-solving skills, and, most importantly, patience.
However, sometimes programmers are forced to use more advanced mathematics for a particular project, and this is due to the nature of the client or the project on their desk rather than the programming profession as a whole. Game development is one of the fields that require more knowledge, such as trigonometry and physics. But even in game development, there are plugins and libraries that can be used to solve math problems. Therefore, to become a programmer, you don’t necessarily need great math skills.
I’m not smart enough to code
Many people don’t get into programming because they think that complex code written on a computer screen can only be handled by a genius. This misconception can cause anxiety among people who are new to coding, as they may think that they are not smart enough to learn to code. But the truth is that the mental capacity of programmers is no different from other people. You don’t need to be a genius to code; all you need is patience, determination, and passion for coding.
If you want to learn programming, don’t worry. Anyone who knows how to read, write, and communicate can learn programming. Most computer languages are just abbreviated versions of languages like English, and they just help you communicate with machines, just like we do with humans, simple as that!
Programming is not hard, but it takes time to learn. If you expect to become a professional developer in a matter of weeks or months, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. When you accept the fact that it takes time to learn, programming doesn’t seem so difficult anymore.
To become a developer, I must have a university education in this field
One of the common beliefs among people is that you cannot become a programmer without a degree related to computer science. But the truth is that programming is one of those skills that doesn’t require education, and a significant number of software developers don’t have a college degree and are self-taught. Many tech giants like Google, IBM, and Apple no longer require college degrees from their employees.
A university education indeed accelerates your understanding of programming theories and concepts, but today there are many resources available such as educational videos, online courses, bootcamps, etc., that help you learn programming. Many online communities like Stack Overflow also help programmers find solutions to their coding problems. So anyone can intelligently use these resources to enter the world of programming.
In addition, you don’t need a degree when it comes to getting a job. You just need to be good at what you do and love it. What do you think impresses an employer more, a bunch of interesting projects or a college degree with no portfolio?
It’s too late to learn programming
It’s never too late to learn to code. Many people have learned to code at an older age and have been able to find a new job as a developer. The path to becoming a software developer is open to anyone of any age and background, and the only prerequisite is the will to succeed.
No matter your age, experience, or career, you can learn to code today. Whether you’re an adult looking to start a new career, an entrepreneur looking to expand your programming skills, or someone who wants to start learning how to build apps and games, you’ll always have what it takes to learn programming.
It is still possible to learn to code and successfully switch careers to programming after age 30. Some of the benefits of learning to code at an older age can give you an edge over younger programmers. 22-year-olds who started learning programming at the age of 15 may be more professional programmers, but on the other hand, they lack skills such as interacting with customers, managing teams, etc., which can only be acquired through experience. Therefore, everything you have done up to this moment has not been in vain; through those works, you have acquired skills that will help you in your programming career.
Moreover, in every industry you’ve ever worked in, there’s bound to be a startup building an app for that industry. They will be more than eager to hire someone who not only has programming skills but also already understands their industry.
Women can’t program
Close your eyes for 30 seconds and imagine a programmer. What was your mental image of a programmer?
- You may have imagined someone sitting alone typing complex sentences on their computer.
- You may have imagined a genius who can hack social media passwords or fix your computer if it doesn’t work for some reason.
- You may have imagined a person who speaks less and does not communicate much with anyone.
- And finally, in all of the above scenarios, you might have imagined someone who is male and not a female programmer!
The software industry is dominated by men, and most people have an image of male programmers in their minds and think that coding is something that only men can do. Many think the necessary logical and analytical skills to become a programmer are only reserved for men! Well, it should be noted that the world’s first programmer, Ada Lovelace, was a woman.
Women have always been at the top of influential programmers; Ada Lovelace – the world’s first programmer – was a woman, and Grace Hopper developed the first programming language compiler. Adele Goldstine helped build the world’s first electronic digital computer. Marissa Mayer was one of the first Google programmers. They all are influential female programmers who shared their programming skills and inspired other women to enter the field.
The influence of women in the field of programming is evident, there is no denying the fact that women are more creative and organized than men, and these two factors are very important in programming. So there is no doubt that women can do very well in programming. They are already doing it, but more and more women need to step up and lead the scene to achieve balanced, productive, and creative work for both men and women.
Programming is a boring profession
Some people avoid learning to code because they think coding is boring or uncreative and just putting words and numbers together. But the best thing about coding is that it teaches you the art of thinking. When you build something from scratch and after a lot of effort, you realize what an amazing and exciting journey you’ve been on. The truth is that developers love to express their creativity through programming. They enjoy breaking complex problems into small parts and then solving them in different ways. Do you think creating something from nothing can be boring?
In addition, many people assume that programmers spend their days alone in front of their computers, but there is more to this profession than one might think; Programmers work in teams and combine their skills, knowledge, and experience to build things that make life easier.
You have to remember a lot to learn programming
If you look at thousands of lines of code, you might think that you need to memorize all the rules and commands of a programming language to learn programming. But if you look closely, you’ll realize that they’re just a bunch of code consisting of repeating statements, methods, and loops. Yes! Programmers usually use the same things they learn in introductory courses to solve simple and complex solutions.
It is not only necessary but impossible to memorize everything. It is enough to learn the main idea of programming and its basic principles well, and if you forget something, ask Google for help. As you continue to write code, you will notice that your brain will automatically start learning the syntax and patterns without you trying to memorize them. In programming, you need to know where to find answers and how to use online resources (like Stack Overflow), libraries, tools, IDEs, and text editors. Once you master these, you’ll feel like writing 10,000 lines of code is child’s play.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you can now put aside your misguided doubts and gain the confidence to pursue coding. Programming with all the lines and numbers you see on the computer screen of programmers always seems scary, But if you put enough time and effort into learning to code, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed. Just get up and take the first step!
