Is It Worth Learning How to Program in 2019?

Post in C++ Programming

The Computing Landscape

The way technology has improved over recent years, it is only a matter of time before anyone and everyone knows what they are doing with regards to computers. Back when computers were still just a novelty a few 20-30 years ago, there were already a huge number of people invested in the whole thing.

Now that we have crossed that barrier and computers are the backbone of every household, we can stretch out a bit and go for something a bit more in depth. The buzzword that is on everyone’s mouths these days is coding or aka programming.

You will see an almost unprecedented number of students getting into college for an engineering degree to try and pursue coding as their main source of income. Not only that, there are also huge numbers of freelancers coming in every day. The market for programmers is definitely on the rise and there is money to be made for everyone involved.

But before we can even go into discussing something like that, its benefits and downsides, we should first introduce you to what coding even is. Despite how big of a phenomenon it has become, there are still numerous people who are not aware of coding and what it has to offer to the world.

At the end of the day however, the main reason most people become so heavily invested in something like this is because they see a way to make a career out of something that is readily available to be learnt. This also leads to a bit of saturation in the market which brings young students and non-college students to the same question: Is it worth learning how to code in 2019?

First the Benefits

Before we can go about answering that question, let us first try to understand some of the benefits involved in learning how to code. What is it about coding that causes people to flock towards it and try to make a career out of it?

After all, if there are so many people all invested in the same thing, something is definitely up isn’t it? There are surely a lot of benefits to be had from this? As such, if that is the case then what are these advantages? That is exactly what we are about to discuss.

  1. Availability

The first reason why anyone even thinks about getting into this line of work is that it is readily available out there for anyone to learn. It isn’t something that only an elite group of people have access to. It is literally there on the internet, ready to serve anyone who feels the need for it.

By available, I mean the resources and knowledge required to make, run and possibly even market your own software. This is the core reason of why programming has become so popular in the first place. If something is available for free, there is no reason why people won’t take full opportunity for it.

This is why you will find so many non-college students becoming successful in this line of work as well. All they ever needed was a computer and an internet connection and bam! You have all of the things you need to make it to the very top.

  • Scope

Secondly, it is also common knowledge that the internet is a hub for numerous other sources of information besides coding as well. So why did this take off unlike anything else? The reason for that is the scope of application of the skills you learn from coding.

Learning to code is basically learning how to make a software. So if you know how to make a software, how to maintain it and keep it updated, there is a good chance that you will get hired by some company or the other. This is true even if you do not possess any sort of degree in any college.

If you are capable of making some home-brewn projects, you will also be able to show them off at your interview as a testament to the knowledge and experience that you have in this field. As a result, it provides a fair playing ground for anyone and everyone who chooses this as a career. It is up to the individual to make the most out of it.

  • Thinking

Coding while relatively easy to learn is very difficult to completely master. This very nature of it makes it so that people who have a greater experience in this line of work often do have a higher skill level compared to a novice. It definitely shows when code is written by a master veteran and when it’s written by someone just starting out.

The reason we mention this is because we want to emphasize the fact that you will improve over time. When you do, you will find that your capacity for thinking and solving various problems has also increased by quite a lot. At the end of the day, programming should not be thought of as writing code but as a means to solve problems.

Learning how to code at any level will help you improve upon this particular aspect of yours. Keep in mind that your thinking capacity is a quality that can be applied in any field of work. There is basically no disadvantage to learning how to code other than the time you invest (which if you want can easily manage accordingly). So if that is the case, why not give it a shot?

The Takeaway from This

We mentioned the 3 core ideas that make programming the mammoth of a career option that it already is. However, what is there to be had from all of this? It is definitely a prospect to consider for everyone at least once but at what cost you might ask? There are benefits to a lot of other things but what can you get out of learning how to code?

  1. The Fun Factor

You will find plenty of people in this line of work who are simply in it for the fun factor. They like challenging themselves with problems and solving these problems gives them joy. This drive for solving challenges and puzzles is what keeps many people hooked. Call these people crazy but once you too learn its allure, you will also be hooked to an extent.

This is not even mentioning the fact that you are literally learning how to make something out of scratch that people from all over the world can use. How cool is that? If you are into making stuff from scratch, then this will also definitely fulfil your needs. Learning to code is essentially the same as learning the rules of a card game, then using the rules to make your own deck that can compete with others.

  • Creating Literally Anything

As we’ve just mentioned before, the hoy of making something is what drives many people to learn coding. The best part about this is that there is no real limit to what you can make. It all depends on your own skill and knowledge regarding the subject you are interested in. If you can train yourself with said knowledge, you too can make something new.

There is plenty of room for a new creation in today’s times. Just take a look at the number of apps in the Google Play Store or the iPhone App Store and you will notice just how much this market is blooming. There are plenty of single developers who make their own things, and sometimes even for their own needs. So if there was something you wanted to make for yourself, then this is the time.

  • Scaling Your Work

Another thing that you will quickly realize is that even if this is something that starts as a hobby most often for most kind of people, there is a lot of room to grow into. Something that you might have created just for yourself may end up becoming the next best thing on the market for years to come. The scope for reaching out to bigger and better things is unprecedented really.

There have also been numerous stories of individuals and small groups starting off something like this as a hobby only to make their own start-up and have a vast amount of success with it. If you want to go into the field of business, then this is definitely a nice place to start in. As such, the scalability that is provided in this field is something sought after very much.

Keep in Mind

We’ve already discussed a ton of different things related to learning how to code and all of the various aspects related to it. But this is not to say that it is all smooth and easy. There are plenty of things that you need to take into consideration before considering this a serious option as a career path. Here mentioned are some of the things you must look out for before we can give a final verdict on this matter.

  • Difficulty Spike:

While coding is relatively easy to get into, the complexity of things to be learnt definitely increases as time moves on. The difficulty spike metaphorically speaking, definitely sees an increase in sharpness. For some programming languages, this spike can be too sharp to get accustomed to at once. So do be prepared for some roadblocks along the way.

  • Time Consuming:

Also keep in mind that you will have to invest quite a bit of time if you really want to get good at this. I suppose that applies for every skill but it is more so prevalent in coding. The more time you invest in doing it, the better you will get. The experience also counts a lot in this field so there is no way of getting around the fact that you need to spend many an hour coding away.

  • Practical Knowledge:

Another thing that does not get mentioned often enough is the fact that a lot of things work differently in the practical field than they do in theory. Computer Science is probably the biggest hub for stuff not working the way they are meant to be, so keep this in mind whenever you learn something new. Asking someone who is experienced in such a practical field is often the best way to go about this.

  • Saturation:

If you are under the impression that you can make just about any software in any condition and you will be rich, you are mistaken. Thing is, the field of coding is getting more and more saturated. So in order to stand out, you would need to make something really out of the box. Alternatively, even something that is very well made even if not creative can do well in the market.

  • Burning Out:

This is another phenomenon all coders face at some point of time in their careers. If you code every day, there will come a time when you just don’t feel like doing it anymore. When that happens to you, just take a breather and take some time off. It is easy to panic when this happens but try your best not to. It will go away with time.

So after all of the things mentioned here, what is answer of the question we posed to you way earlier?

Is it really worth learning how to code in 2019?

The short answer to that is a Yes. But keep in mind everything we have written down just for you. It doesn’t matter if you want to learn coding just for fun or as a serious career choice, you should definitely learn how; no questions asked. It has always been relevant and will continue to be relevant as long as computers are a thing.

Author Bio:

Evelyn W. Minnick is an incredibly tech savvy individual who makes it her goal to know about all of the new things coming up in this field. With an MBA degree from The University of Chicago USA, there is little she doesn’t know about technology. Add to that her experience of 6 plus years in this field and what you have is a recipe for a tech-nerd.