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I self-learned to code at 30

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Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#31

Post by Mauricebranagh »

beaconstudios wrote: post #20
jonathanaird wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hardest part I think is knowing that you should ignore all of the noise around different practices paradigms, and frameworks and focus on fundamentals. The best way is to look through and try to understand some very well written open source projects. I feel like I stumbled on doing this but for many, I think they probably just bumble along building web apps and taking much longer than necessary to understand fund…

I'm inclined to agree - there's a lot of cargo-cult practices in software development and it's hard to know that it's often over-generalised until you deeply understand the core of programming, which is essentially just breaking down big problems into small forward steps.

I agree I came into Programming via the technical side and there middle out development was how I normally worked.

By that I mean work out how the core algorithmic parts first then interface to the lower level (normally experimental rigs) and finaly polish the interface

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#32

Post by cnasc »

lsiunsuex wrote: post #18
Proziam wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's possible that his technical abilities are now sufficient to do the work but he hasn't yet learned the language commonly used for describing the technology. This is a pretty common thing amongst self-taught people.

As a self taught programmer, I struggled with this for years. I could do the work; understood it; but sometimes I would get terms mixed up. For example: Is it called a method or a function? Conversely, I've known college taught programmers who struggle with basic CSS so... it's all relative IMO.

> Is it called a method or a function?

Allow me to throw a wrench in the works and point out that a lot of the time when people say “function” they mean “procedure”

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#33

Post by lukevp »

lsiunsuex wrote: post #18
Proziam wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's possible that his technical abilities are now sufficient to do the work but he hasn't yet learned the language commonly used for describing the technology. This is a pretty common thing amongst self-taught people.

As a self taught programmer, I struggled with this for years. I could do the work; understood it; but sometimes I would get terms mixed up. For example: Is it called a method or a function? Conversely, I've known college taught programmers who struggle with basic CSS so... it's all relative IMO.

For a 4 year degree in CS at many universities, the coursework isn’t that similar to web development, so it’s not surprising that CSS may be a struggle. CS and programming are different things. For example, there are typically several classes on data structures and algorithms. I have worked with and managed self taught, bootcamp, and CS grads, and the CS grads on the level understand how to use dictionaries and lists efficiently, how and when to write recursive algorithms, can quickly write compound Boolean expressions, and seem to have a good concept of runtime complexity and not to write nested loops. Many other examples as well where 4 years of learning the internals of how everything operates and is designed feeds into day to day development.

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#34

Post by emodendroket »

navbaker wrote: post #24
willbw wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I learned at 27 and it was difficult, even without children. Working all day and then spending 5 hours after work debugging and writing code is very taxing. I have sympathy for this viewpoint but it doesn't seem any different to learning any skill after a certain age. Unfortunately you either can or you can't find a way around the time constraints. I know there's lots of hobbies I've abandoned for the same reason.

> "even without children." ... "but it doesn't seem any different to learning any skill after a certain age" This couldn't be farther from the truth. There is a vast difference between being shot from work and sitting down for a long stretch of time by yourself to self-study and being shot from work and sitting down for a long stretch of time while also being constantly interrupted by the responsibilities you have to…

Yeah of course but he's right about the reality that you can either find some way to make time or move on and there isn't much other solution.

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#35

Post by emodendroket »

systemvoltage wrote: post #5

Learning from YT videos, the kind you get by searching “learn programming” is IMO not a good idea. These videos are engineered for ad revenue and engagement metrics. Maybe be watch one or two to get a gist of how things come together but please buy a good book on the topic. Even better, take a college course in Coursera or EDx.

If you want to learn something difficult it's far more important to get started and do something than to identify the optimal method.

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#36

Post by marlowe221 »

I started at 37 and got my first full time job a couple of months after I turned 38. I was a lawyer and hated it - now I love going to work every day.

But it wasn't easy. I was working full time in a demanding profession and I'm married with two kids under 5 years old. So basically I spent every free moment I had working on learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript. If my kids were asleep, I was coding. I basically had to burn the candle at both ends to make a career change happen but it's been worth totally worth it.

I got hired to write React but I work for a very small company so we all wear a lot of hats around here. Since I started in June of 2020, I've already learned Java and now I'm working on a new ML/AI project (so Python, here I come).

My only regret is that I didn't do this 10 years earlier.

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#37

Post by adamhp »

marlowe221 wrote: post #36

I started at 37 and got my first full time job a couple of months after I turned 38. I was a lawyer and hated it - now I love going to work every day. But it wasn't easy. I was working full time in a demanding profession and I'm married with two kids under 5 years old. So basically I spent every free moment I had working on learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript. If my kids were asleep, I was coding. I basically had to burn th…

Do they use you as GC too? ;)

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#38

Post by emodendroket »

notenoughhorses wrote: post #21
beaconstudios wrote: post #12

I suspect that most of what is coding (ie, logic) is pretty intuitive, and only obfuscated by environmental factors like learning syntax, obscure jargon, and especially learning to execute code in your head. However, it's been a long time since I learned to code myself and my own learning experience is lost to the mists of time, so I'd really love to hear from people who are either learning right now or have recently…

I tried to learn to self code for a few years, but kept hitting wall of what to learn next. After realizing I really wanted a chance to change careers, I decided to just do a second bachelor’s, basically to have a curriculum. So far, I’ve learned more math than programming. The actual coding we do is greatly benefited by the self learning I did before, but my understanding of what’s going on in code is much higher. T…

I did the self taught route and it's funny, like, I read a lot of books and kept trying to work on stuff but I'm not sure when exactly it came together for me. Just seems like I couldn't and then one day I could.

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#39

Post by tima101 »

revskill wrote: post #25

My experience with learning how to code, is just find some good guide, follow it TO BUILD A REAL USABLE PRODUCT. Learning by making a real usable product is the most important part here, other kinds of learning didn't work for me. P/S: This is different from learning by project. Project mostly is for fun, not a real usable product.

I agree. I learned to code in my 20s but I felt real confidence only after building multiple products that have real paying customers or products that other web developers use to build their products with paying customers. After building a dozen products, I believe that I can learn and build any feature within technically possible. This was not the case after coding parts of application or going through tutorials, but became the case after building entire applications from scratch for real customers.

EDIT: typos

Re: I self-learned to code at 30

#40

Post by mikemac »

marlowe221 wrote: post #36

I started at 37 and got my first full time job a couple of months after I turned 38. I was a lawyer and hated it - now I love going to work every day. But it wasn't easy. I was working full time in a demanding profession and I'm married with two kids under 5 years old. So basically I spent every free moment I had working on learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript. If my kids were asleep, I was coding. I basically had to burn th…

How difficult was it to transition into the job market? I have always wanted to make the jump (in finance & accounting now) but the most daunting thing seems like convincing someone to hire you.
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