Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
startuprob.com
Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
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Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#2Why is learning to be an architect hard? Why is learning to be a lawyer hard?
Because it's f*cking complicated!!!
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#3For the same reasons that many people find learning mathematics so hard: it requires abstract thinking and the ability to layer abstractions on top of one another.
I think anyone can learn to code, or learn maths, but there's no doubt that some folks are MUCH better predisposed to it. That said, some good tips in the article.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#4Conversations about "learning to code" frighten me because they overlook a necessary foundation in engineering concepts like abstraction and the value of simplicity. If you're looking to hire software developers, stop interviewing "coders".
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#5The essay doesn't say when those experienced programmers started learning to code.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#6For the same reasons that many people find learning mathematics so hard: it requires abstract thinking and the ability to layer abstractions on top of one another. I think anyone can learn to code, or learn maths, but there's no doubt that some folks are MUCH better predisposed to it. That said, some good tips in the article.
Came here to say exactly this. The answer is quite obvious, but somehow the question still pops up from time to time.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#7I tend to be a bit of an evangelist in whatever endeavor I'm currently engaged. I'm a big mouth. There, I said it. With that out of the way, this tends to put me in the teacher's seat once someone says, "Ok, Brad, show me what's so cool about this thing you're always talking about."
What I've observed is that there are two types of learners. One set of learners starts from a set of instructions. These instruction sets are simple, enumerated lists. The learner executes the steps and looks at the outcome. As they advance, they might begin to explore deviations in the steps. Reasoning like, "What happens if I swap steps 2 and 3?"
The other type of learner cares less about the steps and more about the concepts behind the steps. They begin by asking, "Why do I do step 1" or "How does step 1 work?"
Everyone I've taken under my wing who engages in the enumerated list approach hits a wall at some point. When the complexity of the enumerated list extends beyond their ability to tweak inputs, they become frustrated, and ultimately give up.
The latter group tends to get further, but it's not a free pass to stardom. Many still hit a conceptual complexity wall where they fail to grasp some of the more abstract concepts.
The former group far outnumber the latter, in my experience. I'd posit that what makes learning to code so hard is that it is more accessible to a means of learning that fewer people possess.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#8I think he hit upon the main point at the very end. If you wanna' learn something, and I mean really learn it, you've gotta' be invested in it - and there's no better way to do that then building your own projects. Saying I want to learn to code, and having to learn to code to see your idea come alive are two different animals of motivation.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#9"Too many developers want to stay in their comfort zone."
Too few employers are willing to pay for learning and evaluation.
Re: Why is Learning to Code So Hard?
#10Sudden leap in difficulty – Nearly everyone noted that at some point in their learning they stumbled upon a sudden leap in difficulty that crippled their ability to grasp the follow-on concepts
I have hit this in every subject I've studied where I wasn't really motivated to learn the material. The reason this happens is that you reach a point where suddenly all the basic concepts start supporting the follow-ons. If you never really learned the basics, you will be lost. For example this happened to me with foreign languages. I had no real interest in learning French, but a foreign language was required in school. The first year was easy: basic vocabulary, stock phrases, and simple rules of grammar. The second year was not too bad either. But I never really learned anything... I would cram before exams and get decent scores, then promptly forget the material. Third year, when you actually had to put it all together... I was sunk.
If you're studying something, and can't motivate yourself to really learn the basics, you can only go so far. If you're studying computer science because you heard the jobs pay well, but you don't really care about learning the first and second material, you will hit that "leap of difficulty" at some point.