Ask HN: I am 35 years old with no degree – can I still program?

I have been learning coding in dribs and drabs for the past many years. I think if you have the itch, you can probably do it.

I have some strong opinions about what would get you the quickest results.

- doing practical projects that interest you

plus

- learning solid conceptual fundamentals, thoroughly

I would like to recommend, in the most enthusiastic terms, you peep this course called: MIT 6.00 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-comput...

Just do exactly everything in that course. Follow the lectures, if the lectures get boring do the homework while you're watching. Do all the homework. Google language syntax but not specific answers to the problems. Read the suggested stuff.

I swear, I kinda suspect a huge percentage of working coders do not understand or apply all the concepts in that intro course.

At the same time, just pick personal projects and do them. Complete them. All the way done. And move on, always to something a little outside your comfort zone. Like, first just build a wordpress site, or wherever your current skill level is.

If you do those two things and are having fun and sticking with it, you are golden, I say.

;-)

I don't know why you've been downvoted. What you wrote is not what I'd like to hear as an adult, but based on what I've read it's probably true.

I've been a computer science professor for 13 years and have taught thousands of people. The average age of students is about 34. There is NO noticeable difference in how fast young people (20) and older people (40) learn so don't let anyone tell you that.

As far as being too late.... You are 35, you will retire in 30 years when you're 65. You've been working 13 years so far in the other industry. That means you have over TWICE as many work years left as you've already used. You're only 1/3 the way through your working adult life. Is it too late? Only if you plan on getting hit by a bus next week.

I do recommend getting organized classes at some point. They save you time, keep you from creating bad habits and aren't that expensive. Your wage only has to go up 25 cents an hour for one year to pay for one college class for one quarter (3 months).

Ask HN: I want to learn how to code. Can anyone tell me how to start learning?: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2699965

Learn Python The Hard Way: http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/

I did it and so can you! At age 33, I switched to technology (not programming) from a totally unrelated field (with three degrees in this unrelated field). Late last year I learnt PHP and SQL on my own and with Twitter Bootstrap, I launched a data analytics heavy web service that is being used by about 1,000 users.

My suggestion, start and keep it simple. If you are interested in web development, pick up the simplest and easiest languages and learn the basics. Pickup a Sitepoint or Head First book in that language.

Find problems in your unrelated career that could be solved by web service and create solution. Launch it, introduce your workplace to it, use it as your portfolio. If not, solve a personal itch, launch it and find users who have the same itch.

In any case, you will have a site for your personal portfolio to go out and get some freelance work or looks for job.