Advice about being a programmer

[silasbufu]

Hello everyone!
This is my first post here, although I've been a member for a while now. I'm going through a pretty tough phase and I really need advice from as many people as I can. I'm 23 years old and I have finished College with a degree in Economics. Been working for a couple of years now and I'm starting to feel like I have picked the wrong path.
When I was 18 I clearly didn't have a solid idea about what I wanted to do so I picked Economics because it gave me the liberty of choosing from a variety of things to do in the future ( to be honest , I'll just say that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do and I don't think I cared too much at that age as well).
You could probably tell by the fact that I am writing here, that I love computers very much and I love everything about them ( hardware, software, games, anything really) and I'm beginning to realise that maybe I should've picked something in this branch.
If anyone has any experience in the subject, or just wants to give some advice, I would really be greatful. I would like to know your opinions about being a programmer ( I know it's a daft question because programming can have a shitload of forms) , but generally speaking.. and do you think it's too late for me to do this? Going to College for a programming degree would mean another 3 years in which I could probably get a part time job at best. I know you don't need to finish College to get a programming job, but it's really hard do find one where I live ( I'm not like those people who think about being a programmer and make awesome video-games by pressing a button, I'm not naive and I'm willing to read , learn and practice alot)
Sorry for the wall of text and for asking for advice on the internet but I really don't know many people who work in this branch and I figured someone here surely has some advice.

Thanks!

 

[Griffolion]

-snip-

Same boat as you, my friend. My first degree was Neuropsychology and now I'm doing it all again doing Computer Games Development. I'm incredibly blessed to have a mother who is wealthy and willing to cover my costs this time round as student finance certainly won't.

From one n00b to another, all I can say is, get doing it. Programming is a thing where theory only takes you so far and that you really need to see it in action to get a feel.

[a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Teach-Yourself-One-Hour/dp/0672329417/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327871651&sr=8-1"]This book[/a] will get you on your way. As it suggests, 1 hour a day learning the basics of C++ (the best language to learn first) for about a month will get you on your way, not just about C++ but also the fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming and it's basic tenets.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ciarin]

I think the best piece of advice to give at the moment is to try it out a little bit before making any decisions.

One of the most convenient things about programming is that the barriers to entry are almost zero. All you really need to start is a compiler and a text editor (or an interpreter depending on the language you start with).

First step I would suggest, if you're using Windows is to download VS2010 Express (http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/express) and either get a copy of the book the fellow above me mentioned, or take a quick look around the internet for one of the many tutorials out there. Come up with a small, simple project for yourself and see if you enjoy the process.

There's also a number of really great communities out there if you find yourself enjoying it, or looking for help. stackoverflow.com is a good place to start.

 

[Nyaoku]

Ok the first part is the hardest.
You're going to have to remember a lot of shorthand codes so make sure to keep a lot of paper nearby in class to make a reference sheet.
Also when working with the IF,ELSE,ENDIF statements, try to map out what's connected to what so that when you have to turn one switch off, it doesn't set of a chain reaction. Also MAKE A TEMPLATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

 

[Cowabungaa]

One thing and one thing only:

[HEADING=1]PRACTICE.[/HEADING]

That's the only way you'll get through programming; tons and tons of practice. It's all about trial and error, ditching what fails and keeping what works.

Of course, it also helps to find tutorials and/or textbooks on languages you want to learn. But after that you just have to try it out.

 

[BoTTeNBReKeR]

I suggest you start learning C# and/or Java. Those are the 2 big languages as far as I can tell.

For the rest, once you get the hang of 1 programming language, the others shouldn't really be a problem cause everything is always based around the same structures. The hardest part about being a student in programming for me is learning to understand how dumb a pc really is.

Damn you nullpointer exceptions!!!!

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well you seem to be approaching programming on the same idea as everyone else "I like computers to let's do something in that direction", you may end up disappointed so I suggest you start off light rather then jumping into years of schooling.

Great thing about programming is there is no shortage of free learning material and tools, so try youtube tutorials and do some of your own projects to see how you like the whole shindig.
And then if things are looking good your hit the schools for some paperwork, not that you would strictly need it.

 

[Esotera]

I'd suggest you start by learning Python to get the basics, then move onto Java or something if you want to make money from this (although you can make your billions with Python). Don't learn C++ - it's a terrible first language to start with, and it's what I did.

reddit.com/r/python and reddit.com/r/learnpython are really good resources for this, and there's also r/learnprogramming. There are also a few programmers here on the escapist, but I don't think there's anything as organised unfortunately.

 

[Kielgasten]

With regards to your age; NO! It´s never too late to start something new, and the education and work that you have already done, is not "wasted" either. You will have both matured, and learned a lot that will be useful whatever you do.

That said, do like some of the guys above has said; get the free Visual Studio C++ or C# from microsoft. Or the Java equivalents (netbeans and eclipse are popular I hear)


Best of luck
Kielgasten - Who is 29 and starts programming classes on wednesday ;-)

 

[The Last Nomad]

Can you really not get a job as it is?

If not try to learn some programming language first (I suggest Java, its not too hard but its one of the more useful languages) and if you like what you start to learn then perhaps a programming degree is the way to go.

But if you can get a job at the moment, go for it, even if you don't like it, and take some part time programming course. Sure it will be harder than just going back to college, but it would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

It's never too late to learn. I've got a degree in IT Management which includes things like programming, database management, web design, as well as general business management.

A lot of programming jobs are being moved out to countries like India where they have a highly trained workforce that they can pay a fraction of what they pay a programmer in Europe or the USA. As such I'd suggest you don't just focus on programming if you want to make a career out of it, but also learn a lot of the design and planning side of things too. All those annoying diagrams that you have to draw even though you KNOW once you get to the keyboard you'll just cobble together whatever works and it'll be just as good. The design and planning skills are very important. Boring, but important.

 

[z121231211]

Learn assembly. You may never use it, but at least you'll know how a computer works more than those people who use languages with garbage collectors and hide the low end workings from you. And then you could move on to C or C++, where everything you learned is still relevant. Then go on to Java and Python, where suddenly everything's easier but you also know exactly what the language is hiding from you.

 

[James Swinton]

I have actually left a job as shop manager working for a programming team, all I know so far is self taught but looking to do an open university course later in the year to get a qualification, I've been lucky enough to be given a job with no qualifications so I am getting on the job training. It is difficult and steep learning curve but I would definitely recommend it , the languages I am learning are Python, Django,Javascript and HTML. a good website to get started is http://www.codecademy.com just to get the basics, Good Luck!

 

[harvz]

you can build the skills rather easily, as long as you have the time and will to do it. ive been programming for around 5 years and I'm just about to start the actual uni course.
if you are looking to focus on apps, i would recommend either python or c++, python is a great starting language but is not terribly fast.
if your looking to start with games, i would recommend (in order of what i believe to be best to start with):
1) unity using either c# or javascript, Its very visual so it does cut out coding, it can get very expensive. It is rather difficult and only has real support for 3D (which can be difficult)
2) XNA using c#, can also be difficult, no visual editor so lots of coding, 2D and 3D.
3) pygame with python, I would say that this is the best for a beginner who wants to test the waters (I have taught this to a class of high school kids, so its fairly simple), limited to 2d and python is interpreted so its slow.
4) game maker, probably the worst one to spend a lot of time on but it is very easy, everything that can be expressed in code can also be done in its semi-visual scripting (not sure how to put that correctly).

 

[silasbufu]

Thanks to everyone for your posts! Each and one of them was extremely helpful and you've helped me develop a plan.

A fresh start is surely difficult, but can also be extremely satisfying and I'm willing to work my ass of to do something I like.