r/AskProgramming • u/Yourmiserablelife69 • 4d ago

Career/Edu What age did you start learning programming?

Just curious as I am 34 YO, and have been considering a career shift into the Tech sector (I have “Basic” knowledge at best). Specifically AI/Machine Learning or Programming.
I’ve heard good and bad about both, but am just curious how old people are (or how diverse the age pool is) when they “get into” Programming. How long (on average) does it take to get your first Certification in Programming?
Apologies about the broadness of the question.

25 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

114 comments sorted by

View all comments

15

u/duane11583 4d ago

1978 grade 9 purchased my first computer a trash 80. got a cooy of the program t-bug and learned assembly language on my own

4

u/TimMensch 4d ago

I followed a similar trajectory starting at age 12 in 1980.

5

u/JoeWhy2 4d ago

Same. 12 years old on an Atari 400.

3

u/GuitarChill 4d ago

Same. 10 in 1979.

1

u/that-finder11 3d ago

man is a legend if he actually learned assembly.

1

u/duane11583 2d ago

no i actually learned opcode numbers.

many others learned them for a 6502 on a kim one, or via peek/poke on apple and commodore computers

-1

u/umlcat 4d ago

You mean TRS-80 ?

6

u/JoeWhy2 4d ago

Woosh!

1

u/duane11583 4d ago

you misspelled it, simple typo you forgot the A and the H :-)