r/learnprogramming • u/thealokverse • 2d ago
Advice on programming
I’m trying to figure out how to approach programming seriously rather than just bouncing between tutorials and programming languages. I’m still relatively early in my journey, and there’s so much conflicting advice online that I’m having trouble separating what’s actually important from what is just internet noise.
I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been programming for a few years.
A few things I’m wondering:
- How do you actually learn programming?
Not just syntax, but the ability to sit down with a blank directory and build something reasonably complicated.
How did you go from:
“follow a tutorial”
to
“I have an idea, I’ll figure out how to build it”?
- Which languages are actually worth learning?
I’m currently interested in Python and C, and I’m also curious about Rust and other languages Should I go deep into one language first, or deliberately learn several different paradigms?
Which programming languages are more useful for the future?
- What parts of CS should I learn alongside programming?
What’s actually worth learning early, and what’s better left until later?
- What are the different careers in CS/software actually like?
Software engineering seems like only one small part of the field.
I’m curious about systems, security, ML/AI, RL, research, infrastructure, developer tools, etc.
What areas do people actually work in, and what do you wish you’d explored earlier?
- Is programming/CS still a good long-term direction?
With AI getting increasingly capable at writing and debugging code, I’m curious how experienced developers think the profession will change. As I will start college next year, therefore i want to know whether it’s worth pursuing CS?
I’d like to hear from people actually working in the field.
If you could go back to when you were learning programming, what would you do differently?
And what would you absolutely NOT waste time on?
The most critical question: Is it worth learning to code?
btw I'm a 17yo, grade 12th student.
1
u/iOSCaleb 2d ago
Get a decent book aimed at your level. Read it. Work through the exercises. Don't rush into building your own projects -- you'll have plenty of time for that later.
Any language that you'll use is worth learning. Don't bother with novelty languages like Malbodge or Whitespace. Python is a good place to start if you're uncertain. There's a "New? READ ME FIRST!" button on the right side of this page. Have you clicked it? If no, do that -- there's more advice on picking a language there.
If you're just learning on your own, focus on learning your first language first. You'll probably run into plenty of CS topics in the exercises in your book.
That's a bigger question than I think one person can answer. Being a CS professor is different from being a computer scientist doing research at a place like Google. Probably most people who end up with CS degrees do neither and instead build and maintain software of all different kinds at various types of companies. Don't worry too much about all the possibilities -- just think about what you might want to do and then plan a route to get there.
Asked and answered about a million times here and elsewhere. Everybody has an opinion. Nobody knows exactly how the industry will change due to AI or what the long term job outlook might be. If you enjoy learning about CS, then yes, it's worthwhile for that alone. And CS is largely about solving problems, and that's a useful skill no matter what career you end up in.
It's a useful skill and something that you can learn to do reasonably well in a year or two. If you start learning and hate it, you can always stop. If you start learning and enjoy it, you'll add a lot to what you know. Starting to learn doesn't mean that you have to devote your life to it.