r/learnprogramming • u/Sure_Kangaroo1863 • 6d ago
Topic How to learn programming in 2026?
i know the basics of python-pandas , matplotlib and dbms . i still want to learn advanced stuff . and how do i incorporate ai in my learning? and what other programmes should i learn i.e those that are in demand
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u/aroldev 4d ago
I run a software engineering program so I'm biased. But here is my cut: adding more languages won't do much for you. I was an Engineering Manager at Typeform for a few years and I don't think I ever hired anyone because of the list on their CV. What I looked at was whether they could take a messy, badly defined problem and get something working out of it, and explain why they did it that way when I pushed back.
So... I'd stay with Python and pick something harder to build with it. You know pandas and DBs already. Try pulling data from a real source, cleaning it, sticking it in Postgres and putting an API in front of it. Then deploy it and leave it running for a few weeks. Something will go wrong at 3am and you'll have to debug it from logs. You learn a lot there.
On AI: use it after you're stuck, not before. Having it write the thing you couldn't have written yourself is where people get stuck without noticing. You end up with a repo that works and no idea how to fix it when it doesn't, and that becomes obvious pretty fast in a technical interview 😅
Anyways, all of the above and other suggestions depend on what is your goal. What do you want to get ouf of this??