Can I learn coding at the age of 45?

Let’s get this out of the way: no, you are not too old to program. There isn’t an age limit on learning to code, and there never was. But all too often, insecurity and uncertainty compel older adults to put a ceiling on their achievement potential.

Is it hard to teach yourself how do you code?

No, coding is not hard to learn. Much like any other skill, learning how to code requires time and persistence. The difficulty will depend on the programming language itself and what kind of software you’d like to make.

What is the best way to learn programming for beginners?

The best way to get a hang of the basics is to use a free coding website like Codecademy, for example. Before you invest in a paid course, try a few languages and focus on the one that feels fun to work with. Use Codecademy to learn the basics of your first programming language.

Should you learn more than one programming language?

Programming knowledge is transferrable. Software changes. If you’re a strong programmer you can easily adapt to a change in your development stack. If you spent your time learning only one language when switch jobs or your company switches tech, you’re left in the dust. Syntax is easy to learn once you have a foundation.

What to do with your new programming knowledge?

Again, you need to identify exactly what you want to do with your new programming knowledge. For example, the courses you need to take and the languages you need to learn if you want to become a software developer or systems engineer will be a lot different from the skills you need to make a few changes to the layout of your blog.

How do you motivate yourself to learn a new programming language?

So you should consider the following factors: what projects you can build while you’re learning (and share with friends so you can stay motivated) Every year brings new programming languages, and with them, new academic papers. And new web comics. Seriously. Check out this gem from last month: