Why is it never too late to start learning Java (or other Java languages)
Hello, Habr! I present to you the translation of the article "Why you are never too old to learn Java (or any programming language)" by John Selawsky.
I am a teacher of the Java course and I have examples of many people who started learning Java at the age of 30 or even older. In fact, aging, people become more experienced and wise, they see things differently, they are "like a fish in water" in any new endeavors. In addition, there is less ageism in IT (from translation. - Ageism is discrimination against a person based on his age) than in other sectors. This industry values skills, not the age of the programmer.
Here you will find 5 good reasons why you should not neglect your desires and you should start learning Java. These reasons apply to other programming languages.
Believe it or not, recent medical research by Cesar Quililan has proven how brain activity affects aging and brain health. It turned out that the more you train your brain, the better it is.
They showed how people aged 60 to 90 years improved their health and brain condition, just doing needlework (from translation. - for example knitting, helps to develop brain coordination, improves motor skills, etc.) several hours a day . Now, imagine what the brain of a 30 year old man is capable of.
Learning a programming language is tantamount to training your mental processes - mental training, making your attention and concentration much better.
An example of a success story of a 32 year old man . He did not know anything about programming or any technical things, now he is studying programming at the university, and says that when he started it was rather difficult, but now his brain is “sharp like a razor”. In addition, no one cares about his age.
Today, there are many online courses and many people recognize that they are more effective than offline projects and bring more positive results. The reasons are simple: the IT industry values your knowledge, not physical abilities, and you yourself choose the right time and pace for your studies. There are many stories about people who successfully passed them and got their dream job in a very short period of time.
As soon as you start to study or work as a programmer, for sure, many will need mentoring support from those who are already specialists in Java. In addition, the Java developer community is very developed, here are some platforms that will help you find the necessary information or ask for good advice:
And of course, never forget about another important source of knowledge - books. In addition, as soon as you become a programmer, after a long working day at the computer, you will want to change the computer screen to something else:
As you can see, there are many online resources, and that's not all. So what is stopping you not to start learning Java right now with so much support behind you? By the way, they do not care about your age, only your knowledge.
Age is just a figure ... of your level. Unfortunately, there is a global stereotype and misconception that you should have only one specialty for the rest of your life. But who said it should be like that? You are an adult who knows what he is looking for and what result he wants to get. That is why, as soon as you decide that you want to write code - develop this spark, and, sooner or later, it will flare up.
Another motivation is to think about yourself and never compare yourself with someone else, because people have different experiences and different levels of knowledge. The starting point should be what you knew before you started training. You will be surprised when comparing your progress with the previous step. There is a wonderful example of a programmer from my course who has never had a job related to technical skills. But he decided, step by step, to take courses on CodeGym (JavaRush)and you know what? He succeeded and got the job he wanted. And never be afraid of a “bad code” or lack of experience, as at any age we all make mistakes at the beginning, and gradually they disappear as you hone your skills. Do you know that junior students are worried as much as senior students? Will I find work without work experience? The truth is that some companies are looking for people with minimal experience to grow specialists from them for their projects. In addition, technologies evolve every day, and they require a lot of code, and those who can create it. You can’t learn everything :)
Learning Java is no different from, say, learning to ride a bicycle. The differences are not great. However, if you start learning to ride a bicycle in adulthood, you will naturally worry, and yet, you will spend less time on it. Age plays an important role, your wisdom and experience will help you correct mistakes that will occur in the process.
Programming is not only coding, but also finding the best way to solve the problem that you are facing. And here your experience can help a lot. Thus, having experience in another field is a huge advantage. And many who have already taken the initial steps acknowledge that their experience has helped them achieve success.
Never put off what you plan, start learning as soon as possible, because the right time may never come. If you wait, then you are wasting your precious time. In addition, later in life you will have even more doubts than now, and it will be more difficult to start.
In addition, you will have new opportunities with which you can improve your current job, get promoted or even change jobs. Isn't that attractive? It’s easy to find on Reddit the story of a 30-year-old who has walked a bumpy path working with young programmers. This made him stronger, and he got the job even easier than he expected.
If you are one of those who are at a crossroads thinking: “I'm too old for something new,” you should know that age is just a consequence of time, which also helps you see what you usually don’t see young people.
Learning something new will keep your mental health in order, and your mental acuity will not yield to those younger than you.
Therefore, learning Java, at home or online, is just another great opportunity to show everyone that you can do something else. Accept it as getting another vital skill. In addition, no one will care how old you are, because the IT industry is knowledge.
Thus, never give up your idea and just start moving forward. Be sure that you always get tremendous support, no matter which path you choose.
It's never too late to start learning Java or whatever, because the sooner you start learning, the more privileges you will get from life - just get started! ( Just do it )
In addition, practice and knowledge will allow you to increase your abilities, and then, you will certainly become an even more successful person.
So, if you think that you are too old for this ...
- it is not.
Love for all ages.Despite the fact that so many agree with this phrase, I constantly observe how people drive themselves into imaginary frames and convince them that it is too late to learn something new or change a profession. Why don't we use this approach to everything that we would like to achieve, especially when it comes to learning something new, such as a programming language?
I am a teacher of the Java course and I have examples of many people who started learning Java at the age of 30 or even older. In fact, aging, people become more experienced and wise, they see things differently, they are "like a fish in water" in any new endeavors. In addition, there is less ageism in IT (from translation. - Ageism is discrimination against a person based on his age) than in other sectors. This industry values skills, not the age of the programmer.
Here you will find 5 good reasons why you should not neglect your desires and you should start learning Java. These reasons apply to other programming languages.
Reason 1. Learning new things helps your “processor” not to fail
Believe it or not, recent medical research by Cesar Quililan has proven how brain activity affects aging and brain health. It turned out that the more you train your brain, the better it is.
They showed how people aged 60 to 90 years improved their health and brain condition, just doing needlework (from translation. - for example knitting, helps to develop brain coordination, improves motor skills, etc.) several hours a day . Now, imagine what the brain of a 30 year old man is capable of.
Learning a programming language is tantamount to training your mental processes - mental training, making your attention and concentration much better.
An example of a success story of a 32 year old man . He did not know anything about programming or any technical things, now he is studying programming at the university, and says that when he started it was rather difficult, but now his brain is “sharp like a razor”. In addition, no one cares about his age.
Reason 2. There is a bunch of online courses and material - no one will see your age
Today, there are many online courses and many people recognize that they are more effective than offline projects and bring more positive results. The reasons are simple: the IT industry values your knowledge, not physical abilities, and you yourself choose the right time and pace for your studies. There are many stories about people who successfully passed them and got their dream job in a very short period of time.
Here are three striking examples of Internet resources where you can learn Java:
- CodeGym (aka JavaRush ) is an online Java programming training course
that consists of 80% practice; - Code Academy - this program will help you in acquiring technical skills that will be very useful in your future work;
- In addition, there are online video courses on Coursera or
Udemy - platforms that include courses from online universities from around the world in various subjects.
As soon as you start to study or work as a programmer, for sure, many will need mentoring support from those who are already specialists in Java. In addition, the Java developer community is very developed, here are some platforms that will help you find the necessary information or ask for good advice:
- Java Forum is a classic forum, which includes many topics and subsections for quick search;
- Java wold is a platform where news, blogs, experts and many things related to Java are based in one place;
- CodeGym Help (aka JavaRush) is a community for beginners where they can find quick and proper support.
Places where you can ask any question and find one or more solutions from users:
- Java subreddit: the exchange of solutions and experience on issues and topics related to Java;
- Programming subreddit: query and find solutions to any programming problem.
Blogs are also important - they keep track of updates, new features and, as a rule, those that have recently been added or created for more convenient writing of programs in Java:
- Java Geek: is a source where you can find a clear explanation of a particular case or question, in addition, it is divided into categories - interaction with various technologies;
- Bench Resources: Another source describing Java problems and cases. Its structure is also divided into sections for quick search.
And of course, never forget about another important source of knowledge - books. In addition, as soon as you become a programmer, after a long working day at the computer, you will want to change the computer screen to something else:
- Learning Java. Katie Sierra and Burt Bates. The authors try to convey their knowledge with the help of a simple language and visual content, without stopping at how difficult it is to learn the OOP language.
- Java Beginner's Guide. Herbert Schildt. Describes the basics of Java gradually, allowing the reader to understand and immerse themselves in Java from the very beginning.
As you can see, there are many online resources, and that's not all. So what is stopping you not to start learning Java right now with so much support behind you? By the way, they do not care about your age, only your knowledge.
Reason 3. Age does not matter
Age is just a figure ... of your level. Unfortunately, there is a global stereotype and misconception that you should have only one specialty for the rest of your life. But who said it should be like that? You are an adult who knows what he is looking for and what result he wants to get. That is why, as soon as you decide that you want to write code - develop this spark, and, sooner or later, it will flare up.
Another motivation is to think about yourself and never compare yourself with someone else, because people have different experiences and different levels of knowledge. The starting point should be what you knew before you started training. You will be surprised when comparing your progress with the previous step. There is a wonderful example of a programmer from my course who has never had a job related to technical skills. But he decided, step by step, to take courses on CodeGym (JavaRush)and you know what? He succeeded and got the job he wanted. And never be afraid of a “bad code” or lack of experience, as at any age we all make mistakes at the beginning, and gradually they disappear as you hone your skills. Do you know that junior students are worried as much as senior students? Will I find work without work experience? The truth is that some companies are looking for people with minimal experience to grow specialists from them for their projects. In addition, technologies evolve every day, and they require a lot of code, and those who can create it. You can’t learn everything :)
Reason 4. Learning Java is like learning any other skill.
Learning Java is no different from, say, learning to ride a bicycle. The differences are not great. However, if you start learning to ride a bicycle in adulthood, you will naturally worry, and yet, you will spend less time on it. Age plays an important role, your wisdom and experience will help you correct mistakes that will occur in the process.
Programming is not only coding, but also finding the best way to solve the problem that you are facing. And here your experience can help a lot. Thus, having experience in another field is a huge advantage. And many who have already taken the initial steps acknowledge that their experience has helped them achieve success.
Reason 5. Now is the right time.
Never put off what you plan, start learning as soon as possible, because the right time may never come. If you wait, then you are wasting your precious time. In addition, later in life you will have even more doubts than now, and it will be more difficult to start.
In addition, you will have new opportunities with which you can improve your current job, get promoted or even change jobs. Isn't that attractive? It’s easy to find on Reddit the story of a 30-year-old who has walked a bumpy path working with young programmers. This made him stronger, and he got the job even easier than he expected.
In conclusion
If you are one of those who are at a crossroads thinking: “I'm too old for something new,” you should know that age is just a consequence of time, which also helps you see what you usually don’t see young people.
Learning something new will keep your mental health in order, and your mental acuity will not yield to those younger than you.
Therefore, learning Java, at home or online, is just another great opportunity to show everyone that you can do something else. Accept it as getting another vital skill. In addition, no one will care how old you are, because the IT industry is knowledge.
Thus, never give up your idea and just start moving forward. Be sure that you always get tremendous support, no matter which path you choose.
It's never too late to start learning Java or whatever, because the sooner you start learning, the more privileges you will get from life - just get started! ( Just do it )
In addition, practice and knowledge will allow you to increase your abilities, and then, you will certainly become an even more successful person.
So, if you think that you are too old for this ...
- it is not.