Ask HN: Is it too late for a late 30s person to start learning coding

by prkvs on 3/29/2017, 9:21:04 AM with 4 comments
I am in my late 30s , i learnt basic C programming in school some 15 years back , means i picked up some basic programming concepts. I work in Software product company in a managerial/coordination role. I did make a few failed attempts to start with Python on Coursera , but could never finish the course due to work commitments .

In each attempt I manage to reach the basic classes(loops,while,functions etc) and lost from there, i am not able to cross that level and go to intermediate topics. What is the best way to cross that level and move to intermediate concepts?

If my objective is to learn coding+other basics so that i could build[1] and maintain my ideas[2] , how should i go about and what should i learn?

[1]- A quick Proof of Concept and deploy a working model to demo [2]- Ideas meaning some Webapps/SaaS app

  • by pizza on 3/29/2017, 10:06:45 AM

    Try looking at bottlepy for a really simple webapp framework in python. Maybe learning a framework in Python will make it easier to consolidate how Python all fits together. It's not too late though! It just takes time to pick up the rhythm.

    The first book I used to learn (that made me feel confident about how to put programs together) when I started Python was Dive Into Python (there's a new one about Python 3, it's probably where to start nowadays). It was written for people with some programming experience but I managed to piece together a broad understanding without much previous programming exposure.

    Programming is just another way of learning to build up a logical description of something. It's like writing an executable proof. Give it a shot!

  • by therealunreal on 3/29/2017, 9:47:18 AM

    It's not too late, certainly not because of your age. It rather depends on your personal life and free time (family, time constraints, etc.). My advice is to go for it when you can spare at least 2 hours per day and you actually enjoy it.

  • by gjvc on 3/29/2017, 9:28:22 AM

    Get a project. Having a concrete and useful task at hand is the number one motivator to find out about the features of any given programming system and stay using them. Begin simple. Keep it simple. Good luck. :-)

  • by adrianN on 3/29/2017, 9:57:36 AM

    It's never to late. Buy a book, or follow an online class. Do the exercises. Programming is not easy, you need to be persistent if you want to make progress.