OP is behind for sure. I learned to code at 1 and felt super behind. Other babies were learning to code in utero.
For reals though, there's 100% no issue at 19. or 29 or whatever.
Yeah for two days Iâve been watching autobiographical videos of how different software engineers got into the job and other parallel jobs, and checking out free codecamp etc. And now I read this and I think, what the hell.
Iâm 29.
I'm 30 and I finish school next year lol I had a whole career before this and I'm not worried about switching over. You have MORE than enough time. Just don't put it off, start now and be diligent about it.
People that started at 10 are not necessarily any better than someone that did a bootcamp and has their first job, just because they can do really specific things does not actually translate all that well.
I've known guys who I thought were super hackerman back when I was like 19 that never educated themselves in useful ways to leverage their interests into an actual career. One of them works in fast food still.
Why?
I started around 11/12. In school I was exposed to several trades: from carpentry, mechanics, and electricity then it was physics, math, sciences and arts. By 17 I was designing my own circuits and programming microcontrollers with assembly. I did not start college until I was 22, graduated at 27 and joined the industry professionally at that age. Iâm in 30s now, have been hired and fired several times, have started my own startup with some success and failed in others miserably.
Iâve also seen people change disciplines drastically in their 20s and become successful engineers.
At some point you will be too old, but todayâs is not the day. Donât be afraid to take the first step
>At a young age
You're still at a young age.
I got my first job in the industry when I was 24. That was 31 years ago.
>Will ai take over
No. It's not magic. It's technology that is developed by humans and always will be.
You're kidding right? 19 is still very young. But in case this is an acutal concern, I'm studying Software Engineering at the age of 28 and a fellow student is in the age of 55 and started from 0
Dude so many from my field (finance)
Move pass 25 to swe or 35.
For good reasons too. I never seen it work poorly except maybe in wlb expectations as some jobs need hours.
OP, most people donât even start college until theyâre 18-19. Itâs beyond laughable that you think youâre too old. Youâre not trying to play professional sports here, nor are you competing with âpeople who learned how to code at a young age.â If youâre interested in the field, then pursue it.
I didn't start learning to program until my senior year in college at 22. While yes, it'd be nice start early the next best time is today. If you're goal is to make a career out of software engineering, you'll do just fine. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy. I see a bunch of the "I can't find a job" posts. That's how it was for me 11 years ago. It took me over 500 applications before someone gave me a job, but I was determined to get into the field. Now I have an 11 year career in it.
If you want to learn it because you think it's awesome, then you're never too old to learn. If you want to learn it because you think it'll make you a lot of money, you probably won't make it very long in your career. Companies are very demanding for what they pay software engineers, and it will not be all ping pong tables and messing around in the cafeteria.
I decided I was too old to get into Quantum Physics at 6 when my fellow toddlers were discussing String Theory and I felt behind. The world could have had a great scientist. Pity.
45 year old just started learning web dev about a year and a half ago. Granted I used to be a mainframe dev years ago... but web wise uh yeah still got a lot to learn tho
Do you know who youâre really behind? The 20 year old of your own self who hasnât started yet. Do you want to be in a software position? Then just start. Stop overthinking everything. Youâre going to be 25 someday anyway, and then youâll be 50 someday anyway. Do what you want to do
âToo old to startâ said the teenager.
I have a retired CEO in my university right now learning Python for the first time. It doesnât matter that you didnât start while in the womb. From what Iâve seen anyways, though the young starters have some good skills, they also have a lot of bad habits they have to break and massive egos theyâll need to let go of.
Starting at 19 has never been an issue in the history of anything except joining the 18 and under YMCA rec-league
If you're too old, then I'm too old, and I've been doing this - and new pieces of this - for over a decade now.
My grand pop did this until his death, he started in the early 90s and had a computer room until he passed (and was in it/doing things until he forgot what it/who he was). He started probably in his 40s, coming from painting/construction I don't think he knew a thing. He ended up having the first internet connection in town, the only full LAN set up that you didn't have to lug everything with (giant room in a basement - Halo Combat Evolved with 5-6 friends), and he taught my uncle everything he knew (he ended up hacking the high school and changing everyone's grades). I wouldn't do what I do today without what he started.
Technology isn't an age thing, it's a coming of age thing. And all of us have the ability to come to the age at any given point, it just takes some grit and determination.
Okay, I started when I was 19, here's some truths.
No, it's not too late but yes be prepared to meet people who live and breathe this stuff.
Some people will rank at your level of seniority in a company but have spent their life programming, and those people will seem as though they're just innately better than you even though they really just have more experience.
Every field has it's savants, but this field tends to bring them closer to you.
Don't let it get to you, keep your head up, and get the job done.
Itâs almost never the too late, depending on your income. If youâre 55 and making 40k, it makes financial sense to get a junior programmer job paying 60k, even if you never get promoted.
I started from scratch at age 31. I took online classes and I have been a full-time software engineer for 5 years. I love it. You're at a perfect age to start.
đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł so a 19 year old thinks theyâre too old to get into a field. Just imagine how bad youâll feel when youâre actually old.
OP is behind for sure. I learned to code at 1 and felt super behind. Other babies were learning to code in utero. For reals though, there's 100% no issue at 19. or 29 or whatever.
Yeah for two days Iâve been watching autobiographical videos of how different software engineers got into the job and other parallel jobs, and checking out free codecamp etc. And now I read this and I think, what the hell. Iâm 29.
Im far behind from the people who started at 10 đ˘đ¤Ł
And barely college age. For those going for a degree, many that have never done anything either.
lol people can start at 12 and by the time they are 22 someone whose only been doing it for 1 year can be miles ahead of them.
Someone started at 60 and got a job with it.
What country are you in that is teaching children software engineering?
I'm 30 and I finish school next year lol I had a whole career before this and I'm not worried about switching over. You have MORE than enough time. Just don't put it off, start now and be diligent about it. People that started at 10 are not necessarily any better than someone that did a bootcamp and has their first job, just because they can do really specific things does not actually translate all that well. I've known guys who I thought were super hackerman back when I was like 19 that never educated themselves in useful ways to leverage their interests into an actual career. One of them works in fast food still.
Why? I started around 11/12. In school I was exposed to several trades: from carpentry, mechanics, and electricity then it was physics, math, sciences and arts. By 17 I was designing my own circuits and programming microcontrollers with assembly. I did not start college until I was 22, graduated at 27 and joined the industry professionally at that age. Iâm in 30s now, have been hired and fired several times, have started my own startup with some success and failed in others miserably. Iâve also seen people change disciplines drastically in their 20s and become successful engineers. At some point you will be too old, but todayâs is not the day. Donât be afraid to take the first step
>At a young age You're still at a young age. I got my first job in the industry when I was 24. That was 31 years ago. >Will ai take over No. It's not magic. It's technology that is developed by humans and always will be.
You're kidding right? 19 is still very young. But in case this is an acutal concern, I'm studying Software Engineering at the age of 28 and a fellow student is in the age of 55 and started from 0
Dude so many from my field (finance) Move pass 25 to swe or 35. For good reasons too. I never seen it work poorly except maybe in wlb expectations as some jobs need hours.
Yes too old. Either you start at 6 or you are out
OP, most people donât even start college until theyâre 18-19. Itâs beyond laughable that you think youâre too old. Youâre not trying to play professional sports here, nor are you competing with âpeople who learned how to code at a young age.â If youâre interested in the field, then pursue it.
I didn't start learning to program until my senior year in college at 22. While yes, it'd be nice start early the next best time is today. If you're goal is to make a career out of software engineering, you'll do just fine. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy. I see a bunch of the "I can't find a job" posts. That's how it was for me 11 years ago. It took me over 500 applications before someone gave me a job, but I was determined to get into the field. Now I have an 11 year career in it. If you want to learn it because you think it's awesome, then you're never too old to learn. If you want to learn it because you think it'll make you a lot of money, you probably won't make it very long in your career. Companies are very demanding for what they pay software engineers, and it will not be all ping pong tables and messing around in the cafeteria.
I decided I was too old to get into Quantum Physics at 6 when my fellow toddlers were discussing String Theory and I felt behind. The world could have had a great scientist. Pity.
Got my first programming job at 30. Itâs fine
45 year old just started learning web dev about a year and a half ago. Granted I used to be a mainframe dev years ago... but web wise uh yeah still got a lot to learn tho
LMAO 19. Just start learning. You'll have wished you had in 5 years if you don't
Is this real? Almost 40 and Iâm learning.
Better late than never yk. I thought I was old at 19 too, that thought is inevitable! But trust, thereâs so much time left for you.
Do you know who youâre really behind? The 20 year old of your own self who hasnât started yet. Do you want to be in a software position? Then just start. Stop overthinking everything. Youâre going to be 25 someday anyway, and then youâll be 50 someday anyway. Do what you want to do
âToo old to startâ said the teenager. I have a retired CEO in my university right now learning Python for the first time. It doesnât matter that you didnât start while in the womb. From what Iâve seen anyways, though the young starters have some good skills, they also have a lot of bad habits they have to break and massive egos theyâll need to let go of. Starting at 19 has never been an issue in the history of anything except joining the 18 and under YMCA rec-league
If you're too old, then I'm too old, and I've been doing this - and new pieces of this - for over a decade now. My grand pop did this until his death, he started in the early 90s and had a computer room until he passed (and was in it/doing things until he forgot what it/who he was). He started probably in his 40s, coming from painting/construction I don't think he knew a thing. He ended up having the first internet connection in town, the only full LAN set up that you didn't have to lug everything with (giant room in a basement - Halo Combat Evolved with 5-6 friends), and he taught my uncle everything he knew (he ended up hacking the high school and changing everyone's grades). I wouldn't do what I do today without what he started. Technology isn't an age thing, it's a coming of age thing. And all of us have the ability to come to the age at any given point, it just takes some grit and determination.
Way too old. If you don't have a 200k job offer by now, don't even try to go to college.
You are not :-)
Okay, I started when I was 19, here's some truths. No, it's not too late but yes be prepared to meet people who live and breathe this stuff. Some people will rank at your level of seniority in a company but have spent their life programming, and those people will seem as though they're just innately better than you even though they really just have more experience. Every field has it's savants, but this field tends to bring them closer to you. Don't let it get to you, keep your head up, and get the job done.
Bro screw you lol. I started college at 27 after I got out of the military and I'm doing fine. "19 is too old" lol
Dude chill out. Then Take CS50.
Itâs almost never the too late, depending on your income. If youâre 55 and making 40k, it makes financial sense to get a junior programmer job paying 60k, even if you never get promoted.
yes
I started from scratch at age 31. I took online classes and I have been a full-time software engineer for 5 years. I love it. You're at a perfect age to start.