Some of questions that I see asked frequently on Quora are
- “What programming language should I learn first?”
- “What is the best way to master X language?”
It seems that programming is quite popular once again. There are tons of technologies trending and the task of becoming a decent developer seems like climbing Mount Everest. The task can appear quite daunting and even discouraging.
The truth is that, as with anything else worth mastering, it takes time. The road is a long journey and it takes a lot of discipline and a lot of perseverance.
For those that lack discipline, traditional schooling is the best road. Attending college makes you accountable. You have to take courses semester after semester and at each step you are challenged to practice and then be evaluated on your skills. You have to meet deadlines with your assignments. There is lots and lots of practice involved. I remember spending much of my time in the school lab.
For the self taught enthusiast, there’s a ton of options. In many cases those options are extremely cheap and even free sometimes. That doesn’t necessarily make the task easier. The reason is because you don’t have a good road map. A degree provides a good road map. That doesn’t mean I’m advocating that the only way to become a developer is to go school. On the contrary, I’m advocating self learning but I am also advocating getting a solid road map.
So where do you start? Don’t worry about the road map just yet. I’ll provide one soon enough.
For now just start programming. What language? It doesn’t really matter. The reason is that, as you continue on your journey you will learn many different languages. The key is to just start programming. The resources are free and you can even program online with tools such as repl.it
Just remember that mastering software development is a long slow road. It’s fun and it’s challenging, so don’t focus so much on climbing to the top but rather on each step you make to get there.
If you need a mentor feel free to bring me your questions. Simply use the form on this page to contact me and I will be glad to provide some guidance.
In the mean time here are a few good resources for you to begin your journey.
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/cprogramming/