From mobile phones to microwave ovens. Computers control almost all devices that we use every day. That is why it is probably just as important to be able to program in the future as to speak good English. Who learns programming gets insight into the 'back' of devices and good job perspectives. But where do you start?
Many programmers are self-taught. Research from Stack Overflow, a worldwide coder community, among 64,000 programmers recently showed that 90 percent fully or partially learned to program themselves. "If you go into the depth, it is a challenging and difficult field. But you can get far with online tools ", says Johan Jeuring, professor of Software Technology for Learning and Education at the University of Utrecht. "There are numerous websites and programs that make the first steps relatively easy."
A true alpha
Roosmarijn Buijs (27) also taught herself the principles of programming. "I have a background in psychology and organizational sciences and always saw myself as a real alpha. But I thought it would be fun to dive into the head of the computer and see if I would understand how it works. I opted for Coursera, purely because someone told me that you can learn the programming language Python there for free. I found programming very nice to find and able. I find excellent analytical puzzling. Moreover, it is very concrete: something is right or wrong. A nice change in addition to switching with people in the organization. "
Not taught today
Gracia Savior, student assistant at the Minor Programming at the University of Amsterdam, can confirm: "Especially the combination of analytical thinking and creativity makes programming so much fun. It is puzzling and making something at the same time. But it has not been learned today. You can do it on your own, but for those who want more structure and support, courses are also offered that will teach you the basics in a period of a few weeks to a year. "
According to Savior, you have to learn 4 things to be able to program:
- the way of thinking,
- debugging or removing errors,
- what happens under the hood,
- the language.
"Most of them start thinking about what computer language should be learned. But that is not the most important thing. Anyone who has learned the first 3 things can actually learn every language ", explains Savior. "The point is that you understand the logic."
The new illiteracy
A logic that is currently an important part of our world. That is why programming is called a 21st century skill , or a skill that is needed for the society of the future. Digital illiteracy is the new illiteracy. Programming is a basic skill. Jeuring: "Not only to become a programmer, but the number of vacancies only increases. But it is also very important for other professions to have insight into how software and computers work. It is still magic for many people now. Something does not work. What now? Those who understand how it works can also see the possibilities."
Like a child in a candy store
That works ideal because you are taken step by step by hand. The matter is slowly becoming more complex and you are challenged to think about a solution yourself. My work now uses a different programming language and I feel like a child in a candy store again. I want to try this and still do that. I'm actually programming at home every evening after work to see if I can develop a program that automatically solves sudoku's. "
'Programming must be done actively and it is important to keep peeling'
Programming must be done actively and it is important to keep on peeling. "It may sound like a long process. But that is exactly what makes it so fun. Search the Internet for solutions that others have already found, ask feedback and learn from each other. Only then will you step by step ", says Jansen. A true coder therefore always remains in the peel phase. For example, according to Stack Overflow, 70 percent of programmers spend at least 2 hours of programming every week. And 20 percent even more than 10 hours.
Choosing a language
Who starts can hardly stop programming any more. Whether in JavaScript, C ++ or Haskell. There are now more than 1,000 different programming languages. And every language has advantages and disadvantages. According to Stack Overflow , the top 5 languages used are: JavaScript (62.5%), SQL (51.2%), Java (39.7%), C # (34.1%) and Python (32%). But which language should you choose?
"Opinions differ about that", says Savior. "My advice? Just start with a language. If you have a basis in that, you can apply that thinking to all languages. Choose a course that appeals to you, with nice assignments. And go for the immersion. Because only then do you give your brain the opportunity to get used to the new way of thinking. "
Building your future
Once you're on the road in the world of programming, you build directly on your own future. Jeuring: "Anyone who wants to go beyond just building sea battle can register with an open source community and develop a piece of a large package. For all software, open source is now available where they are happy with every hobbyist who wants to contribute. That is very good on your CV and you can also build a nice portfolio with it, comparable to the folder of an artist. "
