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Learn To Program, Even If You’ll Never Write A Line of Code

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 07:41 AM PST

hello-world;

I know, I can sense the eye-rolling.

There have been so many sensationalist headlines about how everybody needs to know how to code that it’s hard to take seriously. After all, if you’re not a programmer by trade why should you give a flip about code?

In reality, you don’t need to know how to code, just like in 1992 you didn’t need to know how to type or use a word processor. Today, being able to navigate your way around Office software is expected for many jobs and precludes your involvement in a ton of projects around the workplace. In the same way, code speak is being slung around offices more and more each year, and a basic understanding of programming goes a long way in keeping you involved in the conversation.

Still not convinced?

Consider this: why do we bother to learn basic skills like Math and English? Because these are fundamental tools for navigating our society, solving problems, and expressing ourselves. In the same way, programming teaches you to think about common problems in a pragmatic way. Additionally, software is everywhere and underlies so much of our daily lives that understanding the literal source of this software serves as a starting point for answering so many questions about the things we use (e.g. “How the hell does email work?”).

Here are a few other benefits of a cursory understanding of computer programming:

Computational Thinking

Computer scientists are trained to break tasks into easily performed subtasks, a skill that is applicable to almost anybody. When you learn to program, it becomes easier to break everyday problems into discrete(ish) fundamental parts which can be more efficiently conquered. Better yet, you’ll learn to formalize a solution that can be repeated easily in the future, saving time and effort.

Demystifying Daily Problems

“PC-Loadletter? What the [bleep] does that mean?”

We’re faced with confusing errors on computers every day, but if you have a basic understanding of code and what is producing these errors, you’ll be less prone to shut down and wait for somebody else to solve the problem for you. Employing basic debugging techniques on common errors will help you better describe the nature of the problem to tech support, rather than defaulting to my personal favorite “It doesn’t work.”

Enabling Yourself To Build Things

If you’re a hobbyist by nature and you just want to tinker, learning to program gives you the tools to make something for fun that you can call your own. Maybe you’re a blogger and would like to better personalize your site; an HTML/CSS/PHP bootcamp will make you feel like the master of your domain (as you should be). Even if you just want to involve yourself with a tech project of some kind, some programming know-how will give you the vocabulary to communicate effectively with the engineers.

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Start today, and don’t delay. You don’t need to become an expert of the discipline to enjoy the benefits of understanding code. I challenge you to pick up an introductory book (like Python Programming), or enroll in an online class (MIT edx is dirt cheap), or utilize some free tools (Codecademy and Khan Academy, both free!) to learn the basics of programming this year. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll be better rounded for it.

Give it a couple weeks and share your experiences, good or bad.

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