am I just not a programmer? how do you know you like programming?

[aLargeWookiee]

I started reading python about 2 months ago and had an interest program partially written when my MB and PSU died and I just started reading again today. For some reason I got really bored reading today and just didn't feel like doing it.

I am beginning to think I might be someone who just doesn't like programming. I thought I would because I like to learn stuff and tinker w/ computers a lot but maybe not. I don't know if I am just having a day where I don't really feel like doing anything or what (kinda feels like it) but I don't know I guess I just kinda feel that it is something I should like since I like messing w/ computers. How do you know if you like programming and want to do it? I have been having trouble finding any good material and I don't really have a goal i.e. a program that I would like to make. Maybe I'm not having any fun because I don't have a goal, I don't know.. :-/

This is kind of frustrating, even though I am not too far into college (just first year) I thought I had planned out what I wanted to do (CS degree; programmer) because I know I like messing around w/ computers.

Sorry if this post is somewhat confusing I can't really explain it that well.

[Ozitraveller]

Just reading is a hard way to learn programming. Try and get yourself some practical experience. Do you lnow anyone who can program, someone you an talk too about programming? It's easier with a mentor I find or even a group.

[Darklighter137]

That advice is indeed good. Merely reading out of a book is good for nothing--you must practice and have fun with it. Only by intensely working with code will you gain comprehension and appreciation for coding. And don't worry about having an off day--I've been coding on the side since I was 12, and sometimes I have days like that too. :)

[Cappy]

Actually, I like having "goals" to do when I'm programming also. I'm getting a CS degree so that I can do the (imo) neat stuff too. You can learn by doing a lot of neat stuff, like making an IM client/server, telnet clients, FTP clients, etc. I'm not talking about something like LibraryFTP.connect but a self written class/procedure. That's personally what I like to do. I plan on contributing to Linux somehow over the summer. I'm going to try bug patching since I would really like to learn how to debug better because my own experience has never needed much debugging.

Edit
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If you don't like programming so much, you could always consider going into system administrating or IT. Both still have programming but they both have less than CS.

[mijj]

see .. the problem is ... you're taking it seriously now you've chosen your career.

... and it's not fun when it's taken seriously. Taking something seriously is the best way to drain all the fun out of it. ... and not only that .. taking something seriously is not the state of mind for learning - what was once colourful and multidimensional and exotic becomes dull and grey and a chore.

It's like .. if you get a magazine about something that's fun you browse around in it and spot stuff to come back to and dip in and out all over the place etc .... but if it's something you feel you're duty bound to read you start on page one and force yourself through it in a linear druge. Exactly like the way you're forced to deal with a subject on a course.


So .. i guess .. the best thing to do is forget that you're being educated.

[sandman55]

I would like to learn Python can anyone suggest something online or should I just buy a book. Thanks for any input

[Balazs_noob]

" see .. the problem is ... you're taking it seriously now you've chosen your career. "

I don't really think that is true....
i think if somebody dosn't like it because he started to learn it "seriously" then
he choose the wrong profession..

i'm in the first year in college too and i love it :)
but of course i have days too when i'm not in the mood
to do it :)

As for aLargeWookiee
everybody has 1 or 2 bad days that dosn't mean much..
if that continues over 1 month then maybe you should choose
another profession :(

good luck whatever you choose :)

[Jengu]

You're not going to really "get it" until you get into working on a project that you like. Try to think of the simplest possible program you'd like that would still be something you wish you had, and try coding it in Python. That is, don't go and try coding an MMORPG right away. College projects can help bootstrap this process. You'll get it ;)

[siiib]

you can buy all the books on golf that you like and become an expert at swing techniques and ball control and whatever but until you go on the course and bash a few balls in the lake you won't learn how to do it.. btw the chore comment is very pertinent.. i used to play guitar ten hours a day until i went pro and it became a job.. i stopped practicing cos it wasn't fun anymore.. don't set yourself too many goals .. chapter seven by the end of next week and what have you.. just goof around and learn for fun.. you'll pick it up quicker

[aLargeWookiee]

thanks guys, I am reading some python today and it is more fun. I think yesterday I had an off day. I didn't really feel like doing anything.. I laid down to go to sleep pretty early compared to what I normally do... like 10:30. I didn't even feel like playing Guitar Hero II. :-O

[purplearcanist]

You can try making a program that uses commands you don't know how to use, and then you can look on the web to see which commands you should use and how you can implement it, as I find that one way I learn faster is by challenging myself.

Another method I learn is by assigning myself tasks to complete (or having tasks assigned to me).

Also, don't worry if the program has errors after you finish with the coding. Even the best programs have errors and bugs initially (even Ubuntu). And don't try to make a complex program, such as World of Warcraft, as these things usually take hundreds of developers working many hours.

Don't hesitate to keep your old programs and look at them. This can help you remember how to use some commands, or how to do something.

And remember, comment your programs. Find the amount of commenting that is right for you, (This will help you understand the program you wrote).

[Melhisedek]

My problem is that I always try to do stuff that are waaaaay beyond my capabilities and end up giving up at the end :( I love solving problems in pseudo code and thinking of solving them but as soon code is mixed in the ekvation I'm out of the game... So take baby steps :P

[fakie_flip]

I have trouble coming up with ideas for programming too. I think I am not creative, but this is not a problem if you go to work for a company as a programmer. They will give you programming assignments, what they want you to program. Once in a while I think of some ideas for programming when I see a problem that needs to be solved or think of something nice to have. The best way to find out if programming is for you is to do it for a while, and then you will know. I have took 3 CS classes and the last one was Data Structures. I now know programming is for me, and it is what I want to do, but before I took the classes, I was unsure. It has been a while since I had any programming classes, and I am really starting to miss them. I finished all the CS classes required at my community college, and I won't have anymore to take until I transfer to an University. Right now I am trying to finish all the Math that CS requires. I am taking Calculus 1 this semester and Precal last semester, and I have plenty more to go.

[xtacocorex]

Definitely practice will help you understand quicker, I don't think I've read a programming book that in depth. I usually use a book to help refresh how syntax works. Once you get the programming logic down, it's an easy switch to another language.

I knew I liked programmer and because of this all my friends asked for help debugging their codes for our Aerospace classes. Having a problem to solve is needed and those will help practice. Almost all (except for 2 or 3) codes I've written solve some sort of math equation that isn't easily solved by hand. Although it won't teach you about OOP, programming difficult math, IMO, really helps understand the fundamentals of programming.

[baltimark]

You need problems to keep you coding.

Personally, I'd recommend any other technical field except CS and always keep your eye on how you'd implement the things you're learning in software. But, that's just the path I've followed. Lots of folks are happy staying strictly within the world of CS.

I have a math and stats background (with matrix analysis, and some optimization tossed in), and a lot of my work is programming statistical algorithms in C++. . .interesting things that aren't built-in to pre-made statistical packages (SAS, R, etc).

But, I've never done any real classic CS stuff. Put assembly in front of me, and I'm lost. I've never taken a data structures course or a course on operating systems or anything real CS-like.

[anthro398]

I like to read about programming. I'm not a programmer, but I often program as part of my work as a librarian. I sometimes read programming books as a leisure activity and, when bored, have been known to work on small projects just for fun. You can see some of them on my projects (http://www.prairienet.org/~jtuttle/projects.html) page. I know I like to program because I often think about programming as a way to relax while falling asleep at night. Kind of sick, huh?

That said, I never want to be a programmer. We have code monkeys and they like their jobs. I like my job and wouldn't trade with them. I guess I find programming mentally stimulating and, unlike the physical world, the code world makes sense, follows rules, and can be controlled. I guess it's the same reason I think algebra is fun. It's very gratifying to write something elegant (which I often don't achieve), clever (I like to think I do), or practical (that's about all I can hope for).

I took some CS courses in college (http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/). They were ridiculously hard, but gave me a foundation to understand much of what I read now. I find that I learn better with a book, a browser, and a command line than I do in a classroom. Outside of class I get to follow my interests and practical needs. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[jamiethehutt]

I'd start of with something like and address book program (that runs on the command line). Then when you have the basics of a language worked out move onto other things like learning and implementing algorithms (like sorts) and data structures (like linked lists).

The Game Programming Wiki has some non language specific pseudo code based algorithms you can implement at http://gpwiki.org/index.php/Language_AgnosticStuff. The Genetic Algorithm is a good one.

[fakie_flip]

You won't become good at programming unless you spend plenty of time with it. You need to spend plenty of time trying it and not giving it or else you will never know if programming is right for you. You have to try it to find out. The CS classes at my college are difficult, and there is a lot of math required. Only the tough will survive.

[fakie_flip]

Taking a CS class will motivate you because they demand a lot, and give you deadlines. You will work hard, so that you do not fail or else you fail the course and can't go to the next one.

[fakie_flip]

I sometimes read programming books as a leisure activity and, when bored, have been known to work on small projects just for fun. You can see some of them on my projects (http://www.prairienet.org/~jtuttle/projects.html) page. I know I like to program because I often think about programming as a way to relax while falling asleep at night. Kind of sick, huh?

I tried your google map person locater program. I thought it sounded interesting, but it could not locate me.


Welcome! A data point can not be created for this address. Your ip address could not be geocoded.
Message generated: Thursday, 01 January 1970 00:00:00 UTC

Making bash scripts for backups by cron is fun, but I'm not sure I'll do that now because I found a great program for automatic backups. It was made during the google summer open source code project, and its package in the repos is called sbackup.

[anthro398]

I tried your google map person locater program. I thought it sounded interesting, but it could not locate me.


Welcome! A data point can not be created for this address. Your ip address could not be geocoded.
Message generated: Thursday, 01 January 1970 00:00:00 UTC

Making bash scripts for backups by cron is fun, but I'm not sure I'll do that now because I found a great program for automatic backups. It was made during the google summer open source code project, and its package in the repos is called sbackup.


Ah, yes. That's the price I pay for using a free geocoding service. Some of the data is incomplete, malformed, or just wrong. I'd like to go back and rework that application, but I probably won't anytime soon. Thanks for playing!

[treak007]

This might sound kinda strange, but I don't think it's that important for a programmer to enjoy programming. I think it's much more important to enjoy problem-solving. Anyone can sit down and learn syntax and such, what makes a programmer a good programmer is the ability to think out a problem (like in pseudocode as you mentioned earlier).

[brim4brim]

I started reading python about 2 months ago and had an interest program partially written when my MB and PSU died and I just started reading again today. For some reason I got really bored reading today and just didn't feel like doing it.

I am beginning to think I might be someone who just doesn't like programming. I thought I would because I like to learn stuff and tinker w/ computers a lot but maybe not. I don't know if I am just having a day where I don't really feel like doing anything or what (kinda feels like it) but I don't know I guess I just kinda feel that it is something I should like since I like messing w/ computers. How do you know if you like programming and want to do it? I have been having trouble finding any good material and I don't really have a goal i.e. a program that I would like to make. Maybe I'm not having any fun because I don't have a goal, I don't know.. :-/

This is kind of frustrating, even though I am not too far into college (just first year) I thought I had planned out what I wanted to do (CS degree; programmer) because I know I like messing around w/ computers.

Sorry if this post is somewhat confusing I can't really explain it that well.

Man I was the same way until 3rd year of college when we did a group project and it was a lot of fun. I then went on work experience where I was programming and had a lot of fun.

The problem is that 1st and 2nd year programs that we were told to write were pointless and boring. It only gets interesting when people are going to us your program. Otherwise whats the point?

[ankursethi]

Ideas for projects cannot just hit you square between the eyes while you're not looking, neither can you squeeze them out of your brain by thinking too hard. IMHO, browsing forums (especially open source and programming forums) and visiting sites like Slashdot can help you come up with new ideas. I have a note in Tomboy brimming with ideas for projects I'd like (probably, at some point) to do.