Loading…

My uncle told me to start with Python back in 2018 and I almost didn't listen | Coding For Beginners - Rigidtalk

My uncle told me to start with Python back in 2018 and I almost didn't listen

Honestly, I was set on learning C++ first because I heard it was what real programmers used. My uncle, who's been a software dev for like 20 years, sat me down and said, 'Just try Python for three months. If you hate it, switch.' He argued the simpler syntax would let me focus on learning how to think like a coder instead of fighting with semicolons and memory. Ngl, I was stubborn, but I gave it a shot. I used a free online course and built a dumb little number guessing game in a weekend, something that would have taken me weeks to figure out in C++. That early win kept me going. Now, five years later, I work with Java mostly, but starting with Python was the best advice I ever got. Anyone else get pushed toward a specific first language that totally shaped their start?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_carr576mo ago

Honestly, I had the total opposite experience. I started with Python too because everyone said it was easy, but it made me form some bad habits. I got used to not caring about types or memory at all, and then switching to a stricter language like C# was a huge shock. I wish I had learned the harder rules from the beginning, even if it meant my first project took a month instead of a weekend.

jakem984mo ago

I learned on Python first too and picked up the same bad habits, especially with type checking. What helped me was going back and writing a small project in Java on purpose, just a simple command line calculator that handled user input. It forced me to declare every variable and think about nulls before they broke things. Now I bounce between both languages depending on the task, but I still think about that calculator whenever I get lazy with types.

leep336mo ago

That's a really good point about early wins keeping you in the game. Sometimes the biggest hurdle is just sticking with it long enough to get hooked, and a language that gets you a quick result can be the key. It's less about the language itself and more about what gets you past that initial frustration barrier.