Learning to Code: Pros and Cons

Code is everywhere around, even if people don’t notice it in their life much. The code now is what drives the global economy and empowers every company to grow and improve its products. Writing code is one of the most promising jobs of the 21st century. At present, almost every company is on the lookout for talented programmers and other tech professionals, ready to offer impressive benefits and a highly competitive salary to the people who will help them develop their products or services. 

coding workplace
Photo credit: Fotis Fotopoulos

There are also a lot of business niches and programming languages everyone gets to choose from when they decide to learn code. It is important to select the options that will meet your needs and expectations best of all. However, it’s also important to remember that nothing in life is picture-perfect, and there are some downsides to working with technology. Here are some of the main pros and cons of learning code that might help you get a better understanding of what the job of a programmer is like on the inside. 

Pro: It Develops Creativity

    Learning how to code helps people develop their sense of creative expression and creativity as one always needs to look for unconventional ways to build working code. The world is saturated with technologies, and mastering code is like becoming literate, only here you get to master a computer language, rather than a human language. What makes coding unique is that it activates both hemispheres of the brain, which results in your brain developing as a whole. Furthermore, apart from giving room to develop analytical and logical thinking, coding has also been proved to improve intuitive thinking and exercise imagination. It is all about creating something new and making it work, so you need to be ready to come up with creative approaches to code. 

Con: Chasing the Trend

Photo credit: Adi Goldstein

Coding has become so increasingly popular that now even kids at school are thinking about it as a future career. It is actually a trend: students go into coding; adults abandon the professions they devoted years to and go into coding. Quite often, people do it for two main reasons. Firstly, because being a good developer means having never-ending job offers and a very good income. Secondly, because the jobs that involve writing code are usually very flexible, which means you get to work remotely, enjoy flexible hours, employment benefits, etc. 

Although the job does sound enticing, a lot of people leap into conclusions and follow the crowd, taking up the profession they might not actually enjoy or were not made for. Following the trend does not really mean that you will get the same success, and the promising “everyone can code” phrase might, in fact, be an illusion. It is important to be mindful of the true reasons that guide you when following this profession. Is it just because of all the money? Then the profession might not be the best option for you. 

Pro: You’ll Understand How the World of Technology Works

Robot
Photo credit: Alex Knight

The world of technology is complex and fascinating. It powers most life aspects these days. By studying code, you will be able to understand how tech products work and what stands behind them. You will know how to fix a broken website, develop an app from scratch, or maybe even to build a mobile game. When looking at code, you will be able to read what it says and know what it does, which is something of a superpower. Being a tech-savvy person also presupposes that you know a few programming languages and can understand and build the processes that take place across different channels and platforms. You can choose to work in robotics, in the automotive industry, in fintech, and even at a digital agency that works on creative projects. 

Con: It Takes a Lot of Effort to Master Coding

    Coding is no piece of cake. It is literally like learning a new language. It requires quite a lot of theory learning and even more practice. If you want to learn how to code but simply don’t have enough time because you are also doing a full-time study, you should contact an affordable essay writing service and get a professional academic writer to help you with your assignments. 

You might also need a guide or a mentor who will get you through the journey and help you see your mistakes in code. With this niche, it is best to build something of a social circle of like-minded people where you can learn from others and explore their experiences.

The amount of time you will need to learn how to code will also depend on what programming language you choose. Some of them are more complex than others but make sure to pick the language that is at the top of popularity as it will give you better employment options. 

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