6 reasons to learn programming if you're not a programmer

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Writing code will be useful for both the designer and the plumber.

1. This is freedom of creativity

Many people think that for programming you need A's in math. It's a delusion. Programming is more about logic and creativity. For example, you and your friends have come up with a cool smartphone game as a joke. You can, of course, wait until some company overseas releases it, or you can do it yourself. How this game will work, what rules, interface and functions will be in it - it's up to you. With programming skills, it becomes possible to create a product from scratch or implement an idea - an application, a website, a program - just the way you need it.

2. It pays off

Simple truth: the more skills you have, the more expensive your services are. For example, copywriters who can type simple html pages, accountants or managers who can automate Excel or Access using code are more expensive than their counterparts with just a basic set of skills.

Large companies are growing rapidly and are looking for new ways to optimize. Hiring a development team and paying each of them $ 2,000–3,000 a month is expensive. Hiring a person who will write articles, typeset and also figure out how to improve the mobile version of the site is a profitable solution.

Such specialists are more likely to get into a large company.

For example, at The New York Times, more than half of the journalists already know how to program. When the publication changed its strategy and focused on the development of the web and mobile versions, they trained the employees who are responsible for digital content in programming.

3. It brings together

Asking a developer to write a program in Ruby because you read yesterday that this is a new and cool language is a bad idea. To do joint projects, to understand how to set tasks, make edits and in what language to speak with programmers in general, you need to understand the code yourself at least a little. Even corporate executives and startup owners find it useful to learn how to code. For example, in order to find a good specialist on the market, personally conduct an interview and adequately assess the level of the candidate.

4. It saves time

How many times have you sighed when you had to do routine work? For example, you are a journalist writing for a popular science publication. You need to study in which countries lightning strikes the ground most often, and understand what these regions have in common. It will take more than one day. Programming will speed up this process: you will spend 30-40 minutes on code that will help you quickly analyze the data and draw up a report.

5. It develops good habits

Programming is a painstaking process. Here you won't be able to read a textbook at your leisure, watch a video on YouTube and go to a couple of lectures. You need to sit down and start learning the language, digging into the code and practice all the time. For example, to write in Python, you have to practice 2-3 hours every day for several months.

It disciplines and helps you think structurally and strategically.

6. It's good for your health

There is a rumor among the people that programmers understand better even in old age. Jokes aside, but there is some truth in this. For example, in 2014, scientists from the University of Passau analyzed brain scans of people during programming sessions. The results showed that the same parts of the brain that work when learning foreign languages are active. This reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Other studies confirm the benefits of coding. The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York has studied nearly 500 volunteers between the ages of 75 and 85 for decades and proved that even one day of programming a week can delay the onset of dementia by two months with regular brain training.