I think that programming has a pedagogical bonus attached to it that other disciplines, except maybe writing and various arts, don't have. With programming you

I think that programming has a pedagogical bonus attached to it that other disciplines, except maybe writing and various arts, don't have. With programming you can build something gratifying and real at no cost, which, if you're good enough, can actually lead to monetary reward rather quickly. This type of instant and rewarding feedback is immense when it comes to learning something. Think of every other STEM subject. With Chemistry, sure you can learn about the subject, but to perform experiments you need money to buy materials, and nobody will hire a chemist without a degree. With Physics you're in a similar but different sort of situation, where even if you could afford the materials, you're limited to rather boring experiments along the lines of projectile motion, which doesn't seem to offer an rewards unless you become big on youtube. With engineering, I guess you can build some stuff, and that might actually pay off in the long run and be useful in the short run, but again, material costs. With programming you just need a computer and you can pretty quickly make something that you can monetize, even simply using free hosting if you're idea is decent enough. With a super minor investment in a market license you can put a good enough app up and start making bank. The only real limit is your brain.