To quote a great philosopher: "Programming as a profession is only moderately interesting. It can be a good job, but if you want to make about the same money a

To quote a great philosopher: "Programming as a profession is only moderately interesting. It can be a good job, but if you want to make about the same money and be happier you could actually just go run a fast food joint. You are much better off using code as your secret weapon in another profession. People who can code in the world of technology companies are a dime a dozen and get no respect. People who can code in biology, medicine, government, sociology, physics, history, and mathematics are respected and can do amazing things to advance these discipline." Your application of programming in such an area makes you more interesting and creative - not less.