If you want low level CS stuff you could look up the Harvard and MIT entry courses on EDX.org. The MIT one is with python and more focused on the CS but the Har

If you want low level CS stuff you could look up the Harvard and MIT entry courses on EDX.org. The MIT one is with python and more focused on the CS but the Harvard one starts with C, and usually has some really fun challenges evolving around low level programming like working with a bitmap, writing basic encryption and cracking it, and even making music. I wouldn’t discourage JavaScript, I think Node.js is a really good environment to play around with programming. It may be much harder to find good learning resources for it though. There is a whole industry of charlatans selling useless programming courses, and a lot of them have unfortunately picked JS. University CS is generally a good way to get to play with low level stuff though. I still have fond memories of writing my own client/server messenger app and working with various data structures, and you’ll find a lot of that on EDX.org, where a lot of it will be free and self-paced. Then once you have the basics of under your hood, you’ll also be more equipped to spot the resources to avoid. I don’t think 40 is too late to learn, or to get into software development. There is ageism in our business, but it’s not rampant everywhere.