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I'm planning on learning Python and R. A career advisor gave me some very bad advice at 16 ("you're too old to learn programming properly") and I intend to rect

I'm planning on learning Python and R. A career advisor gave me some very bad advice at 16 ("you're too old to learn programming properly") and I intend to rectify that this year.

david_shaw 16y ago
I would argue that at younger than 16 (I started working with C when I was 13), it's nearly impossible to properly learn programming. Sure, you can throw code around, maybe compile some neat code and even familiarize yourself with the programming mindset. However, to understand data structures and algorithmic thinking on a deep level I think the mind must be sharp and mature. This isn't to say that there aren't "real" programmers who are under 16 (there certainly are), but I think to learn at a deep level it might be hard when at or below that age. Good luck!
lylejohnson 16y ago
What an odd thing for a career advisor to tell a 16 year-old.
- inetsee 16y ago
  My high school adviser told me I'd never get into UCSD. Not only did I get in, but I graduated with honors. Never listen to people who tell you what you can't do.
- JazzDad 16y ago
  "Those who can do, those who can't teach" - those who have no clue become guidance counselors. My father was a psychologist who had a knack for analysis. One of his Masters projects was to do competency ranking of psychologists based on certain attributes. When he ran it through the people in his program most of the "worst" ended up going on to be school career advisors. He was pretty active in the community after graduation and unfortunately all the "horror stories" came from people who had done poorly on the assessment.
- guynamedloren 16y ago
  My high school guidance counselor asked me why I was even bothering applying to engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She almost refused to send my transcript. I was in all honors/AP classes with a near 4.0 gpa at the time. I just graduated from the enterprise systems engineering program at UIUC - early.

I'm planning on learning Python and R. A career advisor gave me some very bad advice at 16 ("you're too old to learn programming properly") and I intend to rectify that this year.

david_shaw 16y ago

I would argue that at younger than 16 (I started working with C when I was 13), it's nearly impossible to properly learn programming. Sure, you can throw code around, maybe compile some neat code and even familiarize yourself with the programming mindset. However, to understand data structures and algorithmic thinking on a deep level I think the mind must be sharp and mature. This isn't to say that there aren't "real" programmers who are under 16 (there certainly are), but I think to learn at a deep level it might be hard when at or below that age. Good luck!

lylejohnson 16y ago

What an odd thing for a career advisor to tell a 16 year-old.

inetsee 16y ago
My high school adviser told me I'd never get into UCSD. Not only did I get in, but I graduated with honors. Never listen to people who tell you what you can't do.
JazzDad 16y ago
"Those who can do, those who can't teach" - those who have no clue become guidance counselors. My father was a psychologist who had a knack for analysis. One of his Masters projects was to do competency ranking of psychologists based on certain attributes. When he ran it through the people in his program most of the "worst" ended up going on to be school career advisors. He was pretty active in the community after graduation and unfortunately all the "horror stories" came from people who had done poorly on the assessment.
guynamedloren 16y ago
My high school guidance counselor asked me why I was even bothering applying to engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She almost refused to send my transcript. I was in all honors/AP classes with a near 4.0 gpa at the time. I just graduated from the enterprise systems engineering program at UIUC - early.