> When I was in college I really loved working on the console, I built great apps using the console, and I quite enjoyed what I was doing! Having written progr

> When I was in college I really loved working on the console, I built great apps using the console, and I quite enjoyed what I was doing! Having written programs for nearly 40 years, I have found that there is a balance to be found, and continuously re-found, between what you love and what will pay. The happiest and most productive programmers I know don't focus just on what will pay, but also on what keeps them interested. This usually involves compromises. Admittedly I live in a very different place than Iraq, but perhaps that just means the details of those compromises will be different for you. Also, I think it's a mistake to specialize too early, unless you find something that you really love and can make money with it. Don't be afraid to try things, put them down for awhile, and try them again a few months or years later. Follow your interests for your personal work, try to meet your clients' needs in your paid work, ignore the BS as much as you can, and it can be a satisfying career. [edit: fix typo]