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Starting late: learning to code at 40

drew on December 05, 2019

I've been meaning to start a blog/YouTube/podcast/something for a good while now, as a way to start documenting my programming journey. A little ...
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Adam

I'm 37-something and just getting started. I'm starting on Udemy, so curious to see what you have to say about it. I worry I'm too old/too late, but for now am trying to focus on the code.

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drew

You're definitely not too old. It's really funny how many of us worry about that, even people in their 20s - 30s. What course are you doing on Udemy?

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Adam • Edited

I have a couple ready to start with Colt Steele. Very early days, am doing the CSS section of his entry web dev bootcamp.

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drew

I did a large portion of that course. Really good stuff.

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Adam

I have the second one too, advanced I think it's called. Did you have any other recommendations?

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drew

That first course is decent. The downside is that it does not teach es6 or any of the new JavaScript features. The end project is huge though, and you can always pick up another course to cover es6+. I'd recommend either Javascript the complete guide 2020 by Maximillian Schwarzmuller, or Andrew Mead's The Modern Javascript bootcamp. Keep in mind you want to take your time going through javascript. For example, once you start getting into writing functions I would take your time going through the course. Take a couple days and just write a ton of functions. My biggest beef with most courses is they dont really provide you with ample practice, despite what they say, so you have to make sure you just take your time, otherwise you'll get stuck. Getting stuck was the reason I switched to Java.

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Adam

Thanks again. 👍 Have saved those to my wishlist and will have a look later on.

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Yuriy Markov

It is only too late to start something new only after a person has already died!
So, just go for it!
Don't hold back!
Keep on trying, making mistakes, but go for it!
Good luck! 👍

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drew

I'm not dead yet, thankfully :D I appreciate it. How are developer jobs in Russia? Plentiful?

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Yuriy Markov

Developers market in Russia is big. However, it is hard to find a remote job :D
Other aspects are more or less the same as everywhere.

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drew

I wonder why remote jobs are difficult there? They seem really plentiful in the US.

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Yuriy Markov

I believe that it is due to the high inertia of the local market and/or employers' mindset.
Another reason is that there no legal base and total lack of a culture of work of the distributed team.

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drew

Thank you! Working in the oil field, I do get plenty of spare time, fortunately, so I've been pouring that into learning over the last 54 days (currently doing the 100 days of code thing on tweeter). I usually do 2 hours a day and then on slow days I fit in maybe another 3-4.

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drew

It is definitely not easy being a nerd in Arkansas, lol. Most of the dev community seems focused around Fayetteville/Little Rock, but of course I live in a smallish town (Mountain Home, was in an even smaller one a couple months ago). Learning Java has been a ton of fun so far, and it's really sticking thanks to all the practice I'm getting. Awesome to hear from another Arkansan.

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Rob Doyle

Hi Drew. I'm 49 and been in the same boat as you. I used to be in the printing industry which was a dead end job and got made redundant twice. I then thought what the hell and went and did a computing degree which I finished 2 years ago. It was a good experience but learning to code yourself was more relevant to me. From January I am going to start freelancing after a year of front end learning. I still have a way to go and still only at the beginning in many ways.
I still have 20 years of work in me hopefully and we are a long time dead so I'm just going for it and will pick myself up when I fall. Good luck my friend.
Rob

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drew

Thanks Rob. I'm definitely looking forward to starting a new career. I've worked way too many jobs that either dead ended or were going nowhere to begin with. I'm really enjoying the process of learning. Keep me posted on your freelancing, I'm sure you'll be successful.

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cem kaan kosali

may be you should also add #100DaysOfCode tag

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drew

Thank you, added. Wasn't aware that was a tag :)

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cem kaan kosali

I meant #100DaysOfCode not 1000 days. :-|

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drew

Typo. Fixed lmaoo.

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Euan

Go for it. Age and life stage don’t matter for this. Make an app - that’s the best way to learn, even if you’re adapting from a tutorial. Then make another one. Keep at it!

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drew

Thanks. I will definitely do that eventually. I have an idea for an app that ai plan on starting once I finish the basics of this course.

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Ömer Çelik

If you have a passion, it's never late man.

In my personal opinion, it's never late for 2 things: coding and riding to bike.
Both hard but when you done, you will have different view to the world.

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ferceg • Edited

I would add a few more: to learn playing a musical instrument and start sport activities.

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drew

Never too late for those either!

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Nuwan

I am 34 and I am a government employee. But I do not like 9-5 jobs and I love to work at home. Learning to code now.

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drew

My ultimate goal is working from home at least part of the time. Eventually I want to get into android also. What are you studying?

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Nuwan

I study HTML CSS and Javascript these days.

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Bertil Muth

Sounds great! All the best on your journey!

 
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drew

Very cool. Which bootcamp is it?

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𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝘇

Keep it, man!
It's not late, you will not regret about code ...

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drew

I'm loving it! Wish I would have stuck with it earlier, but glad I found my stride. I'm learning to code and not looking back.

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K-Sato

Good luck! Anything is possible if you put ur mind to it!

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drew

Nice! What are you studying? Wish I could afford to quit, but at least I have the spare time to learn in.

 
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drew

Very nice. How long have you been in it?

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drew

Very nice. How long have you been in it?

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drew

Very nice. How long have you been in it? Is it as tough as they say bootcamps tend to be?