5 Most Common Myths About Learning Programming

Popular things always bring misconceptions and myths with them. Programming is one of the hottest career options these days. But there are a lot of people who still consider it’s a career path only suitable for geeks, someone who mathematically sound and gifted people. Today, we will have a look at five common myths people have related to programming.

Read: How to Learn Any Programming Language Easily?

Common Myths Related to Programming

1. You will have to go to University to learn programming

Gone are the days when you used to pack your bags and go to any university to learn to code. But these days, you can learn how to program from zero to hero in the comfort of your home. All thanks to the Internet where you can find various courses and online training based on your experience.

I cannot say you won’t need a mentor in the process but the active discussion and QnA forums will be always available to help and solve your queries.

2. It only takes a few weeks to learn and master a programming language

Though you will read this tagline many times while exploring the programming space, never believe this. There are many examples of aspiring youths who tried programming for a short time and found they cannot create an RPG game. Then, they pulled the plug out, declared themselves as not talented and give up on their dream.

In reality, you can definitely learn a lot of programming concepts in a few weeks but it takes years to master programming. Just like drawing, programming requires interest and patience, you will have to keep learning and upgrading your skills.

Also Read: Important Tips to Learn Any Programming Language Faster

3. You have to memorize all syntaxes before working on any project

Memorizing stuff never helps. Instead, you should focus on getting more and more hands-on experience. This will not only help you memorize frequently used stuff easily but also give you the confidence to build anything from scratch.

Just by spending a few months in programming projects, you’ll realize it requires writing the same code for thousands of times. Google, IDE, and Frameworks are all equipped with automatic code completion features and specifically designed to help you pick up programming faster. Overall, you don’t have to worry about memorizing syntaxes.

4. I have to master mathematics to learn programming languages

If you’re still confused about the relationship between mathematics and programming, then you might be looking for a flat answer like yes or no. But in reality, it depends on the thing that what you basically want to achieve with programming.

Programmers spend a lot of writing code, not Math formulas, and so your knowledge in Math is not at all directly proportional to your programming skill. Besides, You can libraries and plugins to help you solve mathematical and algorithmic problems.

However, if you are planning to create something that requires advanced mathematical calculations or physics or computer graphics, you may a good knowledge of Mathematics.

Also Read: What is the Importance of Mathematics in Computer Science?

5. You can only start making money once you master programming

It’s another myth that stops people from looking out for opportunities. Just take a look at job vacancies for programmers, and you’ll find the demands are divided into years of experience.

So, you can always get a job equivalent to your programming skills but you can’t just sit there and wait. You have to keep upgrading your skills and building your portfolio. So, the next time you apply for a job, you’ll have some concrete things to show as evidence of your skills.

Conclusion

I hope this article has solved many of your queries related to programming. If you are a beginner, I recommend you to clear your mind, don’t overthink and keep learning. If you know any other myth that deserves to be in our list, do let us know in the comments below.