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Why should you start learning computer programming?

Computer programming is the basis of our modern world, and in New Zealand computer programmers are hotly sought after. However, don’t think that the only option is to attend university, more and more employers are looking for real-world experience.

There is an increasing movement for people to learn the skills they need through short courses, self-directed study, computer programming tutors and courses offered by companies like Google and Microsoft. All are significantly cheaper options than a full university degree and result in a real-world experience that directly aligns with the area you want to be in.

The skills of a computer programmer can be used for app development, software development, creating websites, making games, and the film industry. What you can do depends only on your motivation and the type of programming you learn.

The best programming language to learn for web development

While you’ll need to know HTML and CSS for most website builds, these aren’t programming languages. So, the most useful computer programming language you can learn if web development is where you want to be will be JavaScript.

Type “Learn JavaScript free” into any search engine and you’ll be bombarded with courses and training options.

However, if you have a specific project in mind or learn better by doing, then you are best to get a New Zealand JavaScript tutor who can help you create real-world projects that will be useable in our market.

After JavaScript, start looking at learning Python, Scala or Go. These are all strong programming languages that will be used for backend web development, but they can also be used for desktop applications and systems programming.

This gives you more flexibility in how you will develop your skills.

Should I learn C++ and C#?

These are still popular languages for creating software or for game development, so if this is the area you are interested in, then absolutely find someone who can teach you C++ and C# properly.

C++ is often considered one of the most difficult programming languages to learn, however, once you are over the steep learning curve, the flexibility and versatility C++ provides make the effort worthwhile. Understanding one of these languages also makes it easier to master other languages later one as well.

As with JavaScript, having one-on-one tuition rather than either a group class or trying to go it alone can smooth out that learning curve and have you create the software you want to make faster.

Learning Computer Programming at University

University courses in computer science are becoming less and less relevant for people wanting to get straight into making stuff – and the main reason we learn a programming language is that we have something we want to make.

Yet, they are useful for providing access to people and equipment and are particularly useful if you are interested in research areas like machine learning and artificial intelligence.

However, if your interest lies in creating applications for real-world use, then you can probably skip the student loan and head straight into development mode while you gain the knowledge you need.

Computer Programming in Game Development

New Zealand has a strong game development community. Still, largely underground, most game studios are independents focusing on getting one or two games to market, however as you dive more into the gaming community here, you’ll start discovering just how much influence New Zealand game development has on the world stage.

While Rocketwerkz is the most well-known studio, we have independent studios with the top 10 games on Xbox and the apple store.

Other than learning C++, C# and JavaScript, you will want to show potential investors or employers that you can create quality content using industry-standard software. While you don’t need to show you can create “Halo” all by yourself, being able to create clean code and decent gameplay using Gamefroot or Unity will go a long way to proving yourself.

Keeping up with changes in Computer programming

The tech industry is constantly developing and improving. This can be intimidating to people starting out, you don’t want to put in the effort of learning a language to find that it’s already obsolete.

Thankfully, even learning an obsolete computer programming language is not an absolute waste of time. COBOL users moved to Python, VB.NET is being overshadowed by C# and Objective-C is being replaced by Swift.

However, learning any of these languages allowed developers to move on to programming languages that better suit newer technologies and user requirements. So, don’t worry so much about where to start – just start programming. Getting your first “Hello World” is the first step.