Is Learning to Code Worth It? My Honest Take in 2024

So, You Want to Be a Coder? Let’s Talk Real.

Okay, so you’re thinking about learning to code. Maybe you saw a TikTok about someone making six figures after a three-month bootcamp, or your friend who used to work in marketing is now a “Senior Software Engineer” (air quotes definitely intended, right?). I get it. The tech world seems glamorous, and the promise of a high-paying job is definitely appealing. But let’s be real for a second. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

I remember back in 2022, I got *completely* sucked in. I thought I was late to the party, like everyone was already a coding genius and I was stuck in a dead-end job forever. I even bought some online courses, promising myself I’d dedicate every evening to learning Python. Spoiler alert: that lasted about a week. I mean, who has the time, honestly? After a full day of work, the last thing I wanted to do was stare at a screen full of brackets and semicolons. It felt like learning another language, but one that only computers understood. And the frustration! Ugh, what a mess trying to debug even the simplest “Hello, World!” program. It was humbling, to say the least. And expensive, because those courses weren’t exactly cheap!

The funny thing is, I think a lot of people have this experience. We see the end result – the cool apps, the fancy websites – and we forget about all the hard work, the late nights, the endless debugging sessions, and the constant feeling of being completely lost. Was I the only one who felt completely overwhelmed? I doubt it.

The Bootcamp Hype: Real Deal or Overblown?

Then there are the coding bootcamps. You see their ads everywhere, right? Promising guaranteed job placement, a complete career transformation in just a few months… It sounds amazing, almost too good to be true. And honestly, sometimes it is.

I’m not saying bootcamps are bad. I know people who’ve gone through them and had great experiences. But I also know people who spent thousands of dollars, worked their tails off, and still struggled to find a job afterwards. The market is saturated, you know? There are a lot of junior developers out there, all vying for the same entry-level positions. And companies are getting pickier, understandably. They want people with real skills, not just a certificate saying they completed a bootcamp.

My advice? Do your research. Talk to graduates of the bootcamps you’re considering. Look at their placement rates *carefully* (and ask how they calculate them). And, most importantly, be realistic about your own abilities and willingness to put in the work. Because a bootcamp is not a magic bullet. It’s a starting point, and you’ll need to continue learning and growing long after you graduate.

My Own Coding Adventure (or Misadventure?)

So, back to my own coding journey. After failing miserably at self-teaching with online courses, I decided to take a different approach. I started small. Really small. I found a free online course that taught the basics of HTML and CSS. No pressure, no deadlines, just me and a text editor.

And you know what? I actually enjoyed it. It was slow going, but I started to understand how websites were built, how the different elements interacted with each other. It was like putting together a puzzle, and the feeling of accomplishment when I finally got something to work was pretty awesome.

This time around, I didn’t have any illusions of becoming a software engineer overnight. I wasn’t trying to make a career change. I was just curious, and I wanted to learn something new. I wanted to understand the technology that powers the world around me. And that made all the difference.

I ended up building a very basic personal website. It’s nothing fancy, just a simple portfolio showcasing some of my writing. But I built it myself, from scratch. And that felt pretty damn good. Was it worth all the hours I spent learning? Honestly, yeah. Even though I’m not going to quit my day job anytime soon.

The Bottom Line: Is Coding Worth It in 2024?

So, is learning to code worth it in 2024? The answer, as always, is it depends. It depends on your goals, your expectations, and your willingness to put in the work.

If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, forget about it. If you’re not passionate about technology, you’ll probably burn out quickly. And if you’re not willing to constantly learn and adapt, you’ll be left behind. The tech world is constantly evolving, and you need to be willing to keep up.

But if you’re genuinely curious, if you enjoy problem-solving, and if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, then yeah, learning to code can be incredibly rewarding. It can open up new career opportunities, give you a deeper understanding of the world around you, and empower you to build your own creations.

And hey, even if you don’t become the next Mark Zuckerberg, you’ll still learn a valuable skill that can benefit you in countless ways. Understanding how software works is becoming increasingly important in every industry, so even a basic knowledge of coding can give you a leg up. So, take the plunge, maybe? Start small, be patient, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Who even knows what’s next? If you’re as curious as I was, you might want to dig into the basics of front-end development or explore some free coding resources. Good luck!