There are many reasons to learn to code – it can make you more employable, help you start your own business, and allow you to create things that you never thought possible. But what are the real motivations behind why people want to learn to code? This article will touch on 6 reasons that motivated me to code – and none of them has to do with money!
Many people used to think of coding as a hobby for “nerds” who tinkered with computers in their basements. However, coding has evolved from a pastime to a skill in high demand in today’s world.
Learning to code could be the next step you want to take for personal and professional development (and financial benefit) such as developing critical thinking, improving your attention to detail, remote working opportunities, the ability to turn your ideas into reality and the fact that coding works well in a range of non-coding jobs
Why learn to code
Do you have a great idea for an app you want to make into a reality? Do you want to build games? Do you want to automate tasks and make your life easier and more efficient? All of these could be a great motivator to learn to code. Learning to code can have a surprising number of advantages.
I have found, incorrectly, that many people want to learn to code for financial benefits or to open up other job opportunities. While these are both reasons that are often behind why some people learn to code, I don’t feel it should be the driving factor. When learning to code, you are about to start a lifelong journey. Technology is always evolving and changing, and coding requires you to learn to stay on the cutting edge constantly.
If you want to learn to code, one of the multiple benefits is financial; however, I wouldn’t suggest this is your driving reason. It would help if you were passionate about technology or what you want to create so that you don’t feel like you are stuck doing something that you don’t enjoy the rest of your life. I go into this in more detail in this article
So for that reason, I will cover some less talked about benefits of why you should learn to code.
Learn to code and develop critical thinking
One of the most important skills you will develop from learning to code is critical thinking. Learning to code forces you to break down problems into smaller, more manageable parts. You have to be systematic in your thinking, analyse data, and come up with solutions. This skill will be invaluable in any field, and critical thinking can be applied to everything from making business decisions to raising children.
Critical thinking could be an article on its own. In essence, critical thinking necessitates logic and requires one to think clearly and rationally while also comprehending the logical relationship between ideas. Instead of accepting ideas and assumptions at face value, critical thinkers question them by discovering, analysing, and systematically solving problems.
Coding or programming gives a machine a task to complete based on the logical guidelines you’ve established. You need to break down complex tasks into their building blocks, one step at a time. This approach to problem-solving can be very useful in life, not only in coding.
Improve your attention to detail by learning to code
There’s a reason that coding is often referred to as “problem-solving” – it requires a lot of focus and attention to detail. And this is a skill that can be transferable to other areas of your life.
When working on a codebase, you can’t afford to make mistakes. One misplaced character can cause an error that can take hours to debug. This attention to detail can be beneficial in other areas of your life.
For example, let’s say you’re proofreading an important document. If you’re used to scanning code for errors, you’ll be more likely to catch any mistakes in the document.
In coding, everything needs to be perfect – sometimes down to the indentation, your attention to detail improves dramatically. You learn to double-check your work and quickly identify small errors.
Remote working is accepted
There are more options to work online or remotely when dealing with technology. It makes no difference where you are – on vacation, at home, or in your favourite coffee shop as long as you get the job done.
If you have real-world experience and the necessary technical skills, you can find work anywhere.
And yes – this reason existed pre-covid!
Turn your ideas into reality
If you are anything like me, you are probably always coming up with new and exciting ideas that you wish to create or build.
One of the best things about learning to code is that it can help you turn your ideas into reality. You can build websites, apps, and software to bring your vision to life with coding skills.
If you have an idea for a new product or service, you can use coding to create a prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product). This can help you get feedback from potential customers and investors and make your idea real.
Coding can also help you automate tasks and processes, making your work more efficient and freeing up your time to work on your next big idea.
So if you’re looking to turn your ideas into a reality, learning to code is the way to go. With coding skills, you can build anything you can imagine. So what are you waiting for? Start learning to code today!
When you learn how to code, you can turn your ideas into reality. Better yet, you can do it without having to layout thousands to see if the idea will work.
If you are interested in finding out why I am learning to code, you can read “Why I am Learning to Code“
Coding skills can come in handy in a range of jobs
You don’t have to be a genius at programming to gain from learning to code. Knowing just enough to be productive is still a valuable asset in most commercial situations.
Learning to code can help you automate repetitive tasks.
If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again at work, coding can help you automate those tasks. This can free up your time to focus on more important tasks.
Coding can help you solve problems.
If you come across a problem at work, coding can help you solve it. This can be especially helpful if you’re working on a project and hit a roadblock.
Coding can help you communicate better.
When you’re working on a project with others, coding can help you communicate your ideas better. This is because you can write code to explain your ideas more clearly.
Coding can help you improve your work skills.
If you want to improve your work skills, learning to code can be a great way to do it. This is because coding teaches you how to think logically and solve problems.
Spending a few hours learning python could save you hundreds of hours if you wrote a small program that automated repetitive tasks for you and your team, which saves time and increases the effectiveness of your organisation – a great way to justify your next increase or bonus!
Anyone can learn to code
Unlike many other requirements on a job application, such as a degree, almost anyone can learn to code. It doesn’t have to take a long time or cost a fortune.
Thanks to technology today, you can learn to code for free from blogs (like this one), youtube and hundreds of other reliable (and free) resources.
You can learn to code entirely online from the comfort of your own home. You can also make your learning schedule fit around your routine. If you are interested in seeing the learning path that I am taking, click here
Conclusion
There are many more reasons why you should learn to code. If you are interested in finding out what inspired me, you can find out more here. If you are inspired to start learning to code but are worried about how hard it could be to learn, read my article “Is programming hard to learn“
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I hope this article inspired you to take that leap and start learning to code. Click Here to meet other new coders like you and join our community.
