[tbjaeger]

Hey guys,

As the title says, thinking about picking up a programming language, specifically python.
This is more a question for those who were self taught, or learned informally. But wanted to get a general idea of the time I would need to invest to learn.

What programming language did you learn? How long did it take you, and what proficiency did you attain?

If you'd like to add a general age group, and general education level, I'd also appreciate it. But obviously don't mention it if you'd prefer not to.

[josojin]

it's better you have an idea of what you want to do and decide what languages to learn based on that

but it took me about a year to become proficient (a point where I didn't have to google EVERYTHING) in ruby/java/python

[tbjaeger]

Thanks Joso, quick follow up question. Really roughly how many hours was that? a couple per day/week/full time?

[josojin]

probably 20~ish hours a week

really varied based on if i had a project i was working on, sometimes id just fiddle with something for less than an hour a day, sometimes i'd do 5+ a day

[breefan]

I think when learning to code, the main issue is pushing through the difficult parts. I've seen so many people start with great intentions, but give up when things get complicated or less straightforward. If you want to learn you have to dedicate some serious time and mental energy.

[Kannes]

It took me about a year to learn C++/Qt to the point where I was able to create larger projects on my own. Pure C++ will take longer and it will definitely take even longer until you are really good. But fortunately there are good forums.

[chadcrack]

Depending on what you want to do with it, Python can be one of the most robust languages to learn as a beginner. It's also extremely easy to learn in terms of syntax, especially before C/C++ or other more low-level languages. Plus, programmers always google stuff, you never really grow out of it. It's more about understanding how to approach problems that's the difficult part. It took me a few years of studying the stuff in school to understand it well, and I'm still improving. It's really a constant process.

[garty1]

Infinite, there are not a point when you can said you are good, you can stop learning. Like @chadcrack said, programming is more than just syntax. You need some small project and to grow to bigger slowly to be able to put thing together.

[jamesx34]

Learning syntax doesn't take long but getting good and having experience takes years, decades even. Set yourself a goal to push through the discomfort for at least 5 years and by then, you can probably create pretty nice stuff. Don't stop learning though. There is always room for growth.

[TherealOzzyOsbourne]

It's like learning how to describe a program in other language