Introduction
The tech industry is growing with endless amounts of job opportunities to apply for. However, if you want to work in the computer science industry, knowing how to code is a must. By coding at a young age, you'll have more time to master your coding skills before you're an adult searching for jobs.
In this post, I'll share the top 3 benefits of coding at a young age, and in the end, I'll share some resources that will give you a kickstart in your coding journey!
1: Develops Creativity & Problem-Solving Skills
Coding involves a LOT of trial and error. Encountering bugs in your code is inevitable, and it'll be frusturating. But with practice and experience, you'll get better at fixing your code with more efficiency and less frustration. Plus, there's a plethora of online resources (like Stack Overflow) where you can learn from other programmers' mistakes.
To investigate whether coding education would impact students' thinking, the Indian Journal of Science and Technology conducted an experiment. In the end, the experimental group (the one that received the coding education) had significant increases in analytical thinking, measured by Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, while the control group did not (click here for a detailed overview of this experimental design).
By coding at a young age, you'll be exposed to different kinds of coding problems and learn strategies to overcome your mistakes and find the most optimal solution.
2: Become Digitally Literate
Knowing how to understand and engage with technology is important since society is becoming heavily digitized. By coding more often, you'll get better at Googling topics that you are struggling with and become more familiar with the online resources that provide assistance in solving a particular programming problem. Furthermore, learning how to code will improve your abilities to use computer shortcuts and navigate digital environments more efficiently. While coding is more about writing and understanding programming languages, implementing various shortcuts will make the process much quicker.
3: Make New Friends & Connections
It's a big myth that coding is a solo activity. That's far from the truth. You can (and should) participate in hackathons where you solve real-world problems in groups. Not only will you improve your communication skills and gain confidence socializing with your peers in school, but you'll also meet other students who want to pursue a computer science career, just like you.
By meeting like-minded people, you'll build a social circle who will assist you in your coding journey. The larger your social network, the more opportunities you have since your friends may refer you to internships and jobs.
Resources for You
If you're reading this part, I want to thank you for your time making it all the way here! To give you a kick-start in your learning journey, here are some resources that'll provide some coding fundamentals:
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the websites above and start coding away!
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