I'm 34 and recently applied to a local community college. Since my state offers two years of free community college for people without a bachelor's degree, I thought it would be a good opportunity to return to school and study computer science. I haven't been in school for quite a while, so I'm wondering whether I should prepare before classes start in the spring. Would it be better to begin with something like CS50 or a 100 Days of Code course, follow beginner programming tutorials, or start classes with no prior knowledge? I'd like to use the next few months productively and build a foundation without overwhelming myself. What would you recommend learning first, and what tools should I install or practice with?
4 Answers
CS50 is worth considering because the introductory course can be taken online for free. It gives you a broad overview of computer science and programming, so it can be a useful way to explore the subject before committing to a specific language or study plan.
A practical path would be to learn a little command-line and scripting work first, then move into Python. Pick a small problem, solve it, and gradually improve the solution. You can also keep your projects under version control with Git and store them in a code repository. There isn’t one perfect way to program, so focus on learning how to experiment and keep improving.
Start as soon as you can, but keep the scope manageable. Learn the basics of one language, follow a tutorial that builds a small project, and then finish it. Afterward, improve the project by searching for ways to add features or solve specific problems. That cycle of building, getting stuck, researching, and trying again is excellent preparation for school.
Getting comfortable with programming before class will probably make the early weeks much easier. CS50 is a solid option, but any beginner course can work if you actively type the code yourself, run it, experiment, and make small changes instead of only watching videos. The biggest advantage is simply becoming familiar with problem-solving and sticking with it consistently.
That makes sense. I’m going to start with some beginner material and set up the tools I need so I can practice regularly. I didn’t realize there was more setup involved than just installing Python.
Consistency matters more than racing through a particular course. Try to keep going past the first couple of weeks, and don’t worry about being 34—students enter the field at many different ages.
I’ll look for a beginner project and focus on completing it rather than jumping between several courses.