As computer science has found an important role in our day to day life, the term coding has become a common term in society. However, since a lot of coding was embedded in systems that were complicated and there was limited awareness about coding, there have been certain misconceptions that have developed over time about what coding or programming actually requires. The aim of this article is to help forgo these misconceptions and inform those aware parents and students who are interested in coding.
This is not true for sure. A common misconception is that people are born with the interest in coding or it is for people who look for logical foundation in everything. Anyone who is willing to put in the effort and discipline to learn coding is can learn coding and become very good at it. Its no magical potion rather logical skills are something that can be learned over time by recognizing patterns and applying oneself to different problem statements. In fact, as one gets better at coding, their logical skills will progress naturally.
A student or a parent should not expect themselves or their children to become expert in a short period of time. AlphaJunior provides the foundations for any student to trying to learn or improve their coding skills by starting with introductory programming courses and slowly progressing through topics before engaging in more complex, comprehensive projects. Learning to code is like any other subject in school that requires hard work, consistency ants important to build foundation and to engage a student’s interest. Our curriculum courses are a great way to initiate a beginner’s interest in coding as well as comprehensive and advanced enough to lay down the stepping stone for becoming expert coders. Instead of using purely conventional scripting languages, the courses teach coding using blocks interface which are used to create functional programs with visual outputs.
From early age to high school to college, there are always opportunities to become good programmer or branch into different programming languages. AlphaJunior provides a variety of courses for all ages, which covers a vast range of languages and concepts. It’s also important to note that coding is an achievable skill for any age group. Once the foundation has been built, students should choose and learn languages which interest them and help them achieve their programming goals.
Only a completely unaware person can say that all coding takes a lot of time. Learning how to ideate, visualize, design complex projects and becoming an experience programmer, of course, takes a lot of time. However, once someone has gained foundational skills, the actual process of creating a program will not take long.
Essentially, Computer science experts spend a larger portion of time planning, debugging, and optimizing code rather than writing it. In order for software to keep up with evolving technologies and their latest versions, their underlying software always need to be updated to match people’s needs. As such, systems are dynamic and updating code for certain software and adding new features can take a lot of time, as well. These are called compatibility concerns.
A good example of this lies in managing security of websites. Depending on the content, websites have to be updated with new content and features in order to achieve their goal. Web developers are responsible for implementing and debugging these features. Security plays a critical role in website management. Keeping a website secure is full time role where security developers perform continuous monitoring of website and due to evolving nature of these attacks. There is continuous update in the firewalls and security features or security software which can take a lot of time. Its one of the most valuable skills in present and future as well.
There are many programmers who have not formally studied mathematics as in-depth as they have studied computer science and are perfectly able to code. While Computer Science and Mathematics go hand-in-hand in terms of the similar logical and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in both, having strong math skills is not a prerequisite to being able to code. Learning how to code starts from the fundamentals. Foundational concepts such as variables, loops, and conditionals require only basic math knowledge to learn and apply in our programs.
It is important to note if a computer science expert job requires them to perform certain mathematical or statistical analyses, it goes without saying that they should have a strong mathematical background. One example of such an occupation is a Data Scientist. Data Science encompasses using mathematical and statistical analyses of vast amounts of data with the aid of Computer Science.
Let go of the myths of coding
Coding can feel overwhelming to students who are only starting to learn to the topic. However, learning with a structured, project-based curriculum that layers in new concepts one at a time has proven to work well for our students at AlphaJunior. AlphaJunior offers one-on-one classes that allow experienced instructors to tailor courses to meet individual students’ specific needs. Through our course curriculum which is carefully designed, your child can learn to build games, applications, websites, and more.
Learning is the only way forward. Let go of the myths of coding and share this article with friends and family and spread coding awareness.