| A slightly different answer, because I'm sure there were others like me: I learned to code in BASIC when I was 11. It must have been from a manual, because there wasn't anything else. I built a bunch of things, the last of which - and the only one I remember with any clarity - was a type of solver for a number game. I don't remember which, just that it was one where solving without software was much harder. And I stopped. Because I felt stupid. It was hard, and when you got stuck there wasn't somewhere you could just go for answers. You had to figure it out. And neither of my parents coded, so they couldn't tell me that my running into these problems isn't a sign of being stupid or incompetent. I kept telling myself I was rubbish, and so I stopped. Hardly anyone coded in those days, so what did it matter anyways? But it ended up mattering a whole lot. This was the seed from where other decisions stemmed. I'm not one to regret, but I feel really sad for this girl who learned to believe the wrong thing. It took me a long time to undo the damage of this early thinking. I don't think I've ever completely reversed it, and I say this as someone who does actively code. I'm glad kids these days start with sandboxed environments, and gradually progress. Recently, someone I know asked me for some recommendations for his kid (aged 10) to start learning Python. I gave him whatever tips I have, but man, I'm not rushing to get my kids into a proper coding language just yet. |