[dominic_cocch]

You can learn to make a "Hello World" program in almost any language within hours, but it will probably take a few months before you can write something useful without any outside help.

I started with C# and it took me about 5 months to feel like I could do anything worth while. I've picked up JavaScript and Python since. For me, working 40 - 50 hours per week on the language I was learning, it took about 2 years to feel like I could make something someone else would use.

My learning has slowed with time, as I imagine there's less to learn, but I never feel perfect. I hope I never do, because learning to program has been incredibly rewarding and fun. Once I get tired of a language or my learning slows too much, I find another to play with.