Programming Has No Age: How to Learn Java Even if You Think It’s Too Late
By: Alex Vypirailenko
Tags: Programming, Java, Coding, Learn To Code, Learning To Code

Programming Has No Age: How to Learn Java Even if You Think It’s Too Late Alex Vypirailenko Follow Dec 16 · 8 min read

Photo by Martin Reisch on Unsplash

The older we get, the more often we think that it’s too late for us to learn new things, especially coding. We are sure that our brain doesn’t work as it used to work in the youth and we won’t be able to grasp nuances of programming. In other words, we write ourselves off. But, the truth is that we all can learn Java and other languages regardless of how old we are.

I’ve met a lot of people in my life who started to learn coding at a mature age. And they succeeded because people at their age see things differently and exercise an informed choice, especially when it comes to finding the right way of learning. The latter helps them master a new activity more easily.

Other than that, the IT industry is known for its friendly and accepting community, at which specialists are valued by their skills, not by their age.

If that still sounds unconvincing, I recommend considering the next 5 conclusive arguments for why you should fulfill your wishes and start learning to code at any age.

5 Reasons Why Age is Not a Hindrance in Programming

1. Acquiring New Knowledge Keeps Brain Working

Learning to program is equal to a mental exercise — the more you strain your brain, the better your focusing mental effort is.

Back in 2013, Cesar Quililan defined the impact of sustained engagement in learning new skills on human sanity in his study published in Sage Journals. The experiment involved individuals between the ages of 60 to 90 and encouraged them to try a new hobby or craft, such as photography and quilting.

While spending months acquiring a new skill, this group of participants got the most of the memory gain compared to those watching movies or playing simple games.

It all means that you shouldn’t worry — at 30 or 40, your brain is working great! The main thing is to bring it into shape.

I have one happy-ending story of a 32-year-old specialist. He started with zero technical competence and had a hard time while learning to code from scratch. Soon he came across an online course and after completing the course, he qualified to apply for a web developer position. Nobody in the company cared about how old he was.

2. Programming is Not About Body Flexibility and Young Neurons Speed

I also had a friend Arnold, who decided to make a fresh start at his 38 and, like many other adult learners, doubted his abilities. When he encountered his first challenge, he came to me and said: “What if I don’t have enough energy, and indeed, why did I decide that I could?”

Sure, right after stopping to doubt himself and getting stuck to repeated practice, he overcame all possible difficulties. While training, the students should remember that only patience and a systematic approach can lead them to success. Programming languages are not what requires physical preparation and have the autumn of life.

3. Educational Sources Don’t Ask Your Age

These days, the web is full of interactive online courses you can come with to learn Java. A few of them include:

CodeGym, an online platform that suggests completing over 1200 tasks to learn Java programming. Right after registering for the course, you will write lots of code to polish your skills and land a job in the future. Thanks to built-in code validation, you can have each task checked instantly and receive feedback from the virtual mentor. The course developed using the latest techniques, such as gamification and storytelling, will keep you engaged and motivated.

CodeAcademy, an education company created to enhance your learning experience and keep you motivated to continue your training, providing interactive and real-world code challenges.

CodeChef, a unique platform that will encourage you to learn coding by participating in programming contests and challenges hosted three times a month.

Absolute beginners, in their turn, can begin with video tutorials on Coursera or Udemy, such as:

The Complete Java Masterclass, a practical class to teach you Java from fundamentals to the level, at which you can write programs using OOP, Interfaces, Generics, and other concepts.

Java Programming for Complete Beginners (in 250 steps), a course that will guide you through major Java concepts, from Java Basics to Java Collections, Generics, Exception handling, Multithreading and Concurrency, Functional Programming Networking, and File handling.

Java Certification by Duke University, a Java introduction course for new-comers that will shed light on the fundamental programming concepts and provide tools needed to solve the problems.

Mentoring support from professionals is what can significantly support you in your path to Java programming. Other than that, Java coders are known for their friendly community, which means the specialists are willing to help fresh learners when they get stuck at a specific problem.

So, here’s a list of the platforms, at which you can get answers to your coding questions or ask for guidance.

Java Forum, a standard programming forum including various topics and is separated into sections to ensure a fast and hassle-free search.

Java World, a platform that brings together Java news, how-tos, features, reviews, blogs, and other Java-related things.

CodeGym Help, a community created for novices to provide answers to frequently asked questions along with fast and adequate support.

r/learnJava, a subreddit putting together resources for learning Java.

r/learnprogramming, a subreddit for all questions related to coding in any programming language.

Other than practicing Java using online courses or video tutorials and hanging out on forums, I recommend putting blogs on the list as well. The authors are keeping an eye on updates and newly added features to share them with you and enhance your coding experience. I would identify the following two blogs as ones worth considering.

Java Geek, a source that provides specific cases or problems clearly explained.

Bench Resources, another source including described issues and cases related to Java.

4. Your Age Doesn’t Really Matter

I often tell my adult friends who doubt they can start all over again that age is just a number of their experience. After all, who said that humans should work at the same job for the rest of their life?! We are all mature individuals here who know what they want and what results they expect to see. So, if you feel like you desperately want to learn Java or any other programming language, don’t put your desire off until later, start learning right now and your effort will be rewarded shortly.

Besides, don’t compare yourself to other specialists, especially if they are already halfway through the journey you begin. The only person you should compare yourself to is you at the jumping-off point. You’ll be pleased to realize that you are progressing in comparison with the previous phase.

I have another positive experience with a programmer from my course. He came without any previous technical experience, yet after passing a few online courses he could land a dream job.

This and other examples once again prove that it makes no sense to worry about the limited expertise or false code. Everyone at any age makes mistakes, especially when they just start their programming journey. But once you sharpen your skills, the mistakes will disappear and you will feel more confident about programming.

Apart from that, both younger and older students are equally worried about whether they can get a job without sufficient work experience. First of all, the technologies are developing at a lightning-fast speed, which makes it hard for specialists to master all at once. Secondly, many companies prefer to hire specialists with little experience to train them for specific projects. So, there is no real reason to worry.

5. There Won’t Be A Better Time Than Today

Let’s face it: people are so programmed that they often wait for the right time to start something new. But to tell you the truth, the right time doesn’t exist — now is the best time ever.

Moreover, in pandemic reality, working in IT is relatively safe and stable as the tech sector together with pharmaceuticals, logistics, and healthcare is less affected by Covid-19.

Bev White, CEO at Harvey Nash, also said that 82% of IT managers in the United Kingdom expected their headcount to remain the same or even increase. Many companies are now looking for quick access to specialists who can help deliver digital projects at short notice.

With all that being said, now is high time to start learning Java or any other programming language to join the IT market.

Summing Things Up

Programming is not ballet or figure skating, where you need to be young, flexible, and flourishing. Learning to code will rather require some time, effort, and the proper mindset you start it with, while your age is not something that should interfere with the training.

Instead, think of your age as something that can help you notice things that younger professionals don’t. In short, learning programming will keep your attention and focus on a high level.