Do you need to be good at math to be a programmer?
Tags: programming, tutorial, productivity, codenewbie
Published: 2022-01-14 04:21:10

So you want to get into programming or you've already been programming and you've been hearing a lot of people saying you need to be good at math in order for you to be successful as a programmer. 

So you are now wondering if math is really necessary for you to become a good programmer.

This question is one question that is really common among beginners, especially those who do not have any background in mathematics or any STEM related field for that matter.

Well, the simple answer to this question is no. You do not need Einstein level mathematics to be a programmer and you do not need to be good at math in order to start programming.

Now, will the knowledge of mathematics be helpful in your career as a programmer? Yes! Definitely! But it is not necessary. If you are already good at math, it will set you at a better position when it comes to learning and if you are going into an area like machine learning or game development, then you are really going to need mathematics.

Come to think of it, mathematics is just a tool for analysis and problem solving. Mathematics helps in problem solving the same way programming languages have been created to enable us communicate with computers. Both our programming languages and mathematical skills can be considered as tools. What i like to consider as the real skill is critical thinking and problem solving.

So the real question should be "do you need to be a good problem solver in order to be a good programmer?" And the answer to that is a resounding yes. Although, this is not really required when you're just starting out, but if you are going to be a good programmer, you need to be a good problem solver at some point.

The reason why a lot of beginners struggle with programming is because they are not yet very conversant with the new way of thinking and solving problems using code and this is what bring about the long hours in front of a computer trying to figure things out. But as your skills develop, you'd become a lot faster in figuring things out by yourself.

Programming is a field that tests your ability to research and think critically. And these are skills that will gradually improve with time as you continue programming.

So as a programmer, you now know you need to be a good problem solver. Now the next question would be "how do you improve your problem solving skills as a programmer?". Well, the only real way to do that is by consistently solving problems that are a little above your level. You don't want to do anything too easy because you're not going to improve, or anything too difficult because you're more likely to give up. Just move one step at a time at your own pace.

Here are some websites you can actually use to improve your problem solving skills.



- [HackerRank](https://www.hackerrank.com/)

- [Codewars](https://www.codewars.com/) 
 
- [CodeChef](https://www.codechef.com/) 
 
- [LeetCode](https://leetcode.com/) 
 
- [Exercism](https://exercism.org/)

- [JSCodebox](https://jscodebox.com/) - for JavaScript developers

Programming is a field that really improves your ability to solve problems and the skills you acquire in programming can be very much applied in other areas of your life.

Always remember, you can be given any problem solving tool to solve a problem with, but as long as the problems don't change, the algorithms remain the same.