Karima Magazine Sep-Oct 2017

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BUSINESS BEST
Learn to Code
And whether the future presents a world
where humans lose out to computers and robots or it is
simply a world where robots take our food orders and
clean tables (and take all the entry-level jobs), people
who know how to code will be able to eke out some sort
of profession programming and reprogramming the
robots and computers of the world.
The crux of the issue is that for the foreseeable
future, programming is and will be the basis of a
large part of the global and local economies; if you learn
to code, your employment and income options can
expand drastically, and job security, something so many
still worry about, might be a bit better.
And although programming and software
engineering are hot fields right now, and probably won’t
be as popular ten or twenty years from now, it doesn’t
mean that programming will go away. There has been a
constant trend toward improving computer capabilities
for the last twenty plus years.
It is quite doubtful that knowing how to
program is going to be anything but a positive aspect
of your resume, well into the future. In fact, it is most
likely that given time, programming computers will
become more a part of our lives, as high schools and
universities attempt to align their curricula with the
skills most valuable in the workplace.
Because programming involves using typed
words to give computers and other devices instructions,
it necessitates a strong knowledge of mathematics. Now
this is not to say you need to be good at math to code,
and in fact, the professional programmers I have known
have actually been quite honestly dreadful at regular,
everyday high-school style math. And these are people
who programmed games for large, very well-known
video game companies as well as those who work at a
very large, very competitive computer companies.
But these individuals, who are exceptional
coders, became good at math precisely because
they learned to program. So hidden in this is another
valuable point: learning to program improves your
mind’s ability to think logically, because programming,
by-and-large is an exercise in logical systems.
You may not become a great logistician
or mathematical genius by learning to program a
computer, but it will shape how you think through
things in your daily life in a subtle, probably
indistinguishable way. And honestly, the world could
use a bit more logic these days.
Beyond the benefits of improved logic is
the ability to keep your mind sharp, and maintain or
improve the mathematical skills you already have. For
retired persons, learning to program typically means
classes, interactions with other students, and a chance
to socialize while also maintaining mental acuity.
Plus nary a day or week or month passes that
I don’t hear about some retired person improving their
computer skills, learning a programming language like
HTML or Javascript (not to be confused with Java) and
starting some sort of online business. Or you can use it
to customize your Facebook page. It all depends on your
goals and dreams.
And therein lies the biggest value of
programming: you don’t have to be a software
engineer to start programming now. Enroll in a class at
Delta or Pacific, or even learn for free online at a website
like codeacademy.com or youtube.com. I myself have
used the free eBook “Learn Python the Hard Way” in my
adventures in coding.
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