Ditch 5 Common Excuses for Not Learning to Code

2020 will go down in our memories as the year of unprecedented change. Many of our plans and predictions are different than we thought they'd be. Our personal projects and priorities have shifted too. While this change and uncertainty can feel unsettling, the silver lining is that we can all use this time to step into something new.

With changing priorities evolving through this crazy time, many of us are revisiting goals and projects that we had previously put on the backburner, or convinced ourselves that we couldn’t tackle. We at Flatiron School took a trip down memory lane to think of all the reasons we used to tell our aspiring-developer-selves that coding was not for us. Perhaps some of these reasons will resonate with you, but in our humble opinion, these excuses should never have held us back in the first place!

In this article, we're sharing 5 excuses we've used to put off learning to code - and why it's time to ditch them

1. “I’m too old”

Let’s start by unpacking this one. First of all, you’re never too old to learn something new, even if you don’t come from a “traditional background”!

Don’t believe us? Think of it this way, everywhere around us the systems we rely on are struggling, and they were built by people of all ages who are just like you! It’s important to remember that we are all individuals with unique experiences and interests that equip all of us to design things in our own way. We all offer this world different ways of thinking, and it’s very possible that you - no matter your age, could come up with ideas that others haven’t.

So, if your age - whether it be “young”, “old”, or even somewhere in between - has held you back from feeling like you CAN learn to code - you’ve got to let that excuse go. Your age has no bearing on your ability to learn, or your level of inherent creativity. Period!

2. “I can’t afford to go back to school”

Time and money are huge factors in any decision, especially now that many of us are struggling. Thankfully, you no longer need to go into mounds of debt to gain an education, or spend 4 years of your life taking courses you’re not all that into. Instead, by choosing a coding bootcamp, you can select the exact discipline you want to study, have access to financing options (with low to no upfront cost), graduate, and jump into a new career in just 20 weeks time.

With a bootcamp, it’s never been easier to pursue a career in software engineering and even if you don’t decide to apply your skills directly, learning to code will change you think and operate in the digital world. It is a solid investment in your future.

So, if you’ve told yourself that you didn’t have the time or the money to gain new skills - that’s another excuse you’ve got to ditch! After all, we’ve all got 20 weeks to devote to life changing education, right?

3. “What if I don’t like it?”

The next excuse we’ve used is actually a fair question to ask: “What if I don’t like it?”. We get it - It’s reasonable to lack excitement for learning something you’re not interested in, and it’s equally reasonable to avoid feeling stuck in a class or environment that you don’t enjoy. But before you write off being a coder, give yourself a chance to get your feet wet through free prep courses. After all, the best way to learn is by trying!

With free courses, you have the opportunity to see if the topic sparks your curiosity without an investment! And, once you start learning, you will be better able to see the ways you can apply what you now know! At that point, you may just find that coding can hold your interest, and be a worthwhile investment!. So if you’ve let the fear of “not liking it” hold you back, try starting with a free course - it may just help you overcome that excuse as well!

4. “Coding is too hard”

First of all, there’s no “pedigree” needed to qualify for coding, and contrary to popular belief, you don’t even need to be great at math to be successful. It’s important to remember that some of your favorite apps today have been built by college dropouts and self-taught programmers. So if you’ve caught yourself saying “coding is too hard for me”, we think you might be wrong!

Coding is all about creating new ways of doing things and there are so many ways that any given app, or line of code can be built. Our biggest advice here is to trust yourself and remember the value YOU as an individual bring! Coding is a field that thrives on cross-pollination of experiences, and unique expertise. So, even if you don’t know everything, we promise that by jumping in, and building your comprehension with a bootcamp, you can further dispel the excuse that “coding is too hard”.

5. “I can always do it next year”

We know it’s tempting to put off hard work, and lean on excuses to convince yourself that “I can always do it next year”. But, in a world where nearly every field needs qualified coders, we’ve gotta be honest - The best time to learn is here!

Theoretically, you could learn any time but why put off something that could positively impact your life? By jumping into a coding bootcamp, you can not only grow your skill set, but also become a more qualified job candidate and ultimately earn more money if you choose to take it a step further and become a developer! Doesn’t that sound good?

We know that 2020 has been a tough year so far, but we also know that taking control of your time, and putting your energy into learning could just be a way to help you start on a new path! So if you’ve been telling yourself that “I can always do it next year”, you may be right - but why wait? Take a chance on yourself and start your journey to learning something new!

This post was sponsored by Flatiron School. To learn more about Flatiron School, visit flatironschool.com or check out their reviews on SwitchUp.