Getting into CS / Programming
So... after much debate over the future of my career I've decided I want to learn to program. I know it's much easier said than done, but I'd like to get into the whole start up track. I'm coming from a finance background and am currently working as an analyst at a MM bank.
I know this probably isn't the best place to ask the question, as it is a finance forum, but what are my options here? If i could take it all back I would totally have taken CS as an undergraduate degree, but I didn't. Is this something I should just learn on my own? And if so what is the best way. Or are there graduate school programs for someone like me where one does not necessarily need to know anything before beginning. Maybe some thing like a 4 year program where the first two years you catch up by taking the typical undergraduate classes in order to bring you up to speed. Any thoughts / suggestions?
You should probably explain what you want to do with programming, e.g. become a programmer, hobby, etc. Programming and web dev were hobbies of mine as a child and they can definitely be learned on your own given above average intelligence which I assume you have, albeit with large amounts of time that you probably don't have given your current occupation.
I guess I would like like to have the skill set to develop a fully functional website. Not entirely sure that it would be a hobby since I would probably like to change my career path and go work for a tech start up or something along those lines.
To follow up: If this is something I can do on my own free time, what books / websites would be best to learn from.
Web development you definitely can learn in your spare time.
So there's the client side and the server side. To begin with, you would learn basic HTML and CSS which are used to create simple static web pages. Things get more complicated when you want to build sites like WSO, which are forums with data such as user accounts and web posts. The website is driven by a database on the server, and a language is needed to interface between the server and what you actually see in your browser. At this point you would learn a language like the more popular PHP and ASP or even Python or Ruby on Rails, which pull the data from the server and spit out HTML code to be read by the browser. I myself learned PHP back then and became really good at it; it's portable, widely supported, and can be run on any server (not just Windows). You have several growing options though. I'm actually trying to get back into coding and want to learn Python. If you learn PHP properly, you'll have a strong skill set in basic and even more advanced programming concepts that are universal to any language.
Working for a tech start up may or may not be possible with this skillset. Given what I've described to you, web dev skills could be useful for web start ups like Facebook (which was built in PHP) and the like but not so much for a start up creating software programmed with computer languages like C++, Java, etc. which are not for web development.
Even with these skills you may need some kind of formal education or pedigree to actually be employed, I wouldn't know, so you should do more research in that regard. Most books you find at your local store will be sufficient to teach you the languages - just remember that you get out of it what you put in. The best way to learn is to actually write out all of the code, learn all the little nuances, debug your own programs, and build your own projects after you've learned the fundamentals. You don't even have to buy a book, you could get started right now; there are TONS of great resources on the internet for learning these things and lots of online communities like WSO full of enthusiasts and professionals that love to do this stuff and help people who are learning.
"Not entirely sure that it would be a hobby since I would probably like to change my career path and go work for a tech start up or something along those lines."
Some things to consider:
Checkout a website like: http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercise/0 , it's pretty good at getting across basic concepts: variables, loops, recursion etc. and you can easily get the basics down in not very much time at all.
If you want to have a career in s/w long term as a programmer you'll probably need a CS degree. I have a friend who had a music degree as an undergrad and went back and got a masters in CS so it can be done. I think he learnt stuff on his own and took only upper level CS classes to prove he knew his basics before being admitted to the MS program. All told this took him 3 years. I'd be realistic about this though, it will be hard for you to get into Stanford etc. not having an undergrad CS degree (unless you have a similar quant degree - math, physics, etc.) Feel free to PM me and I can give you his email id.
Decide what you want -- Web dev. and CS are very very different. CS is more about algorithms and math and trying to figure out the best way to solve a problem. If you want to be a web dev you could just probably read a few books on LAMP etc. and get a job as an entry level developer but it will be hard for you to move beyond that. Also, don't focus on languages. Most languages are made up of the same building blocks and once you master one, it will be easy for you to transition to others.
Resources are plentiful in this field, but I recommend: -- Stack Overflow (you will get excellent advice here) -- MIT Open Course Ware (lectures are excellent, all free to download) -- Try contributing to open source projects like this (
), you'll get a LOT of respect if you do this.
Either way, good luck!
I thought this was getting into credit suisse..
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~112/
This was my intro CS class at CMU that just ended. I learned a lot. Just click on "Schedule" and there are notes and quizzes. That was in Python.
Other options are: Stanford/MIT/open lectures on youtube.
To be honest, it's hard to get good at programming by watching lectures or reading notes. Learning the syntax is easy, the hard part is solving problems using code. You just have to dive right into it and practice a lot. If you don't know how to do something, do a search on google, and learn.
Are you sure you want to go into the technical side of things. There's no need to be a programmer to join or even found a start up company. Your finance background would also be very valuable.
Thanks for the many replies, everything is super helpful. I even looked into PHP a bit last night per MoneyMogul's advice.
I guess can you maybe elaborate on how I'd be able to do this without the programming / coding background. I've always thought that if you can't code you'd need to hire someone at ~$200/hr to implement your idea and then you would try and get funding for it.
Someone else mentioned that it'd be really hard to get into a top tier CS program without having a CS undergrad, but I was looking into Stanford, Chicago, CMU and NU last night and it seemed like all of them said you wouldn't need a CS background to get into the program. Did i misunderstand something?
I'm a lifelong programmer looking to make the move into finance. There's some good advice in here for you already (especially Code Academy) but I'd add another angle.
Saying you want to "build a web site" in today's tech world is a very open statement. You're getting the usual replies about CSS and HTML, which is good. BUT there's a lot of other options. Most web sites that you see are actually CMS systems that are highly customized through plug-ins or what-not. Wordpress is the most common example of that and there are a TON of web site that use it. There's also Drupal, Joomla, etc, etc. You might be able to create a viable strategy in not necessarily learning programming but rather mastering one of these packages. I have a friend that is fully self-employed doing web sites. She can't write a lick of code to save her life but she knows Joomla backwards and forwards and also has an eye for Photoshop. Those two skills can be deadly. Granted, without CSS & HTML you won't be able to get extremely far, you will still be able to do quite a bit with a good CMS.
Finally, if I was in your position, I wouldn't look to be a programmer. I'd go after something like a PMP certification and get into the tech world as a PM. You can still make a comparable salary, fewer headaches, not as many long hours and incredibly high demand. You just have to decide if you're making the move to be a programmer or making the move to be in IT. If its the latter, then forget about programming.
You'll probably need more math than you think you need. Most undergrad CS degrees are math intensive and you'll need that background for a masters in CS.
Magnam maiores sit sit. Sed asperiores eum repellendus et. Facilis voluptas asperiores rerum illo.
Facere tenetur saepe eveniet sed expedita sed. Explicabo voluptatum blanditiis est a eligendi laborum rerum.
Qui suscipit quam aperiam nesciunt ut. Labore assumenda necessitatibus consequatur maiores voluptatem molestiae maxime. Sit quasi est et quisquam.
Ut delectus eius molestiae eum beatae. Cum ut omnis quo quibusdam voluptates iure. Omnis non excepturi nesciunt est velit sed. Aperiam nihil vitae optio cumque aut possimus fugit. Vel voluptatem quos delectus quia tenetur sed.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...