Too late for me?
This might be different to other questions, and hell, probably in the wrong section, but while you're reporting me/telling me I'm offtopic, could you also answer my question while you're at it? Thank you so much.
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Ok, since I've been three years old I have played games. Blah blah blah, typical nerd kid who lives and breathes games. Ok. I also used to lurk a lot on tech forums, programming forums, etc, but could never actually be bothered to learn anything myself, although in the back of my head since I was a kid I always knew I wanted to be a part in the creation of games.
Fast forward to me being 15 years old, I have always been lazy but it was never really an issue, I was smart enough to pull my grades up at the last minute. But now, I fear I have descended into a pit of laziness (along with my fellow nerd friends) too deep to get out off. This realization has sort of scared the **** out of me, so, coming into my final year of school (I come from the UK.) I've decided to put a limited embargo on games and other entertainment until I have settled into a pattern of revision, etc. (keyword being limited, I'm not crazy hmkay.) Also, whilst I unnofficialy started two or three years ago, I decided to buy a couple of C++ books and finally actually try hard to learn. (I started three years ago, but I flitted about from Java to Lua to C and then I'd lose interest as everyone would tell me different things, as well as the fact that it was just easier to play them)
Only thing is, I'm starting to worry? Is it too late for me? I'm aware that this isn't a career you just toddle into. I'm good at maths, I'm not brilliant, but I'm not average. In between them. I'm going on teh interwebz and reading things about having to know vector and matrix math, quaternions and linear algebra. Am I supposed to know all this before I leave school? Or do they teach this in college? Uni? Please, someone out there help me. I'm really confused and can't get a straight answer anywhere. If I knuckle down and start working, get my grades up (atm, they are all over the place, lowest is a D, the rest are As, and B/Cs, and just ignore everyone else and their overinflated opinions (apart from yours of course! You're all awesome, k.) and just LEARN C++, can I save it all and get back on track? Or is it too late for me? Am I too old at 15? Am I withering away in my old age? Cause I'm hearing a lot about 13 year old whizzkids who are much further than me.
Halp
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Ok, since I've been three years old I have played games. Blah blah blah, typical nerd kid who lives and breathes games. Ok. I also used to lurk a lot on tech forums, programming forums, etc, but could never actually be bothered to learn anything myself, although in the back of my head since I was a kid I always knew I wanted to be a part in the creation of games.
Fast forward to me being 15 years old, I have always been lazy but it was never really an issue, I was smart enough to pull my grades up at the last minute. But now, I fear I have descended into a pit of laziness (along with my fellow nerd friends) too deep to get out off. This realization has sort of scared the **** out of me, so, coming into my final year of school (I come from the UK.) I've decided to put a limited embargo on games and other entertainment until I have settled into a pattern of revision, etc. (keyword being limited, I'm not crazy hmkay.) Also, whilst I unnofficialy started two or three years ago, I decided to buy a couple of C++ books and finally actually try hard to learn. (I started three years ago, but I flitted about from Java to Lua to C and then I'd lose interest as everyone would tell me different things, as well as the fact that it was just easier to play them)
Only thing is, I'm starting to worry? Is it too late for me? I'm aware that this isn't a career you just toddle into. I'm good at maths, I'm not brilliant, but I'm not average. In between them. I'm going on teh interwebz and reading things about having to know vector and matrix math, quaternions and linear algebra. Am I supposed to know all this before I leave school? Or do they teach this in college? Uni? Please, someone out there help me. I'm really confused and can't get a straight answer anywhere. If I knuckle down and start working, get my grades up (atm, they are all over the place, lowest is a D, the rest are As, and B/Cs, and just ignore everyone else and their overinflated opinions (apart from yours of course! You're all awesome, k.) and just LEARN C++, can I save it all and get back on track? Or is it too late for me? Am I too old at 15? Am I withering away in my old age? Cause I'm hearing a lot about 13 year old whizzkids who are much further than me.
Halp
closed account (2EyCpfjN)
Halp,
Is that your name or a way of saying "help"?
I'm also 15, started programming at about 13, into programming languages like C++, HTML (even though it's technically not programming), CSS (even though it's not programming either), some JavaScript, learning Python, etc. but C++ is what I first started to learn. I wouldn't say it's too late for me, and I don't exactly have a tight grip on programming either. Why would it be too late for you? "Too old at 15," for.. for Christ's sake you're 15! There's always going to be that far nerdier kid who is younger. I just figured out today that the kid I would least expect to be into programming (he's just 14), programs. I figure you can do it without a doubt (so long as you "put your mind to it"). Good luck! :)
By the way, here is some stuff that I'm reading (aspiring hacker [not cracker; hacker]) are there any more experienced programmers/developers that think I should continue reading stuff like this:
http://norvig.com/21-days.html
http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html
http://www.catb.org/jargon/
http://openbookproject.net//thinkCSpy/index.html
- Alex
Is that your name or a way of saying "help"?
I'm also 15, started programming at about 13, into programming languages like C++, HTML (even though it's technically not programming), CSS (even though it's not programming either), some JavaScript, learning Python, etc. but C++ is what I first started to learn. I wouldn't say it's too late for me, and I don't exactly have a tight grip on programming either. Why would it be too late for you? "Too old at 15," for.. for Christ's sake you're 15! There's always going to be that far nerdier kid who is younger. I just figured out today that the kid I would least expect to be into programming (he's just 14), programs. I figure you can do it without a doubt (so long as you "put your mind to it"). Good luck! :)
By the way, here is some stuff that I'm reading (aspiring hacker [not cracker; hacker]) are there any more experienced programmers/developers that think I should continue reading stuff like this:
http://norvig.com/21-days.html
http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html
http://www.catb.org/jargon/
http://openbookproject.net//thinkCSpy/index.html
- Alex
I started programming in general when I was 15 and C++ in particular when I was 17. I don't consider myself a failure, so no, it's not late. Programming isn't about starting early; it's about developing certain thought patterns.
Also, and although it sounds a bit corny, don't think about life as a race. The statement "X is ahead of me" is meaningless.
Those specific types of math are most useful if you're going to do anything with 3D, such as writing your own rendering engine. Otherwise, you're probably not going to need it.
I don't know how the education system in the UK works, but I'm having linear algebra just now in my first year at the university. So far my impression if that if you have good spacial intuition you can easily pick it up in your own time. It's a fun subject and you can do lots of interesting and useful stuff with it.
Also, and although it sounds a bit corny, don't think about life as a race. The statement "X is ahead of me" is meaningless.
| I'm going on teh interwebz and reading things about having to know vector and matrix math, quaternions and linear algebra. |
I don't know how the education system in the UK works, but I'm having linear algebra just now in my first year at the university. So far my impression if that if you have good spacial intuition you can easily pick it up in your own time. It's a fun subject and you can do lots of interesting and useful stuff with it.
Don't worry your not to old. I'm not a whole lot older than you and I still rank my self as a beginner. You don't have to be a genius to be a programmer. You don't HAVE to know all that math but I am sure it helps (I don't know that stuff). From my experience from trying to learn C++ it IS difficult and for a while it doesn't look like you are learning anything worthwhile but after a while it becomes clearer. Honestly I don't know what's up with "13 year old whizzkids" but maybe they have a lot more time then you (and me) to learn code. :) All I can say is keep at it.
Yeah, I exaggerate. It's a habit of mine, sorry. I was also slightly panicking at a conversation I had with some programmer who was listing out all these requirements and mathematics that was expected. I panic a lot. Another habit.
I was mainly just observing all these other people my age who are far ahead of me, and then looking back at my failing grades and just wanted confirmation that it wasn't too late. I know, stupid but I don't care, it's the internet, it's not like you all live next to me or something.
Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated, I mainly just needed advice. I feel much better now, after posting panicky threads like this all over the internet. Thank you all.
No idea why I put halp there. Should have been help. I'm tired. :/
I was mainly just observing all these other people my age who are far ahead of me, and then looking back at my failing grades and just wanted confirmation that it wasn't too late. I know, stupid but I don't care, it's the internet, it's not like you all live next to me or something.
Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated, I mainly just needed advice. I feel much better now, after posting panicky threads like this all over the internet. Thank you all.
No idea why I put halp there. Should have been help. I'm tired. :/
No definitely not! I started looking into programming when I was about 14, and I kept up with it for a while until I lost interest and started back up again a year later until I lost interest again. I started back up again just before summer started and I have no intention at all of stopping. I'm in college, planning to major in Computer Science. You never stop learning, its just sitting yourself down to work at it. I wish I had kept with it since I started, I would know a hell of a lot more than I do now. So I'm 19 now, and I just started working with it again and there is still time for me. You have plenty of time!
15? LOL! You're way too young. Actually I was about 14/15 when I first started programming. Its a fine age to start.
Yes, you are too old. Forget about it.
I started learning when I was 5, as did most professional game-programmers that I know. The good ones started when they were 2-3. You've got no chance.
I started learning when I was 5, as did most professional game-programmers that I know. The good ones started when they were 2-3. You've got no chance.
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HAHAHAHA I like squashedMangoes sarcasm I literally fell out of my chair :D
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