This is a brief list of benefits I already feel even as a newbie, in all areas of my life, which started developing because of learning to code. I believe it will only get better with more experience. Here they are in a short list, and then a few words about each.
#1 Problem solving
#2 Attention to detail
#3 Lateral thinking
#4 Digging (for info)
#5 Contribution
#1 Problem solving
Yes, of course, we can all problem-solve to some extent already. But when you start doing some algorithm challenges your “real life” problem-solving transforms.
Coding requires us to first dissect problems into parts so small that doing the same with a problem like – How do I get to work today – would seem unnecessary, as we consider it implies that we first need to:
get out of bed (that in itself being a complex function) >
go to closet >
pick clothes >
put on clothes >
get keys >
walk out of apartment >
lock the door >
walk out of building >
go to the car >
unlock & get in >
navigate the traffic >
if traffic light = green > go
else > wait for green light >
find parking near work >
park >
get out of the car >
lock car >
walk into office >
say hi to boss & colleagues >
find your desk >
sit >
do your work.
This is an oversimplification, but when thinking about it the most we’d probably ask is which street do I take?
When you learn to dissect problems in this way you start solving them much faster. You inspect steps you would otherwise imply. In my experience a lot of the problems we have come from the things we consider implicit.
#2 Attention to detail
Writing code needs great attention to detail. Both for the logic and mechanism of action and for the syntax itself. Every dash, comma, and semicolon become important. The computer won’t just figure it out as a human could. There's no place for one single error. There’s no need for me to say what are the benefits of that for the rest of your life.
#3 Lateral thinking
Because so much of our own problem-solving mechanism is implicit, coding often forces us to think outside our own box. Lateral thinking is an amazing asset as it enables you to walk around a problem instead of going through it.
#4 Digging (for info)
One of the first advice you get when starting out is, GOOGLE IT! I developed a very strong habit of searching for anything I have a question about. One thing you learn doing this is that most of the questions that come to mind have already been answered. If you manage to find one without an answer, feel free to dedicate some time to provide it, which brings us to:
#5 Contribution
Ever heard of open source? The developer community is incredible. Among its core values is helping others. When you get up the ladder, turn around and lend a hand to the fellow behind you.
Contribute, give back to the community. Free apps, classes, courses, freeCodeCamp, and plain old advice from peers are just some of the amazing contributions the dev community has made for its newcomers and veterans alike.
The hustle of day to day life sometimes makes us forget other human beings are our kin.
We get so consumed in our own struggles we forget that others face them as well.
Paradoxically, Working with machines and computers awakens the human in us.
I've been studying code for just a few months now and joined Microverse last Monday so I'm no expert, but I already feel these benefits every day, and there are probably lots more to come.
I will leave you with a joke I thought of yesterday:
Why did the robot get scared of the mirror?
Because it saw a I.
