A Functional Hobby

30 Aug 2022

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Programming as a Hobby

When you think of hobbies, programming probably isn’t at the top of the list. In fact, programming is most likely viewed as a job. The point I am trying to argue is that programming is a very fun and rewarding hobby. Programming, on the surface, seems like a cold and technical skill that is not very fun or expressive, but going past the superficial layer the creative and expressive nature of programming becomes clear.

Getting Started

A barrier to entry often dissuades us from pursuing a new hobby. Fortunately, the barrier to entry for programming is abysmally low. In fact, if you are reading this, you most likely have the tools you need to get started. Those being a computer and access to the internet. Maybe the financial barrier is low, but is it hard to get access to information to learn how to program? No, the best part of programming is the incredible amount of thorough and concise information that is available, most times for free, on the internet and the collaborative nature of the field allows for easy access to new information and answers to questions. Once you get the hang of it, there is nothing more rewarding than creating a solution to a problem.

More Than Just Fun

Because computers are an integral part to pretty much every aspect of our lives, being able to program allows you to tackle a wide variety of problems. Ultimately, programming a computer to do something is an exercise of problem solving skills. Being able to think critically and solve problems is a universally useful skill to have. If you get good enough at programming, this hobby can be easily leveraged into a well paying job. While having a college degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering definitely helps, if you have an impressive enough portfolio, getting a job without a degree is definitely a possbility.