Do you recommend a life of Coding?

Hey Sup Forums, Long time lurker first time poster

I’m a a bit of a crossroads in my life and I need advice. I have two career options and one of them is in coding, and I want to know what your experiences hat

I’m 28. On the one hand I will probably be accepted to a very basic Osteopathic school in bumfuck nowhere where I can grind it out for 4 years and fulfill my dream of being a doctor

On the other hand there is a well known coding boot camp downtown that I would probably succeed in. I spoke to the recruiter, he likes me, told me there’s a few med students in his class who dropped out after 2 years. It’s a 12 wk camp, and recruiters from the are check out your final projects and interview you at the end. I would plan on learning either C# or Python

My question is what is the lifestyle like? Do you recommend it? Med school would be a fucking grind, as I’m sure coding would be for a few years. It just seems like I would have more of an opportunity to live my life and make fucking decisions.and relax. And work remote. I don’t care about money because the cost of living in Detroit is super low anyways.

I still want to help people and one day open up a nonprofit coding camp for kids. I figure I’ll have time to figure that out eventually.

Tl;dr what is it like as a software dev and do you recommend it to an older, reasonably educated man

I don't recommend life.

You could always end it I guess

All choices suck. Just be born into wealth.

You're asking random people for whether or not you'd like something.
How the fuck do we know you wouldn't prefer being a fucking fruit farmer instead?

I’m asking people to describe their lifestyle as a coder and whether they truly enjoy it or not, as well as shit they don’t like about it

Quit being so fucking dense, and shitpost somewhere else

go to hell now and avoid it later

>osteopath
>"med school"
Stay the fuck out of programming

Nothing wrong with Osteopathic, my GPA was mediocre in college and I scored in the top 15% on the MCAT this year when I retook it. Can’t escape the GPA even 7 years later.

Again, enough with the shitposting

>Quit being so fucking dense
No, how about you investigate it yourself and decide whether or not it seems appealing, you stupid fuckstick.
Maybe you'd be better off as a gas station clerk, I certainly don't want any kind of doctor working on my health who is too stupid to think for themselves and do basic research.

He is investigating by asking for peoples experience you fucking mong stop seeking pointless arguments

It's good. Steep learning curve but worth it. IMO coding bootcamps are a waste of time and money. I could teach your ass better than they can. In programming it's not so much about learning as it is about doing, you just do it, and most of your knowledge comes from experience. Some theory is required to push you beyond the level of code monkey but in general your ability to produce quality code is gonna be dependent upon your ability to gather technical information from search engines or forums.
For me it's usually: think of thing to make, call it 'user' for instance -> create 'user' directory, and inside that, 'src' dir -> place single 'user.c' (preferable in some ways to 'main.c') file in src dir -> write minimum amount of code to compile it -> set up build system (I usually go with CMake, used to use autotools because CMake is fucking complicated but if you really know CMake it is worth it) -> set up unit testing framework (I use cmocka. But you probably don't wanna do unit testing this early in the game) -> come up with an API (as a professional dev doing unit testing it is a best-practice to compile your code into a model library and then interface with it as you would any other external, dynamically linked library, so considering your code from an API perspective is crucial) -> write test code based on how I want my API to look -> write actual code to fulfill both the functional requirements that I want and also the test code formulation of my API, so that the test passes. Changing the API slightly to adapt to your production code is also important -> create empty git repo, set local user.name/user.email/user.signingkey, set remote url to reflect my ssh aliases, adding all existing code to it, make initial commit, push to remote -> set up travisCI -> continue writing test code followed by the API code, building, pushing, if no regression is present keep doing this until the program is done.
I've never worked for a company tho, because fuck that shit

SeeI’ve asked plenty of people, including the recruiter at the boot camp and my buddy who’s a business analyst downtown. Don’t know a lot of coders otherwise so that’s why I’m posting here - to get honest, unfiltered/uncensored opinions.

Please stop trying to be an insult king on Sup Forums and take that shit to Sup Forums

...

I’m definitely following you on part of this but yeah I would be running on the most basic coding knowledge

I’m mostly doing the bootcamp because if I perform well enough I’ll be pretty much guaranteed a job. Used to work at Quicken Loans as a banker and have multiple higher-ups who would get me a basic coding job.

What I’ve heard is exactly what you said - you have to just write code, practice and use search engines

What’s your day to day look like, you do freelance so is it comfortable or are you generally really motivated and hunting for the next job?

also forgot to mention Sup Forums is basically full of ppl who watch reviews on cell phones and shit now. /dpt/ is sometimes okay but mostly just ppl arguing about what languages are a meme or not. You're probably not gonna get any good replies here unless you are asking something basic.

Fair enough - thanks so much for that, I’ll keep replying here too just in case

It'd be so nice to have a berry/melon/veggie farm and make juices and jams.

>what is it like as a software dev
If you're not the best and everyone sucks your dick, it's totally not worth it.
Clueless managers will be your worst nightmares as they're your n+1 in most shitty companies (ie 99% of them).
Games is the only sector where you may do something fun even with shitty management and retarded business model.
Android apps are the best way to make your own startup.
I wouldn't recommend IT to anyone this is the best way to hatred and depression, keep it as a hobby as much as possible.

Would you teach me to code, wise user? I think I could be a good student.

Do you have no experience with programming? At 28 I think it's way too late to start programming, just go get a job with whatever skills you already have. I'm pretty sure it gets harder to learn things as you age and I hear the industry has a problem with age discrimination too.

Those experiences are relative and subjective you retard. Somebody who loves brewing beer for a living is going to say its the best thing ever, but if you did it yourself you might find out you fucking hate the work involved.

Are you two this absolutely retarded to not understand this basic point?

>long time lurker
>uses 'coding' as a verb

Code monkey? Sure, anyone can do it. Work is often shit, pay is not that special - but hey, at least you're indoors.

Proper programing? About two-thirds of all people who attempt to learn it at a decent level will suck at it no matter what they do. Sure, persistence goes a very, very long way - but if you're in those two-thirds you'll be miserable. Luckily, everyone is a hack and you won't stand out if you have no clue what you're doing.

I like being a programmer because I take pride in my work and I enjoy being part of the tech culture. Of course there are times when I don't want to do it, and when those times come, I simply do something else, nobody is keeping track of my hours. I am also in an orchestra and go to mass on sundays and still have plenty of free time to do other shit. Sometimes I feel morally conflicted knowing that my code has gone into dangerous things, one time it was a rdecom M256 (now mostly retired) ammo datalink. Not sure if that makes me a murderer or what.
I wake up 6AM, first thing I do is go outside (breakfast is a waste of time really), get exercise (running, trampoline, pull-ups, bunch of bodyweight shit, I do not wanna be a bodybuilder), after that I do 30 draws with my usp45, practice violin, then I get some oatmeal and yogurt, eat it while checking my email, social media etc, maybe watch anime (1 episode max), and finally start working on my projects, mostly from clients. And I just switch between these things all day making sure that I get enough done in the day. At night I sometimes play video games but not much. I like to read a lot, just finished william gibson's pattern recognition, my fav book is the summa theologica though. I read a lot of philosophy from ancient to contemporary but that sticks out to me, that and augustine's city of god.
Right now I am shitposting ofc, but that is okay because I have already been doing enough stuff for today.

>start coding in basic at age 12
>fool around with C++, java, phyton in HS
>think about going for CS major
>decide I'm too dumb to ever code for a living, that shit is for geniuses
>get ba in economics
>miserable at job, literally just stringing together one meaningless presentation after the other, buzzword after buzzword
>decide to attend evening bootcamp at age 29, just for shits and giggles
>become code-monkey at age 30, make more money, much happier
i met 40yo truck drivers etc. who started to code for a living, sure - late 20s is not ideal but i wouldn't say it's too late.

question 1: do you enjoy coding?
question 2: why is being a doctor your dream?

I felt like I was going to die one day - had a seizure and was awake the whole time. I realized I didn’t give a shit about money and I wanted to A be happy with my lifestyle and B make a difference in people’s lives

For the first question, mostly the lifestyle and freedom associated with the expertise. I was always good at math, I like computers, etc etc. hoping that my penchant for logic is still there

you sound like a serial killer

doctors aren't the only people who make differences in peoples lives. imo you should choose a career based on how well you perform/enjoy the associated work. you can make a difference doing anything. hell you can make a difference just being nice and cooking casseroles for the homeless shelter.

if you like solving logic puzzles i'd say you've probably some degree of aptitude for being a programmer.

Not OP, but I'm also a self-starter who's taught himself React web dev and is looking to either freelance/start a business or grovel for an entry-level opportunity somewhere in my metro area. As someone who works on his own time, what do you suggest for someone with no degree or related job experience (just a fleshy portfolio)?

You started at age 12 and made those neural connections early, not the same as making it 28 without knowing how to fizzbuzz.

No no I didn’t mean to imply that at all. Dads a surgeon and Mom is a nurse so I really grew up in the field and I like having that feeling of ‘fixing’ someone health-wise. Want to get into neurology because I identify with it since I have epilepsy

At the same time, like I said, I could die any day: seizures are random. I don’t want to be miserable if I have a short lifespan. So it’s conflicing thoughts to be honest.

Coding for the freedom from academic misery or doctor to heal the medically afflicted

If you don't enjoy coding and learning about it and what you can do with it and how others do what they do with you, you will suck at it, have shitty jobs, and be stuck at mid tier levels. That said, you can still make decent cash.

t. independent consultant that bills $130/hr

How can I know if I truly enjoy coding? I’ve messed around with codecademy in HTML and CSS but that’s baby shit right? I guess that’s what I’m having trouble grasping what the best indicator of that is. I always enjoyed figuring out my own mistakes and simplifying complex operations in math class but from what I understand is coding I way more than that

Fuck off we are full

Just wanted to thank you guys for your input too. Having a horrible fucking night so I can’t reply a lot rn

HTML and CSS is not coding (at least if you mean programming/software development).

My point is if you need to ask if you should get into the field, you probably shouldn't. There are great opportunities if you're very smart and good at it, but if you're not, you're competing with Pajeet who gets paid less than the maid that cleans my house.

Yeah but a 12 wk program at 40+ hours each week that’s set to prepare me for the employers set to interview me?

I mean, I totally understand what you’re saying. It’s a commitment to something I’m completely unfamiliar with but I’m no idiot. If I can get enough training to get my foot in the door then it shouldn’t matter if I’m an expert from the get - go. I should get enough experience from the work itself

I guess my question is really the same as before - do you enjoy the work, and do you see yourself enjoying it in the future and why

You don’t owe me the answers to these questions but I just like honest insight. Yeah I’ll be a code monkey, whatever. I don’t care about money and I was working 12-14 hours a day as a banker before, kissing up to assholes all day. The thought of being able to work remote and take an hour for lunch sounds like a dream. I used to skip lunch

Make your choice:
>Doctor: Suicidal depression daily, no hope in humanity since all your patients are tards, really high pay but its because you're overworked.
>Koder: Suicidal Depression maybe, no hope in other koders since their code is god-awful, moderate pay but that's because pajeets and hipsters are flooding the market.
>NEET: Suicidal Depression constantly, no hope in anyone, hate yourself in general and wish you were dead, shit pay but that's because you're autistic (and welfare is a thing).

I would suggest hitting the gym often to negate the depression. Also try to avoid being a complete wage-cuck/wage-slave and do something like a hobby when you're not working.

Coding would be my choice since the outcome could vary, i am most certainly memeing on how bad the depression is.
Coding comes with a wider variety of outcomes depending on the field, environment, and what you do. Coding is also cheaper to learn so that would be quite valuable as well, that and its a universally applicable skill.

i see no mention of a social life in there bro

>Coding comes with a wider variety of outcomes depending on the field, environment, and what you do
could you tell me a bit about this in relation to the android app dev market? specifically games?

see I was interested when I heard that you can easily get a 50-70k job if you have a degree and some projects on your resume.
and i was equally interested in the prospect of getting to do fun creative shit for my job, like designing puzzles, levels, storylines, or creating game concepts.
But now I'm wondering if the whole
>you can easily get a 50-70k job if you have a degree and some projects on your resume.
even applies to the game dev world, or if it's in reference to other areas

OP here. That’s what I’m kind of coming to terms with. Coding may suck for a while but the job security and additional time will allow you to make better use of it if you truly want to.

Whereas with medicine I could do some incredible things like thoracic fucking surgery but I won’t have a lot of control over my outcome for the next 6 years at least

It’s a conundrum at best. I’m really not sure where I’ll end up but I appreciate the insight

Drop out now, OP, go neet and learn to code - it'll take a couple years.
It sounds like you are dreading the osteopathy route?
You're smart, just learn to code anyway and maybe study something else, like cybersecurity. It'll take less time to get to earning potential if you're methodical and you get work exposure in IT for example.

> fix backs in agony
> get bad back in comfort

inarestin conundrum OP, really joggles the old goggles.

(I just posted about cybersec above)
and In answer to what is it like as a software dev?:
From what I've seen - I've only worked with them, but alot, it's fucking awful: the sword of Pajeet dangles over the whole industry and ass to chair it's heavily soy. The industry is being flooded with glorified pamphleteers who think HTML = Kode, the management NEVER look down, and the culture is abysmal.

BTW if 'long term lurker' means you have a heavy interest in IT then consider support to earn while you learn - Corporate IT has a lot to learn if you do want to be management. Of course if it doesn't mean you have a heavy interest in IT then you're lower than cancer, right?

coding bootcamps are worthless. completely and utterly worthless.

why is that? i have colleagues who attended boot-camps after HS and worked for a couple years, they're usually more useful than fresh CS graduates.

>I'm also a self-starter who's taught himself React web dev
Thanks for the keks. Actually thought you were serious for a half second

Yo op, I would go to college and get some type of degree. Do a coding class while you're there and see if you like it. If you don't like it no harm no foul. You just continue with your doctor path. If you do like it get a math, cs, or engineering degree.

Also code boot camps are really a new trend, and may go the way of vcr repair classes in a decade. So would you rather be 38 years old looking for a job with a degree or a certification.