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Shazan Shums
159 posts
Some day I will make quality software. Programming FTW.
How to focus in programming career path?
I know that programming is a diverse career with various fields.And I have been trying out all types of programming like web programming,native programming,cross platform programming and hardware(Arduino) programming.I haven't still tried out finance programming,network programming,data visualization,data science programming...etc.

So I confused what should I focus on?
How to know what to focus on?
And should I get a CS degree but most CS degrees are written exams in my country.(I live in sri lanka) And they have less emphasis on programming.
And I really hate the time it takes to setup the programming environment.(Setting up IDE,Libraries).

Any suggestions appreciated.
Jeremiah Goerdt
208 posts / 1 project
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
How to focus in programming career path?
Pick something you like and are interested in. You'll work harder and spend more time working if you care about it. The only person that can make this decision is you.

Have some fun.
117 posts
Code hacker/developer
How to focus in programming career path?
Edited by Todd on
You are not alone in feeling this. I agree with the above advice from CaptainKraft about figuring out what you like. If you don't even know what you like yet, I say keep trying different things and surveying the landscape. If you already know you enjoy a particular field within programming, then start a project in that field!

msmshazan

And I really hate the time it takes to setup the programming environment.(Setting up IDE,Libraries).


LOL You and me both! Unfortunately, that seems to be a necessary evil, especially when you are new/learning/experimenting. For example, if I'm in an office where everyone is using Microsoft Visual Studio and working on a C# project, there's going to be less of this then if I am a student or self-taught and am experimenting with all different types of programming. For example, I've been doing the latter and goodness, I've set up, fought with, and learned MS Visual Studio, Eclipse, Code Blocks, Emacs, Visual Studio Code, Notepad++... And yes they all take time (some more than others) and yes you will spend hours in frustration in dealing with not just them but their extensions, as well as project dependencies and "packages." Most every programmer I've met has have these same gripes, so that keeps me sane... But I'm right there with you, it's literally the equivalent of sitting down to write an essay and instead of writing the essay, fighting with getting Microsoft Word setup for 3 hours. It's not very fun at all, but as I said, don't feel alone.

PS: If you want an extra-frustrating experience, try to use Visual Studio to work on a project with the rest of the team using Visual Studio Code. Good God.