Ask HN: Should take a year off to learn to code? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should take a year off to learn to code?

1 pointBilam4 comments

Just wondering what HN thinks about my situation. Graduated with an accounting degree but ended up working in a startup doing customer service and their digital marketing. I've always wanted to learn how to code, and have the financial means to take 6-12 months off to really dedicate myself to learning to code.

Unfortunately with after work obligations i really don't have sufficient time to do it after hours whilst working full time.

What do you think? I'm 24 and have always dreamed of doing my own startup. Working where I am now has given me a really good grounding in the bus dev/marketing side of a startup but want to be able to code my own apps.

Would it be worth taking time off, enrolling in one of the coding bootcamps to learn something like rails? The other option is to do some sort of postgraduate degree in CS, but that's not too appealing to me.

In my opinion, taking some time off is a great idea. After dabbling in coding a long time, I am considering doing something similar. There's no reason to weekend warrior everything. As long as you have the focus and discipline to work every day without someone standing over you (always an "if" but the bootcamps and stuff can help keep you on track) taking time off is great.

And now, at age 24, is one of the best times to take time off. It is good to be frugal, save money, and be able to take time away from working full time, if you want to do interesting stuff with your life.

So I say, really, go for it. Don't defer your dreams.

Can you make time early in the morning like waking up a few hours earlier everyday to dedicate to learning how to code? This way you will get the satisfaction of learning while fulfilling all your other responsibilities plus it will be quiet enough for you to be able to focus.

Knowing how to code is less than half of the skills you would need to create a startup, even after the biz dev/marketing stuff is accounted for.

I would try taking classes on Udacity and Coursera first. If you really want to do something, you'll make the time.

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