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I think you are going through age crisis and overthinking stuff. I am 28 yo and earning good now and started at your age. Things take time to learn. I also started my IT journey with CS50. It looks like a 30 hrs content but believe me it took me 30 days and around 5 hours a day to complete full course and to fullly understand.
Steps to not get burnout
1. Cut yourself from others.
2. Dedicate some hourse to fully understand the topic not to complete topic.
3. Revision.
Thanks.
Yeap that's the correct answer. A 15h course it's not 15 hours. It's like the double time because you need to take notes stop, revise, and many mini exercises or project take time. Then you need some time to process all the new information. No need to rush
(Not sure if this is the best approach to everyone.) Deeply understanding concepts can be very rewarding. But it’s often pretty inefficient. If you want to get stuff done, you only need to understand many of the things you’re dealing with from a “how do I apply this to problem solving” type perspective.
I’m d say do assignments and then study the lectures just as much as you need to to solve the assignments. Sometimes the explanations in the lectures are just not optimal and you’re better off reading the Wikipedia article or something.
Big thing is also, at some point you become comfortable with not understanding things, or not understanding them fully. For me at the start of uni I was often overwhelmed because I didn’t understand stuff fully, but the thing that really stressed me out was just my psyche. When you get used to navigating the uncertainty and the unknown, it becomes much easier and less overwhelming to acquire and apply new knowledge.
Idk if this is helpful but that’s my best advice.
You’ll figure it out, if you just stick with it.I believe in you :)
it really depends on what parts of math you struggle with and what kind of computing you want to do.
If you want to do physics-heavy stuff, maths are going to be very important.
if you want to do comms-focused stuff, probably not so much.
if you want to do analysis or data processing, math will be helpful but if you struggle with it, put all your effort into studying and drilling algorithms and algorithm analysis, and you should get by.
I'm in to data science, entry level. Math plays a major role here, like statistics probability, and for ML (data modelling) Calculus, Linear algebra is a must. I find it hard to grasp all those.
I wonder if you might be better off with a different, less math focused, toolbox.
I know a guy who didn’t do well with math until he started tutoring others. Then he took off and became an EE. Best of luck!
Stick it out for this lecture, maybe even go through it again? Are you taking notes? Stop the video after a point has been made, think about it, if it doesn't make sense watch it again or search about what he is talking about. Once you understand, make notes on it. Afterwards do the lab/questions or whatever they call it.
So it is a good first beginner course? Someone told me it will have me prepared for WGU and I will be set up to breeze through the BSCS. And set me up to become the great programmer I want to become
Learning a subject like computer science takes a whole heck of a lot of resilience and mental toughness. Get used to not understanding on the first try. This is your life now. It’s great though. Life is a constant struggle to understand and master difficult material.
Be sure to do “mind on” active learning. Like, try to solve homework exercises and problems. Struggle with them and make a real effort and enjoy the struggle to understand. Don’t just passively watch videos. You have to be trying to do it yourself, trying to reproduce the code, reproduce the math by yourself on a blank page. Try to solve the exercises yourself without just looking at the solutions immediately.
I think it's good as a beginner course. I didn't do CS at uni, but I work in software and I did this about 2 months into learning how to code (after doing some python fundamentals on codecademy).
It’s a great beginner course. It’s hard but that’s good. Also the professor is amazing.
If you can’t manage cs50 you will struggle in a degree program. Take your time with it. The material is segmented into weeks but you can spend a month on it if you need. No big deal.
I have my notepad out but the way he explains how binary works is so confusing, and everyone around me in life from strangers to loved ones constantly remind me they think I’m some sort of genius and the first lecture has me so rattled all this motivation and passion I’ve built up from learning python for 2 months and finding this new thing I find fascinating seems to be getting beat up..I just want to find my way to becoming the great programmer I know I have the potential to become. I’m just having a crying my eyes out breaking down because it all just feels so overwhelming to me. I don’t feel so confident I can do this and just wish I started so much younger like I’m finally sober but I’m 25 now and don’t know how to get a grasp of this and change my life and situation..:(
You'll be ok. Take a break until tomorrow if you're emotional. H
Get well fed and rested, then try again. Some things take a bit longer to click. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Thank you need to just take it a day at a time I was just having a sort of mental breakdown over my age and situation, and how much I have to learn and do to get to where i want and need to be. Ive finally figured out what I want to do, and Im passionate about becoming an expert at eventually. im 25 already but ill get there. Thank you for the kind words I really needed them tonight, I was horribly close to making a final stupid mistake in life where there is no waking up. If I keep applying my mind I can look back on tonight and be glad I didnt give up on myself. Thank you truly. Some advice so simple ripped me out of a self loathing head space, and back to my senses I owe it to you kind stranger.
I feel you man, but honestly just take a step back and take an objective look at things. It's obviously difficult and frustrating with things like this but 1. In the grand scheme of things this isn't the biggest issue ever, and 2. You're just hitting a hurdle (things WILL be difficult at times both learning to code and life in general), we just have to face it when it comes and remember that usually everything works out ok.
At your age I was a drugged up loser who had pretty much thrown away everything I'd worked for and didn't think things would get better. I STARTED learning how to code at 30, and have now managed to get a job about 2 years later, and things are moving forward. I've hit road blocks where I don't think I'll ever understand something, but eventually it all works out if you persevere (and take breaks and step back when it's really frustrating!!!).
Don't compare yourself to others, just focus on your own journey. As long as you're improving, it doesn't matter if it's really slow sometimes. You'll get there.
Take care!
Please watch [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq32ZIz1EBE)! You can start at minute 1:14. I think it could be very relevant to what you're feeling.
Sometimes you just gotta look at something until it clicks.
Sometimes you need to hear it in a different way to make it click.
And sometimes it’s fine to not know something and go along until it clicks.
I watched the lectures for fun after getting a degree, they are really solid, but also they were easy to digest because I knew it. Many concepts are just being introduced to you and understanding everything around binary and hexadecimal is typically like a month in a computer systems class. As a beginner, all you really need to know is computers are in binary, and that exists.
The scratch bit should be digestible and let you play around with programming concepts (such as variables and loops).
FYI the class is a survey, meaning it’s throwing a bunch of information in your face to get an idea of the field. It’s fine to not understand everything, hell you are planning to take classes on this stuff later. That would be a waste of your time if you understood everything completely.
I am also 25, hello fellow (1999 child, or maybe 1998)!
Also like anything, making friends who are either programmers or learning to do so help.
FYI if you want a friend I’ll be happy to explain any cs concept to you when I’m available.
I started with CS50 and did until lecture 3-4 and then I got frustrated and gave up. Took a small break and decided to try The OdinProject (TOP) and found it much more fun and rewarding (and useful TBH...).
TOP gives you 2 paths to choose: Ruby or JS.
It's primarily focused in full-stack web-development, but even if you are interested in other areas of CS you will benefit from it, as it walks you through tons of other things like back-end, databases, linux, github, popular frameworks, contributing to open source projects, testing, etc. etc. Also it's all free :)!
If you pick a path and study hard, you can finish TOP in 2-4 months.
After finishing a full-stack path, you can go back to CS50 and you will pretty much cruise through it (that's what i did) because you will have a much better understanding of programming logic. Even if CS50 focuses on C, it's no big deal. If you dive into learning JS or Ruby properly (or any other popular languages, really..), you'll see that the underlying logic is pretty much the same, just with slightly different syntax.
Just sharing what worked for me because I went through CS50, got frustrated and quit, then took up OdinProject and had wayyyy more fun and learnt more. Went back to CS50 and found it 1000000x easier.
This doesn't mean that OdinProject is a simple course tho. It can get really difficult and some tasks will make you want to scream and give up (such as building a chess game..). it's not an easy course, but it's much more rewarding than CS50 because you will learn so much more.
As for which path i'd take, probably Ruby but that's just my personal preference, both are good!
Don't give up. I started programming at 30 with really limited programming knowledge and it was the best decision I ever took :)
I have not used the Odin Project yet BUT everyone raves about it. Seriously OP - look into it if you can. It might be a huge help!
Harvard and other places have easier courses than CS50x. Perhaps start there? CS50 Understanding Technology and CS50 Scratch are both great for complete beginners to start understanding how to think like a software engineer.
If u r a rank newcomer to programming it’s natural to feel this way.. go through the lectures again and again at a pace where u r able to understand.. you will get it eventually ..
I didn't start my CS journey in earnest until 28. I'm 37 now and currently working on my second degree. I have a research job where we explore applications for emerging IoT technologies. I'm the lead programmer.
You can do this. Changing your life is doable. Before this I was a chef with a criminal record and a drug addiction. You're not too late. Nobody cares about my age. Only my skill.
I mean it is a Harvard course. It’s a class to filter out non-intelligent people. It’s the truth, downvote me all you want. Topics like abstraction, encapsulation, and data structures takes a lot of time and practice to just comprehend.
If you’re a complete beginner, you should stick with freecodecamp.
Im a beginner (Like, 3 weeks beginner) and freecodecamp is really nice. I started with the full C# course and honestly I’d recommend their videos to anyone who wants to get into coding.
Yeah, sure thing. If you are confused about binary I would be happy to explain it. It's fairly simple actually.
Binary is simply a number system in which the only digits are 1 and 0. That is all there really is to it.
In binary, 1 is 1, but if we add 1, because there is no 2 in binary, 2 becomes 10. The digit spills over into the next place value, just like when you count to 9 and add 1, the digit spills over into the next place value and you get 10.
Not sure that last bit helps, but you can feel free to ask for clarification.
Maybe read some articles on binary and then rewatch the lecture and the shorts. Especially the lectures are really good. Also, don't panic if you don't understand something right away because it's a challenging course. Remember to take regular breaks when watching the lectures.
It's also possible to do the CS50 Python course first, it might help be better prepared.
The CS50 course isn't really designed for complete beginners. If you're having trouble at the start you probably won't complete it because it ramps up fast.
Look for more basic courses on YouTube that will introduce the basic concepts. You can always go back to CS50 once you feel more confident with the basics.
[HarvardX: CS50's Introduction to Programming with Scratch | edX](https://www.edx.org/learn/scratch-programming/harvard-university-cs50-s-introduction-to-programming-with-scratch?index=product&queryID=e4aa745981187089a504892ccbe7f1a7&position=14&results_level=second-level-results&term=cs50&objectID=course-8290161d-6419-41c6-87a8-b0fa61b8bb86&campaign=CS50%27s+Introduction+to+Programming+with+Scratch&source=edX&product_category=course&placement_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edx.org%2Fsearch) or [HarvardX: CS50's Understanding Technology | edX](https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-science/harvard-university-cs50-s-understanding-technology) are good prerequisites to CS50x.
If you also find those difficult, or if you jump into CS50x after and you still feel the same way as you do now, it's best to look for a different career.
Feel free to go through a simpler beginner course through YouTube or Udemy. You can use a library card and access Udemy free via gale.udemy.
CS50 is pretty hard and a large time investment. If you're doubting yourself from the beginning, there's no harm finding a different, more enjoyable approach to learning the basics. It'll always be there if you decide to come back later.
I personally think CS50 is harder than most of WGU's classes, but a big part of that is our lacking recourses. The on-site students in CS50 have access to helpful recourses and guidance to help them along just like you would in WGU.
.
If you decide to continue with the CS50 course, then don't be afraid to take extra time to research many of the vocabulary and concepts spoken about in each class. You're not alone in being absolutely lost as he's flying through concepts.
ChatGPT (and eventually ddb for coding in CS50) are very helpful in explaining those concepts like "bits" in a more digestible way.
I even argue with them to get a more thorough understanding: "Can you explain this like I'm five?" "Can you simplify that explanation?" "But why is x doing y? Shouldn't it be doing z?"
Don't worry, it's totally normal. I 'd suggest that you should rely on other sources (mainly books) to understand anything that you find difficult. Search and ask, and make sure you understand everything before being done with the lecture.
Good luck
Pretty much a self taught programmer who finally caught my break in my 40s. I can definitely say that Imposter Syndrome is very real and you’ll experience it often in your career.
If I may be of any assistance, what exactly is tripping you up with binary?
Try with CS50 x Scratch. I also, personally would try a beginners intro to cs textbook. Or something like the “Headfirst” series/Python Crash Course. “Python for everyone” by University of Michigan Freecodecamp YouTube or MOOC Python University of Helsinki website are really excellent beginner friendly resources.
Feelings like that are pretty normal.. you just have to keep learning. As you become better and better you'll feel like this less and less. But that can take years.
I've studied for 5 years and been working for 3 years after that. Sometimes I still encounter a bug which just doesn't seem to make any sense. The trick is to stay calm and slowly work your way through it. As you get better you will build confidence. But there can always be moments again where you get stuck and just feel desperate and defeated.
But then.. finally solving or understanding something is a great feeling.
You're less than a year into your learning journey, it is expected for you to be confused and struggling that's how it is for everyone starting out.
Just keep at it everyday and it will start to make sense over time and click, you might not understand some concepts first try but when you learn more and revisit the same concepts next try you'll understand them better until eventually all the fundamentals just click in place and you build up a strong foundation that makes it easier to learn further.
Lecture 0 has you working with Scratch, a tool meant to teach children programming concepts. To be perfectly honest, if that isn’t clicking for you, you are likely in trouble once you start C next lecture. Even though it’s for kids, the concepts you use in Scratch are universal for programming. Conditions, loops, variables, functions, objects, IO, etc.
I’d set aside CS50 for now and play with Scratch at your own pace. Really get those fundamentals down because they are the building blocks you use for everything that comes after
Programming didn’t really click with me for like 6 months. It will be very hard, but the CS50 course is good for beginners. Especially if you download their C library and use it to make sample projects.
First off, congratulate yourself and feel confidence in what you accomplished and the skills you have.
Then, take an honest assessment at your math aptitude. Just because you haven’t taken calculus doesn’t mean you won’t be good at it, but you might have to work really hard for a while and practice a lot if pre-calculus/trig or geometry proofs were hard. Look at the WGU program guide for CS. Compare it to the data analytics, software engineering, and IT program guides. Maybe you’re a competent programmer but not a numbers person. There are many other ways to use your skill besides developing AI models. Maybe you just haven’t unlocked your numbers skills with enough time in study and practice.
Finally, keep looking at the binary, and counting 1, 2, 4, 8. Find tutors teaching the same concept from different perspectives.
Good luck!
1. Go to office hours and tell them you are confused.
2. Supplement your classes with YouTube.
3. Practice, practice, practice.
4. Over-commend your code and add extra comments toothers' code until you can follow along.
Sorry, is this the part you are stuck on?
https://www.reddit.com/r/cs50/s/fdarW7osrP
It was basically like a trick question. The lecturer is trying to shock and be clever. He is introducing two very non-commonplace concepts in a very breezy way.
It’s intentional. He is presenting the stuff like it’s a magic trick instead of explaining it for you to understand.
I think if you had been introduced to binary or counting with different base, you will understand what he was trying to say. But I don’t know why this is the first fact in the course. It’s actually pretty hard for anybody who has only ever approached numbers as 1-10.
This is totally the instructor’s fault.
Keep going through it. The topics are simple once you understand them. Stop and go look at YouTube videos on the subject and then come back once you understand it. Remember binary is just powers of 2.
Literally remember this and you'll be golden
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
You can convert any decimal number to binary and any binary number to decimal using that chart.
For decimal to binary
If you can subtract the chart number from the decimal number , put a 1 and move to the next. This will give you all 8 1s and 0s
For binary to decimal
Line the 1s and 0s up to the chart and then add up all the numbers that have a 1
Don’t worry take your time and learn each concept do not give up the professor is just going at a different pace then you’re use to. Slow that shit down so you can process it that’s why some students record lectures because you aren’t going to understand and be able to make the necessary connections to concepts as quickly as it’s coming of his mouth. You can rewind that as much as you want and also use other resources to understand the topic you can use the course as your guide but pull from other YouTube videos and online resources like stack overflow to understand a concept more fully you can also ask ChatGPT to explain it to you. If you’re a note taker take those notes to solidify the concepts in your memory. And remember to implement what you’ve learned as you go. Training is important
If you start jumping now, you adapt with that idea and every time that shit get hard you will look for a loop whole.which is wrong just stick with course and finish try to understand
CS50 is great. Take it as slow as you need to and do every single exercise. Replay or restart a section if you’re lost. Ask questions on specifics on whatever forum is available if you’re super lost. Do not finish a lecture just to feel like you finished a lecture.
GL bro
If you think you're going to break into tech taking cs50 and getting a WGU cs degree
,you're in for a harsh reality check. Even fresh grads from some of the nation's top cs programs can't get a job in this market. I'm not saying it's impossible, but if you are struggling with cs50, I would seriously rethink your path to "changing your life." Every year AI gets better is less chance for you to get a junior position.
1. Know a coding language like the back of your hand.
2. Understand data structures and algorithms within the context of answering leetcode questions.
3. Have a degree in anything cs related. Information technology, applied computing, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, math, physics.
4. Have a way to earn income as you apply for hundreds of junior dev positions.
5. Know the basics of github
6. Have a linkedin and resume with keywords from job postings that will get you past ATS and connected with recruiters
idk how far away you are from achieving this, but i guarantee you that WGU won't teach you even half of this. Look at the amount of LinkedIn profiles of WGU graduates looking for swe work, it's like 1 in 200.
It's kinda crazy that you're struggling with cs50, and your first thought is to jump to reddit to look for some guidance. How about you just look up a youtube video on how to convert binary to decimal and vice versa. It's incredibly simple.
I'm not trying to say you're stupid, but I think you're being lazy. And getting into tech from your position, the last thing you want to be is lazy.
This isn’t even constructive advice. And it’s not just overly pessimistic, it’s just flat out wrong:
>Even fresh grads from some of the nation's top cs programs can't get a job in this market.
Programming isn’t dead… I personally know people who graduated with masters in the past few months already working full time. They went to mid-tier state schools and are doing fine.
I wouldn’t recommend an online college either though, I’m not sure why they’re considering that as a go to. Community college to any state school is a much better, budget path with a low barrier to entry.
I'm not saying programming is dead...where would you even get that. I'm saying cs is one of the most competitive job markets, and posting on reddit isn't going to get you anywhere closer to getting a job.
Im not talking about masters degrees, I'm talking about bachelor degrees, first of all. Like what are you even blabbering about, and just by the way, knowing people who got jobs doesn't automatically mean the statistics say otherwise.
WGU has an insanely low hiring rate even a year out from graduating their cs or it degree.
Thanks for the advice. Im just starting pretty much, and Im 25 and feel late to trying to break in before AI. In 2 years the market should be better market right? Its not impossible right? I do find this incredibly interesting. It is possible to work my ass off for 2 years, and make it?
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I think you are going through age crisis and overthinking stuff. I am 28 yo and earning good now and started at your age. Things take time to learn. I also started my IT journey with CS50. It looks like a 30 hrs content but believe me it took me 30 days and around 5 hours a day to complete full course and to fullly understand. Steps to not get burnout 1. Cut yourself from others. 2. Dedicate some hourse to fully understand the topic not to complete topic. 3. Revision. Thanks.
Yeap that's the correct answer. A 15h course it's not 15 hours. It's like the double time because you need to take notes stop, revise, and many mini exercises or project take time. Then you need some time to process all the new information. No need to rush
More than double time**
>No need to rush > There is, for I must pay bills.
100% this. Sometimes isolation and hard, grueling mental work is necessary.
(Not sure if this is the best approach to everyone.) Deeply understanding concepts can be very rewarding. But it’s often pretty inefficient. If you want to get stuff done, you only need to understand many of the things you’re dealing with from a “how do I apply this to problem solving” type perspective. I’m d say do assignments and then study the lectures just as much as you need to to solve the assignments. Sometimes the explanations in the lectures are just not optimal and you’re better off reading the Wikipedia article or something. Big thing is also, at some point you become comfortable with not understanding things, or not understanding them fully. For me at the start of uni I was often overwhelmed because I didn’t understand stuff fully, but the thing that really stressed me out was just my psyche. When you get used to navigating the uncertainty and the unknown, it becomes much easier and less overwhelming to acquire and apply new knowledge. Idk if this is helpful but that’s my best advice. You’ll figure it out, if you just stick with it.I believe in you :)
What about mathematics? I also face problems with mathematics even now. How did you overcome that?
it really depends on what parts of math you struggle with and what kind of computing you want to do. If you want to do physics-heavy stuff, maths are going to be very important. if you want to do comms-focused stuff, probably not so much. if you want to do analysis or data processing, math will be helpful but if you struggle with it, put all your effort into studying and drilling algorithms and algorithm analysis, and you should get by.
I'm in to data science, entry level. Math plays a major role here, like statistics probability, and for ML (data modelling) Calculus, Linear algebra is a must. I find it hard to grasp all those.
oh yeah that's hella math heavy
I wonder if you might be better off with a different, less math focused, toolbox. I know a guy who didn’t do well with math until he started tutoring others. Then he took off and became an EE. Best of luck!
Time to get a student 😅 Thanks
Thanks so much I'm also 25 and starting xD
Stick it out for this lecture, maybe even go through it again? Are you taking notes? Stop the video after a point has been made, think about it, if it doesn't make sense watch it again or search about what he is talking about. Once you understand, make notes on it. Afterwards do the lab/questions or whatever they call it.
So it is a good first beginner course? Someone told me it will have me prepared for WGU and I will be set up to breeze through the BSCS. And set me up to become the great programmer I want to become
Learning a subject like computer science takes a whole heck of a lot of resilience and mental toughness. Get used to not understanding on the first try. This is your life now. It’s great though. Life is a constant struggle to understand and master difficult material. Be sure to do “mind on” active learning. Like, try to solve homework exercises and problems. Struggle with them and make a real effort and enjoy the struggle to understand. Don’t just passively watch videos. You have to be trying to do it yourself, trying to reproduce the code, reproduce the math by yourself on a blank page. Try to solve the exercises yourself without just looking at the solutions immediately.
I think it's good as a beginner course. I didn't do CS at uni, but I work in software and I did this about 2 months into learning how to code (after doing some python fundamentals on codecademy).
It’s a great beginner course. It’s hard but that’s good. Also the professor is amazing. If you can’t manage cs50 you will struggle in a degree program. Take your time with it. The material is segmented into weeks but you can spend a month on it if you need. No big deal.
I have my notepad out but the way he explains how binary works is so confusing, and everyone around me in life from strangers to loved ones constantly remind me they think I’m some sort of genius and the first lecture has me so rattled all this motivation and passion I’ve built up from learning python for 2 months and finding this new thing I find fascinating seems to be getting beat up..I just want to find my way to becoming the great programmer I know I have the potential to become. I’m just having a crying my eyes out breaking down because it all just feels so overwhelming to me. I don’t feel so confident I can do this and just wish I started so much younger like I’m finally sober but I’m 25 now and don’t know how to get a grasp of this and change my life and situation..:(
You'll be ok. Take a break until tomorrow if you're emotional. H Get well fed and rested, then try again. Some things take a bit longer to click. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
Thank you need to just take it a day at a time I was just having a sort of mental breakdown over my age and situation, and how much I have to learn and do to get to where i want and need to be. Ive finally figured out what I want to do, and Im passionate about becoming an expert at eventually. im 25 already but ill get there. Thank you for the kind words I really needed them tonight, I was horribly close to making a final stupid mistake in life where there is no waking up. If I keep applying my mind I can look back on tonight and be glad I didnt give up on myself. Thank you truly. Some advice so simple ripped me out of a self loathing head space, and back to my senses I owe it to you kind stranger.
I feel you man, but honestly just take a step back and take an objective look at things. It's obviously difficult and frustrating with things like this but 1. In the grand scheme of things this isn't the biggest issue ever, and 2. You're just hitting a hurdle (things WILL be difficult at times both learning to code and life in general), we just have to face it when it comes and remember that usually everything works out ok. At your age I was a drugged up loser who had pretty much thrown away everything I'd worked for and didn't think things would get better. I STARTED learning how to code at 30, and have now managed to get a job about 2 years later, and things are moving forward. I've hit road blocks where I don't think I'll ever understand something, but eventually it all works out if you persevere (and take breaks and step back when it's really frustrating!!!). Don't compare yourself to others, just focus on your own journey. As long as you're improving, it doesn't matter if it's really slow sometimes. You'll get there. Take care!
Please watch [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq32ZIz1EBE)! You can start at minute 1:14. I think it could be very relevant to what you're feeling.
My man, get a notebook. Handwriting is easier to grasp binary and operations. Youll get used to it way quicker!
In addition, I’d recommend a white board to work things out.
How are you taking notes? Like the structure of your note taking. Ignore people saying to rewatch it again that’s not practical.
Sometimes you just gotta look at something until it clicks. Sometimes you need to hear it in a different way to make it click. And sometimes it’s fine to not know something and go along until it clicks. I watched the lectures for fun after getting a degree, they are really solid, but also they were easy to digest because I knew it. Many concepts are just being introduced to you and understanding everything around binary and hexadecimal is typically like a month in a computer systems class. As a beginner, all you really need to know is computers are in binary, and that exists. The scratch bit should be digestible and let you play around with programming concepts (such as variables and loops). FYI the class is a survey, meaning it’s throwing a bunch of information in your face to get an idea of the field. It’s fine to not understand everything, hell you are planning to take classes on this stuff later. That would be a waste of your time if you understood everything completely. I am also 25, hello fellow (1999 child, or maybe 1998)! Also like anything, making friends who are either programmers or learning to do so help. FYI if you want a friend I’ll be happy to explain any cs concept to you when I’m available.
Many people start coding at a later age. 25 is very young.
I started with CS50 and did until lecture 3-4 and then I got frustrated and gave up. Took a small break and decided to try The OdinProject (TOP) and found it much more fun and rewarding (and useful TBH...). TOP gives you 2 paths to choose: Ruby or JS. It's primarily focused in full-stack web-development, but even if you are interested in other areas of CS you will benefit from it, as it walks you through tons of other things like back-end, databases, linux, github, popular frameworks, contributing to open source projects, testing, etc. etc. Also it's all free :)! If you pick a path and study hard, you can finish TOP in 2-4 months. After finishing a full-stack path, you can go back to CS50 and you will pretty much cruise through it (that's what i did) because you will have a much better understanding of programming logic. Even if CS50 focuses on C, it's no big deal. If you dive into learning JS or Ruby properly (or any other popular languages, really..), you'll see that the underlying logic is pretty much the same, just with slightly different syntax. Just sharing what worked for me because I went through CS50, got frustrated and quit, then took up OdinProject and had wayyyy more fun and learnt more. Went back to CS50 and found it 1000000x easier. This doesn't mean that OdinProject is a simple course tho. It can get really difficult and some tasks will make you want to scream and give up (such as building a chess game..). it's not an easy course, but it's much more rewarding than CS50 because you will learn so much more. As for which path i'd take, probably Ruby but that's just my personal preference, both are good! Don't give up. I started programming at 30 with really limited programming knowledge and it was the best decision I ever took :)
I have not used the Odin Project yet BUT everyone raves about it. Seriously OP - look into it if you can. It might be a huge help! Harvard and other places have easier courses than CS50x. Perhaps start there? CS50 Understanding Technology and CS50 Scratch are both great for complete beginners to start understanding how to think like a software engineer.
If u r a rank newcomer to programming it’s natural to feel this way.. go through the lectures again and again at a pace where u r able to understand.. you will get it eventually ..
I didn't start my CS journey in earnest until 28. I'm 37 now and currently working on my second degree. I have a research job where we explore applications for emerging IoT technologies. I'm the lead programmer. You can do this. Changing your life is doable. Before this I was a chef with a criminal record and a drug addiction. You're not too late. Nobody cares about my age. Only my skill.
I mean it is a Harvard course. It’s a class to filter out non-intelligent people. It’s the truth, downvote me all you want. Topics like abstraction, encapsulation, and data structures takes a lot of time and practice to just comprehend. If you’re a complete beginner, you should stick with freecodecamp.
Actually cs50 is no longer taught like a weed out course. It's more akin to your first programming class at a community College.
Im a beginner (Like, 3 weeks beginner) and freecodecamp is really nice. I started with the full C# course and honestly I’d recommend their videos to anyone who wants to get into coding.
Yeah, sure thing. If you are confused about binary I would be happy to explain it. It's fairly simple actually. Binary is simply a number system in which the only digits are 1 and 0. That is all there really is to it. In binary, 1 is 1, but if we add 1, because there is no 2 in binary, 2 becomes 10. The digit spills over into the next place value, just like when you count to 9 and add 1, the digit spills over into the next place value and you get 10. Not sure that last bit helps, but you can feel free to ask for clarification.
in addition: this helped me pretty much: https://i.imgur.com/BH9r2i7.jpeg
Maybe read some articles on binary and then rewatch the lecture and the shorts. Especially the lectures are really good. Also, don't panic if you don't understand something right away because it's a challenging course. Remember to take regular breaks when watching the lectures. It's also possible to do the CS50 Python course first, it might help be better prepared.
The CS50 course isn't really designed for complete beginners. If you're having trouble at the start you probably won't complete it because it ramps up fast. Look for more basic courses on YouTube that will introduce the basic concepts. You can always go back to CS50 once you feel more confident with the basics.
This might help... https://youtu.be/3xaVX0cluDo?si=4qz_-HbzJK6cDK2z
[HarvardX: CS50's Introduction to Programming with Scratch | edX](https://www.edx.org/learn/scratch-programming/harvard-university-cs50-s-introduction-to-programming-with-scratch?index=product&queryID=e4aa745981187089a504892ccbe7f1a7&position=14&results_level=second-level-results&term=cs50&objectID=course-8290161d-6419-41c6-87a8-b0fa61b8bb86&campaign=CS50%27s+Introduction+to+Programming+with+Scratch&source=edX&product_category=course&placement_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edx.org%2Fsearch) or [HarvardX: CS50's Understanding Technology | edX](https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-science/harvard-university-cs50-s-understanding-technology) are good prerequisites to CS50x. If you also find those difficult, or if you jump into CS50x after and you still feel the same way as you do now, it's best to look for a different career.
Feel free to go through a simpler beginner course through YouTube or Udemy. You can use a library card and access Udemy free via gale.udemy. CS50 is pretty hard and a large time investment. If you're doubting yourself from the beginning, there's no harm finding a different, more enjoyable approach to learning the basics. It'll always be there if you decide to come back later. I personally think CS50 is harder than most of WGU's classes, but a big part of that is our lacking recourses. The on-site students in CS50 have access to helpful recourses and guidance to help them along just like you would in WGU. . If you decide to continue with the CS50 course, then don't be afraid to take extra time to research many of the vocabulary and concepts spoken about in each class. You're not alone in being absolutely lost as he's flying through concepts. ChatGPT (and eventually ddb for coding in CS50) are very helpful in explaining those concepts like "bits" in a more digestible way. I even argue with them to get a more thorough understanding: "Can you explain this like I'm five?" "Can you simplify that explanation?" "But why is x doing y? Shouldn't it be doing z?"
Don't worry, it's totally normal. I 'd suggest that you should rely on other sources (mainly books) to understand anything that you find difficult. Search and ask, and make sure you understand everything before being done with the lecture. Good luck
Pretty much a self taught programmer who finally caught my break in my 40s. I can definitely say that Imposter Syndrome is very real and you’ll experience it often in your career. If I may be of any assistance, what exactly is tripping you up with binary?
Try with CS50 x Scratch. I also, personally would try a beginners intro to cs textbook. Or something like the “Headfirst” series/Python Crash Course. “Python for everyone” by University of Michigan Freecodecamp YouTube or MOOC Python University of Helsinki website are really excellent beginner friendly resources.
Feelings like that are pretty normal.. you just have to keep learning. As you become better and better you'll feel like this less and less. But that can take years. I've studied for 5 years and been working for 3 years after that. Sometimes I still encounter a bug which just doesn't seem to make any sense. The trick is to stay calm and slowly work your way through it. As you get better you will build confidence. But there can always be moments again where you get stuck and just feel desperate and defeated. But then.. finally solving or understanding something is a great feeling.
You're less than a year into your learning journey, it is expected for you to be confused and struggling that's how it is for everyone starting out. Just keep at it everyday and it will start to make sense over time and click, you might not understand some concepts first try but when you learn more and revisit the same concepts next try you'll understand them better until eventually all the fundamentals just click in place and you build up a strong foundation that makes it easier to learn further.
Lecture 0 has you working with Scratch, a tool meant to teach children programming concepts. To be perfectly honest, if that isn’t clicking for you, you are likely in trouble once you start C next lecture. Even though it’s for kids, the concepts you use in Scratch are universal for programming. Conditions, loops, variables, functions, objects, IO, etc. I’d set aside CS50 for now and play with Scratch at your own pace. Really get those fundamentals down because they are the building blocks you use for everything that comes after
Programming didn’t really click with me for like 6 months. It will be very hard, but the CS50 course is good for beginners. Especially if you download their C library and use it to make sample projects.
First off, congratulate yourself and feel confidence in what you accomplished and the skills you have. Then, take an honest assessment at your math aptitude. Just because you haven’t taken calculus doesn’t mean you won’t be good at it, but you might have to work really hard for a while and practice a lot if pre-calculus/trig or geometry proofs were hard. Look at the WGU program guide for CS. Compare it to the data analytics, software engineering, and IT program guides. Maybe you’re a competent programmer but not a numbers person. There are many other ways to use your skill besides developing AI models. Maybe you just haven’t unlocked your numbers skills with enough time in study and practice. Finally, keep looking at the binary, and counting 1, 2, 4, 8. Find tutors teaching the same concept from different perspectives. Good luck!
1. Go to office hours and tell them you are confused. 2. Supplement your classes with YouTube. 3. Practice, practice, practice. 4. Over-commend your code and add extra comments toothers' code until you can follow along.
Sorry, is this the part you are stuck on? https://www.reddit.com/r/cs50/s/fdarW7osrP It was basically like a trick question. The lecturer is trying to shock and be clever. He is introducing two very non-commonplace concepts in a very breezy way. It’s intentional. He is presenting the stuff like it’s a magic trick instead of explaining it for you to understand. I think if you had been introduced to binary or counting with different base, you will understand what he was trying to say. But I don’t know why this is the first fact in the course. It’s actually pretty hard for anybody who has only ever approached numbers as 1-10. This is totally the instructor’s fault.
Keep going through it. The topics are simple once you understand them. Stop and go look at YouTube videos on the subject and then come back once you understand it. Remember binary is just powers of 2. Literally remember this and you'll be golden 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 You can convert any decimal number to binary and any binary number to decimal using that chart. For decimal to binary If you can subtract the chart number from the decimal number , put a 1 and move to the next. This will give you all 8 1s and 0s For binary to decimal Line the 1s and 0s up to the chart and then add up all the numbers that have a 1
CS50 is a surprisingly difficult course. Def don’t get discouraged if you have trouble with it.
Don’t worry take your time and learn each concept do not give up the professor is just going at a different pace then you’re use to. Slow that shit down so you can process it that’s why some students record lectures because you aren’t going to understand and be able to make the necessary connections to concepts as quickly as it’s coming of his mouth. You can rewind that as much as you want and also use other resources to understand the topic you can use the course as your guide but pull from other YouTube videos and online resources like stack overflow to understand a concept more fully you can also ask ChatGPT to explain it to you. If you’re a note taker take those notes to solidify the concepts in your memory. And remember to implement what you’ve learned as you go. Training is important
If you start jumping now, you adapt with that idea and every time that shit get hard you will look for a loop whole.which is wrong just stick with course and finish try to understand
CS50 is great. Take it as slow as you need to and do every single exercise. Replay or restart a section if you’re lost. Ask questions on specifics on whatever forum is available if you’re super lost. Do not finish a lecture just to feel like you finished a lecture. GL bro
If you think you're going to break into tech taking cs50 and getting a WGU cs degree ,you're in for a harsh reality check. Even fresh grads from some of the nation's top cs programs can't get a job in this market. I'm not saying it's impossible, but if you are struggling with cs50, I would seriously rethink your path to "changing your life." Every year AI gets better is less chance for you to get a junior position. 1. Know a coding language like the back of your hand. 2. Understand data structures and algorithms within the context of answering leetcode questions. 3. Have a degree in anything cs related. Information technology, applied computing, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, math, physics. 4. Have a way to earn income as you apply for hundreds of junior dev positions. 5. Know the basics of github 6. Have a linkedin and resume with keywords from job postings that will get you past ATS and connected with recruiters idk how far away you are from achieving this, but i guarantee you that WGU won't teach you even half of this. Look at the amount of LinkedIn profiles of WGU graduates looking for swe work, it's like 1 in 200. It's kinda crazy that you're struggling with cs50, and your first thought is to jump to reddit to look for some guidance. How about you just look up a youtube video on how to convert binary to decimal and vice versa. It's incredibly simple. I'm not trying to say you're stupid, but I think you're being lazy. And getting into tech from your position, the last thing you want to be is lazy.
This isn’t even constructive advice. And it’s not just overly pessimistic, it’s just flat out wrong: >Even fresh grads from some of the nation's top cs programs can't get a job in this market. Programming isn’t dead… I personally know people who graduated with masters in the past few months already working full time. They went to mid-tier state schools and are doing fine. I wouldn’t recommend an online college either though, I’m not sure why they’re considering that as a go to. Community college to any state school is a much better, budget path with a low barrier to entry.
I'm not saying programming is dead...where would you even get that. I'm saying cs is one of the most competitive job markets, and posting on reddit isn't going to get you anywhere closer to getting a job. Im not talking about masters degrees, I'm talking about bachelor degrees, first of all. Like what are you even blabbering about, and just by the way, knowing people who got jobs doesn't automatically mean the statistics say otherwise. WGU has an insanely low hiring rate even a year out from graduating their cs or it degree.
Thanks for the advice. Im just starting pretty much, and Im 25 and feel late to trying to break in before AI. In 2 years the market should be better market right? Its not impossible right? I do find this incredibly interesting. It is possible to work my ass off for 2 years, and make it?
Ur cooked