Shoutout to the person who told me to start with Python instead of C++

When I first decided to learn to code, I spent a whole weekend reading about which language to pick. I was stuck between Python and C++. A friend who works as a developer told me to start with Python, so I did. I used the 'Automate the Boring Stuff' book and followed along with the free online course. The syntax was way easier to understand, and I wrote my first little script to rename a bunch of files in about two hours. If I had started with C++, I think I would have gotten frustrated with memory management and given up. Now I feel confident enough to try building a simple web scraper. Has anyone else had a similar experience where picking the right starting point made all the difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilychen2mo ago

Python first, then C++ for the hard stuff.

clairem812mo ago

Started with Python, then C++ for graphics... that combo got me through my first game engine class.

rileyjones23d ago

Oh man, that combo really does work! I had a buddy who tried learning C++ first without any Python background and he nearly quit programming altogether. He was so frustrated with pointers and memory management right out of the gate. Then he took a step back, learned Python basics for a few months, and came back to C++ for a graphics project. He told me it was like night and day how much easier the concepts clicked the second time around. Python just gives you that gentle ramp up so you can focus on logic without fighting the compiler the whole time.