Do I Need To Be A Genius To Be A Programmer?

You can a lot with programming, encompassing many career choices, and many people think you need to be a genius. It’s easy to assume that computer programmers are geniuses. Do I Need To Be A Genius To Be A Programmer?

When you consider a programmer, you probably think of someone in the cold dark basement writing code to take over the world or someone that went to MIT, Harvard, or any other Ivy League school in the US. Are they distant relative to Albert Einstein? Every computer programmer must be mensa-level intelligent, right?

You may think you can only attain a career in web development if you are a brainiac and have an average IQ. Math was probably your worse subject in school, and you struggled to get a “C” average throughout high school and college.

You probably think they are pretentious, and when you hear them talking, all you hear are zeros and ones.

But being a web developer, it’s flattering that people think I’m a genius. Sometimes when I speak to my friends, they don’t even understand what I’m talking about, and they think I’m talking in ones and zeros like I’m talking about a flux capacitor.

If I tell you this one secret, you need to promise not to tell anyone. It is a secret that we programmers keep from you because we want to seem like we are geniuses and love it when you call us geniuses.

Many programmers have average intelligence and are not the next Albert Einstein.

You do not have to be a genius to be a programmer. I know, right. I can hear your surprise. It is a relief hearing that. You were sworn to secrecy, and don’t tell anyone. If you tell people, it will be complete chaos.

My Experience

When I was 18, my parents told me that I should consider going into computer science, which is one of the degrees you get as you enter the world of programming. But I didn’t like to challenge myself.

I did well in school and mainly got ‘A’s and ‘B’s, but I didn’t feel that was good enough to get a degree in Computer Science. You needed to be super smart, like Sheldon in Big Bang Theory.

I didn’t do well on my ACT test, and I only got an 18 on a scale of 36. I wasn’t a great candidate to study programming.

However, like every 18-year-old, I didn’t listen to my parents because I thought I knew better. I had a lot of circumstances in life that caused me to reevaluate my decisions.

I started studying programming in my late 20s. I liked that you didn’t need to be a genius like I initially thought.

Misconceptions

Believing you need a genius is a huge misconception. I think people believe this misconception because,

• How programmers are displayed in media – In movies, programmers seem super smart and have magic powers. Suppose you have ever seen “The Social Network” about the start of Facebook. In that case, it is easy to compare yourself to Mark Zuckerberg and think you are not smart enough to become a programmer.
• Language – Programmers use fancy language that sounds smart, words like encapsulation, recursion, abstraction, and cloud computing. What is all that?

These are misconceptions that intimidate a lot of people. You don’t have to be a genius, but you must be willing to improve.

You definitely can learn the industry jargon. I was intimidated, but I was willing to learn.

How To Handle These Misconceptions?

There are many ways to handle these misconceptions and not sell yourself short. It is just a matter of not listening to your misconceptions and preconceived notions.

Take The Risk

You only know if you are good at something once you try. If it turns out you are not good, keep practicing. If you like doing it, don’t give up because you do not understand something. Keep practicing until you get better. When I first started programming, I needed to improve. When my senior developer friend started, he could have been better. Mark Zuckerberg is just an average human, not a robot. He probably was not good at programming when he was a kid. But my point is we all need to start somewhere.

No one is born with a massive amount of knowledge. If you know someone who was, let me know. There may be outliers out there. But most programmers aren’t outliers and are of average intelligence.

Do Not Compare Yourself

You probably put enough pressure on yourself anyway, and comparing yourself will add to your stress. There will always be someone better than you at something, and they did better at school than you.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Just stop, please.

When I was learning programming, I compared myself to others with more experience in the industry than I did. But they had years of experience; of course, they are better at programming than I am. But I can get there, and you can too. Comparing yourself will significantly hinder your progress.

Imposter Syndrome is Normal

Imposter syndrome is doubting your skills. A lot of good programmers I know have imposter syndrome. They are supposed to be geniuses and be confident, aren’t they? But, they also experience imposter syndrome, as oddly as it sounds. That should be proof to support the claim that you do not need to be a genius to go into web development.

Keep Getting Better

Now that you have a lot of evidence to prove that you don’t need to be a genius, it’s essential to keep learning. There are free resources you can find online and free resources.

If you stop learning, you stop growing.

Where You Can Learn

So, If you want to switch to a career in programming you no longer have to believe the lie that you need to be a genius. What a relief?

Are you ready to find some great resources to help you learn more about programming?

Learn with Codecademy

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to be a genius. Believe in yourself and try it out. Don’t be intimidated. If you like programming, never stop.

If you have any questions or comments, ask below.

The band “Journey” said it best, “Don’t Stop Believing.”