Why You Should Learn To Code

L E A R N I N G , T E C H N O L O G Y
Why you should learn how to code

May 5, 2020
::This article was originally published on September 8th, 2019 on the Code for
Bhutan Facebook page::
“So, what do you do for fun?”
This question always catches me off guard. I have a hard time making up an answer I think people
usually expect—that I play a sport, or go shopping, or watch movies. Because I’m blessed that what I
happily choose to do for fun is also exactly what I do for a living: I build things.
No, not with bricks or cement or with any other perceptible material – but with codes.
A lot of people don’t really understand what coding is. But people who learn how to code are able to
apply it beyond their computers. Coding forces you to collaborate with other people and solve
problems effectively and productively.
Coding or programming is an enormously flexible tool that you can use to do amazing things that are
otherwise either manual or troublesome or are just impossible. If you’re using a smartphone, a chat
app or if you’re unlocking your car with the push of a button, then you must know that all these
things are using some kind of programming. You’re already immersed in technology. In fact,
software is running your life. So what if you start learning how this technology works?
At its core, a coding language is a system of variables and rules that govern them – just like English
or Dzongkha. Where Dzongkha allows you to speak with people from Bhutan, learning a computer
language allows you to speak with computers. For instance, by putting words and grammar together,
you are able to turn your thoughts into output that other people can understand. The same principles
apply with coding languages like Python and JavaScript as both consists of objects and functions,
and they’re able to turn your ‘input’ into output that other people can understand.In both cases, we
don’t have to have mastery of a language to use it or appreciate what it can do.Coding can seem
complex and unapproachable, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be an engineer at
Facebook or programming autonomous vehicles at Tesla to benefit from learning the basics.
I see much deeper and broader reasons for learning to code. In the process of learning to code, people
learn many other things. Here are a few points that I put together:
1. Coding helps with structured and critical thinking
Steve Jobs once said, “Everybody should learn how to program a computer… because it teaches you
how to think.” I agree. When programmers are given a problem to solve, they don’t just start to code
right away. Problems are not solved that way. When you see a problem, you need to break it down
into workable pieces and then get on it. Non-programmers rarely approach a problem like this. When
you start learning to program, you develop the habit of working your way out in a very structured
format. You gradually program your brain to break every problem down into smaller manageable bits
and understand better.
2. Coding helps with problem solving skills
Coding forces you to break up a problem into series of smaller steps and then logically create a
system that solves them. When facing an error when coding – you work your way backwards, you try
using a different approach, and you experiment until something works. I find myself using this same
approach to virtually every problem in my life. You pause after a block and try to visualise the
solution. You try to understand how different approaches can get you to the desired outcome, and
you usually always see the challenge through.
3. Coding makes our lives more efficient
A simple program can make things run. Something that works on binary inputs can be programmed
to do so on a tap on your smartphone or when you double clap, like switching on your electrical
appliances. Something that requires your input repeatedly, just like online forms where you have to
fill your First Name, Last Name, Email and personal information, can be programmed to have your
input once and it can automatically fill out your forms with a single click.I see people go crazy when
working on something as simple as an Excel Sheet because of the ‘manual labour’ it requires.
Suppose you have a task on Excel Sheet to add the contents of column 2, 3 and 4, and then find the
average of the result. If you have to do this task multiple times in a day, every day, it would be
chaotic. Right? Now, if you write a small program that can perform these functions all at once, you’ll
be saving your time, effort and you’ll be 100 times more efficient.With programming skills, you can
create your own tools and make your life simpler.
4. Coding helps your future proof your career
In today’s tech driven world, hard skills like coding will future proof your career beyond doubt.All
the technology that surrounds us is brought to life by code. This is transforming society and our lives,
in nearly every aspect. If I am illiterate in our society — if I can’t read and write— I find myself
powerless and excluded in many situations. I am then very easy to manipulate, drowned in the
omnipresence of text, rules and laws that I can’t interpret. Similarly, as we are now in a completely
computerized society, someone who doesn’t master the culture of code will be more and more
powerless, excluded, and manipulated when facing new technologies.
Even if you don’t dedicate your whole career to coding/programming computers, you can become a
freelance developer and code part-time. You can easily earn a little extra money just by helping small
businesses build and maintain their websites.
5. Coding teaches you persistence

When you learn computer programming, you start seeing problems in the light of solutions. Your
brain starts functioning like that. When you encounter a problem after learning to program, you start
envisioning the possible ways to solve it. You may even foresee some good results out of it. However
hard the problem might seem, you become determined to act on it anyhow. You transform yourself
into a solution-driven individual.Programmers have to think logically about a problem. Once you
start learning how to code, you stop giving up on other difficult situations in your day-to-day life as
well. You start trying over and over again. You become patient because you know there is always a
solution. It just needs some more effort, just like when you create a program, run it, and debug it
several times to reach the perfect solution.
6. Coding helps you become more self-reliant
In 2019, there’s basically no excuse as to why you shouldn’t learn basic coding. Nevertheless, most
people I know still live in the dark ages and have not taken any measures to learn even the most basic
HTML. (I’m not talking about people like my Grandma, I mean people my age and younger).If you
want to be independent you have to understand how the tools you use everyday work. If you want to
use technology for your own freedom — we must learn how to code. Otherwise, you will be
subjected to rules you can’t decrypt. Computer programming is powerful. Even if you know just the
basics of programming, you can imagine a lot of solutions and can work to solve your (and maybe
the world’s) problems.
Learn computer programming to feel the confidence of having this robust tool at your disposal. It’s
amazing!
7. Coding helps you become a better entrepreneur
You might say your business has nothing to do with technology? Why should you learn to code?
Well, given just about every tool in the modern marketer’s toolkit relies on some form of SaaS
application or web interface, do you really want to be reliant on someone else for the most basic of
HTML and CSS fixes?
If you see yourself in start-up land one day, then understanding how deeply the marketing and
product functions intersect in modern organisations is all the proof you need, in my opinion. Being
able to take part in discussions with developers is mission critical in any start-up and high growth
company.So don’t dismiss coding as something the geeks do. Stay a step ahead, and think about how
basic coding skills could set you apart, supercharge your earning potential early on, and future proof
your income.
But most importantly, learning how to code is empowering!
The founders of Facebook, WeChat, Twitter, Google, are all coders. These web platforms have
transformed society in just a few years. In fact, they scare people. And rightly so, because code is
Power.
This power should not remain in the hands of an elite group of new scribes. We must actively spread
it.
Don’t just play on your phone, program it!
PS: To everyone asking me when the next Code for Bhutan will take place. I am in the process of
figuring out when I can free my schedule to organise the next one. Just rest assured that the next one
will be more competitive than the first one, so if you’re thinking of applying, start thinking of why
you want to learn how to code today.
For more info , visit: www.codeforbhutan.com
By Sonam

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L E A R N I N G , T E C H N O L O G Y

Why you should learn how to code

“So, what do you do for fun?”

1. Coding helps with structured and critical thinking

2. Coding helps with problem solving skills

3. Coding makes our lives more efficient

4. Coding helps your future proof your career

5. Coding teaches you persistence

6. Coding helps you become more self-reliant

7. Coding helps you become a better entrepreneur

But most importantly, learning how to code is empowering!

Don’t just play on your phone, program it!

For more info , visit: www.codeforbhutan.com

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