They don’t tell you that a lot of programming skill is about developing a knack for asking the right questions on Google and…

“They don’t tell you that a lot of programming skill is about developing a knack for asking the right questions on Google and knowing which code is best to copy-paste. And they don’t let you in on a big secret: that there is no mastery, there is no final level. The anxiety of feeling lost and stupid is not something you learn to conquer, but something you learn to live with.”

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http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/24/dont-believe-anyone-who-tells-you-learning-to-code-is-easy/

(One of the toughest things to do when I’m teaching Processing is convincing the students who “just don’t get it ” to stick it out a little longer and persist in their efforts. I don’t expect all of my art students to become professional programmers. In fact I’m not sure if I have the mettle to do that myself. I do think that one of the many values of programming is that it “isn’t easy” and direct experience can cure the false perception.  - J.L.)