No Stupid Questions

I'm in my late 40s and I just got a bachelor's degree. I just started a masters program. It's never too late.

no, but at 23 you'd wish you started at 22

as the saying goes the best time to start was when you were 6 the second best time is now

Don't ever, and I mean ever, let anyone tell you that you're too old to try something new. If anyone ever does, know, deep in your heart, that person is insecure and afraid of being their authentic self. Go forth, try new things, learn new knowledge, find out you don't like things, sometimes get frustrated, and discover the things that make life worth living for you. You will be so much happier if you set aside what anyone else will think of you and focus on "This interests me"

I don't understand why you would think 22 is too old? Am I missing something?

If it's something you're passionate about, you're never too old.

In 4 years, you will be 26. That will happen regardless of your decision. But you can choose now whether you will be a 26-year-old with a CompSci degree, or a 26-year-old without one.

(It's also pretty common in IT to see people go back to formal education to update their skills)

Where are you from? This is a strange sentiment from my perspective. I didn't even know what I wanted to do when I was 22. But I had the privilege of growing up in a country that doesn't burden youth with high interest university debt. I appreciate that in some countries you need to get a job as soon as you finish studying to pay loans etc. To answer your question specifically, no, 22 is not too old to start studying computer science.

Absolutely not.

22? Old?

Bahahaha. I'm still learning complex stuff and I'm double that.

In a word, no. In a longer word, noooooo.

Yo man this isn't enders game

The thing with computer science is that it's always changing, so everyone has to keep learning it regardless of age or prior experience, or they'll risk getting left behind.

The answer to is X years too old to start Y activity is almost always no.

I started doing digital design and animation at 29. Made a career out of it. I think you are safe.

Not even remotely.

That's how old I was when I started pursuing it seriously instead of just dabbling. Two decades and change later and it's still a choice I don't regret.

The basics are fairly straightforward and the field is wide, deep, and mutable enough that everyone's always picking up new things anyway. The only thing that'll make you different from your peers is the ratio of how many birthdays you've celebrated v. how much direct experience you have. Thankfully that metric is spread out far enough amongst CS folks that it's only useful as a point of conversational amusement and has no bearing on one's ability to do the actual work.

It's never too old to get into anything dude, just do what you like!

Nope, I'm almost 30 and just graduated BS of Computer Science after 7 years of on and off schooling.

Many people start in their 30's to learn programming. So no, 22 is not too old.

The only way you're "too old" for something is if you are like 60 and want to become a commercial pilot. The age limit is 65 and if you spend a few years training, you're left with like 1 year of flying time. No airline would hire you, and that probably doesn't earn as much as the time you spent.

But computer science have no age limit. Age 22 is barely anything. You're just a child (like not in a bad way), not even old enough to be a US Congressperson or US President. If you keep wondering about if you're too old, you might soon actually become "too old". Start now.

And good luck! 😉

I've been a professional software engineer for over ten years now. I didn't study anything to do with computers until I was 20; I'd been aiming for a different career and was halfway through a degree before I discovered I didn't enjoy it and wasn't getting very good grades, so I swapped.

While at uni, I was part of the student mentor program where I did teaching assistant work for the lower years. One of the students in the lab group I assisted was a guy in his forties who'd seen his factory job automated away and decided if computers were going to take his job, he'd go learn how to work with computers and move into the sector that was creating jobs rather than removing them. He was a good student and picked things up quickly. I have every confidence he's still out there doing well as an engineer.

22 is a perfectly fine age to start. If you've got the right attitude - the desire and motivation to focus on your studies and put in the work - you'll do great.

One thing worth being aware of beforehand though is how a lot of your studying might go. The professor I assisted in those labs told me about an observation that's been made in the teaching profession, and I saw it in action myself. A lot of computer science and programming is about finding the mental model that helps you understand what's happening, how the computers work. Until you find it, you'll be stuck. Then, something will click, and it'll make sense. The professor told me they don't see the usual bell curve of grades - they see two. One cluster of students at the bottom who don't get it, and one higher up who understand. A lot of learning computing is less of a linear progression and more a process of running into the wall until you chance upon the particular explanation or analogy or perspective that works for the way you think, and then suddenly that particular concept is easy, and it's onto the next one. This series of little clicks is how you progress.

Once you've got a few core concepts down it's easier to work out how new things fit into the mental model you're constructing, but be prepared for the early bits to have some frustrating periods where it feels like you aren't getting anywhere. Stick at it, and look around for other resources, other books or tutorials, other people to explain it their way. I frequently saw a student look totally clueless at my explanation, but another student who'd understood what I said would paraphrase it slightly differently, and that was all it took for the clueless student to suddenly understand and pass the exercise. That lightbulb moment is as fun to experience yourself as it is to bring about in others. You just have to hang in there until it happens.

You're never too old to learn.

Fuck no, do what you love and what calls to you. If you haven’t found anything yet, you need to broaden your horizons.

It’s much more cut and dry than most people think. All these questions have to do more with you and what you’re willing to do than the logistics. You’ll almost always be able to work logistics out eventually so focus on the you part to make sure your “vehicle” is suitable for the terrain

Waaay too old..

Of course not, dude. I switched careers from music to software dev at 28 without any formal education (now 7yrs later a senior dev).

22 is not old, you will be fine!

You're never too old... And 22 is no age at all. I changed career at 31 and I'm loving it! Best decision ever.

No.

My computer sciences teacher was from a generation that was im their thirties when they touched their first pc. Yet, he taught me so much and is very good at it.

It's never too late.

I think yes, if you consider that you can still get hooked on a pretty bad heroin addiction, you are probably already through with most of your life. Instead of wasting your last years trying to figure out all the bits and bytes, you could just enjoy the rest of it.

Of course not, I didn’t get my degree until I was 32 (Army and general immaturity stopped me from going until I was 26)

I’ve now done the gamut from being a web dev to desktop apps to API development and currently a senior devops engineer. I’ve worked for big companies like Microsoft and small non-profits in the healthcare space.

I guess what I’m saying is you have decades ahead of you, fill it with the work you find interesting. Our field is ever changing and has so many niches and specialties. The work you start out doing will probably not be where you end up. Always be learning.

Nah. Graduated uni at 21. Became a teacher at 25. Doing my MSc (unrelated subject) this year to change careers at 39 (when I'll graduate).

Not at all, I have worked with people in their thirties/fourties that are juniors cause they did a reconversion. There is no age to start computer science, it is a pretty vast field with a lot of demand!

Good grief.

I’ve been a developer for nearly 30 years, started my IT degree when I was 24. No, you’re not too old to start!

Go for it my man (or your gender-aligned equivalent term)! At that age, you can still hang out with your classmates without it being weird, so you can still build connections like everyone else. Even if you were 40 though you could still do it, networking would be harder though.

No. I graduated with a degree in CS at 26, but learned everything I really needed to know on the job. Probably wasn't until 30 that things started picking up. Now I make close to half a million a year at almost 40. Do it.

Never too old. I'm 35 and just now starting to figure out what I might want to be when I grow up.

I'm in my forties and your question reminds me of myself when I was your age.

My advice: don't think it twice, just dive in.

edit: autocorrect typo

When I was studying to get a CS degree at a major university there were many people older than 22, even a couple in their 40s. 4 years won't slow you down.

Is 22 too old to start...

Nope.

Am a heck of a lot older...and have gone blind. I'm still learning things all the time. If it is firing your curiosity it is worth giving a shot. By all means go for it!

...and thank you for the post. You have convinced me to try something new myself. Enjoy!

not at all. i fell into computing in my mid 20s. somehow i managed to learn enough to get myself hired at one of the largest technology companies in the world where i've now been over 20 years.

has it been easy? definitely not. without that classic computer science degree my peers have i've had to be scrappier and move faster to be on top of emerging tech where the playing field is a little more equal. i can this "surfing" the tech.

since i started i've participated in the birth of the internet, mobile, public cloud, big data, startups and now ai.

if you love it you can make it happen - just be realistic and stay scrappy ❤️

No.

Computer science is the academic name. If you're planning on becoming a software engineer, you can also self learn that via YouTube and books; though academia does give a pretty good start.

The best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The next best time is right now.

No. I came to it in my early 30s and I'm doing OK, having worked in software for almost 20 years now.

Generally, if you're in your 20s and you're wondering if you're too old for something, the answer is probably no unless it's pro sports or becoming a world famous violinist.

I graduated at 27 and got an internship in SF. Life changed.