Hi there. Totally psyched to read this post and the responses. <3
I'm an older college student going back to school for my BS in IT with a software development focus.
Is there any additional advice you'd like to give me as an older student just getting into the field? I do have a background with Front-End technologies and have been coding on and off my whole life. Right now, I'm mostly doing Python and Java/Android projects and reading a lot of programming books off of the lists I see recommended.
Congrats on returning to school! "Non-traditional students" are the coolest people going! (I tutored a lot of older students back in my college days.)
There aren't many significant differences between a younger intern/student and an older one. One of my interns is a retired veteran with a background in binary programming with punchcards!
I've really only noticed two issues that are somewhat unique to older students:
Some have difficulty having someone younger as their teacher or supervisor. It's important to remember that you can learn from anyone, and we all have more we can learn as long as we live.
You will almost certainly have experiences that your supervisors, teachers, and fellow students/interns don't. Hold onto these, and don't be afraid to share them. At the same time, remember that computer science evolves continually - what was true ten years ago might have been superseded. It's a balancing act.
In the end, age doesn't mean much. I've learned things from my own interns, even those several years younger than me.
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Hi there. Totally psyched to read this post and the responses. <3
I'm an older college student going back to school for my BS in IT with a software development focus.
Is there any additional advice you'd like to give me as an older student just getting into the field? I do have a background with Front-End technologies and have been coding on and off my whole life. Right now, I'm mostly doing Python and Java/Android projects and reading a lot of programming books off of the lists I see recommended.
Congrats on returning to school! "Non-traditional students" are the coolest people going! (I tutored a lot of older students back in my college days.)
There aren't many significant differences between a younger intern/student and an older one. One of my interns is a retired veteran with a background in binary programming with punchcards!
I've really only noticed two issues that are somewhat unique to older students:
Some have difficulty having someone younger as their teacher or supervisor. It's important to remember that you can learn from anyone, and we all have more we can learn as long as we live.
You will almost certainly have experiences that your supervisors, teachers, and fellow students/interns don't. Hold onto these, and don't be afraid to share them. At the same time, remember that computer science evolves continually - what was true ten years ago might have been superseded. It's a balancing act.
In the end, age doesn't mean much. I've learned things from my own interns, even those several years younger than me.