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Well I made a 5 year plan for myself (11years-16years) I am pretty good at Java, HTML, and PHP. I have already done some end projects:

  • Small Java Platform Game
  • A Small Polynomial Solver
  • A Small Image Sharing Site
  • A Chess Website: chesslounge.net

I am currently doing some Android Development and so far I have made a program that Vibrates, Blinks the Light, or Creates a custom status message based on the user input. And a program that rotates a pyramid with a texture.

My question is:

Should I stick to what I am doing or Learn something a little new? I am itching to do C++, but what is your advice?

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If you want to do C++, do it. As long as you're doing something you enjoy you'll have the enthusiasm to work through problems. It's the best way to learn. – Paul McCabe Mar 1 '11 at 16:06
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Are you saying you're 10? – Joel Etherton Mar 1 '11 at 16:38
@joel -- from his website: "Welcome to chesslounge.net, a website made by a 11 year old!" Make way, Mark Zuckerberg. – tcrosley Mar 1 '11 at 17:20
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I applaud your enthusiasm, but my recommendation is that you throw your 5 year plan out the window. You're doing well learning how, but without understanding why you're teaching yourself bad habits. Find time to be a kid. There's nothing wrong with it, in fact some studies even indicate that it's good for you. I'm not saying abandon these projects, but don't plan it out. Live. – Joel Etherton Mar 1 '11 at 17:35
@Joel: There's no harm in having a five-year plan, even if you're 11. It gives you a direction and an easy way of seeing if you're progressing as you like. What's harmful is sticking to an outdated plan when it's clearly wrong. I believe General Eisenhower said, "Plans are useless, planning is indispensible." – David Thornley Mar 1 '11 at 18:08
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5 Answers

up vote 0 down vote accepted

I think it's a great five year plan! Year 6: buy a motorcycle. Or maybe tomorrow and do some dirt-track instead of street.

When I tried to learn C++, it was in a different age and I was endlessly confused by public / private members. I knew no programmers, and that sucked. Do it, have fun. You've got the resources for questions along the way here, and I can't imagine you won't succeed with the resume you've got already.

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Thanks that really helped! I guess I should take ever bodies advice so since C++ is in my plan I will learn it, but still devote lots of time to being a kid, but focus on Android dev to! – Andrew Mar 2 '11 at 0:09
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Check out the Book "Seven Languages in Seven Weeks" It will show you 7 very cool languages. (Ruby, IO, Erlang, Clojure, Haskell, Prolog and I think Scala).

If you want to really become a solid programmer understand pointers and recursion.

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Nonsense. I haven't touched a pointer since my last C++ program in 2001. And I use recursion about once every other full moon. – Randy Minder Mar 1 '11 at 16:48
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@Randy Minder - you don't have to directly use pointers, but it helps to understand them; even if it is to know the difference between ByVal and ByRef in VB. – JeffO Mar 1 '11 at 16:53
@Randy Agreed. Recursion is certainly a specific problem domain solution as I only deal with recursion when folder hierarchies surface. – Aaron McIver Mar 1 '11 at 16:56
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How much you use recursion depends a lot on what language you use, and what style you use. In functional languages it tends to be much more common. However that being said even if you are not writing recursive code understanding recursion is still a key skill in programming – Zachary K Mar 1 '11 at 16:58
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If you want a broad set of skills, one thing that you're missing web client-side/DOM scripting, have a look at JQuery for a great JavaScript library. Then you will have a broad and shallow understanding of several technology areas and be able to specialise in your favourite.

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up vote 0 down vote

I have the same problem, alot of times i'll want to learn all these new interesting things. But then forget that you can really only learn one thing "well" at a time...in my opinion anyways.

When I start trying to "bring in"/learn multiple languages etc I start getting overlapped and my brain burns out very quickly.

But it is always good to learn new things, just do it one at a time IMO.

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up vote 0 down vote

What's in your plan? :)

Learning a new language is never a bad thing, but is learning C++ in your plan? It all depends on what you have set as your goals for the next 5 years.

If your 5 year plan is to develop an Android app that you can sell/offer in the market place, then maybe C++ isn't the right way to go.

If your 5 year plan is to learn a new language and to develop your skills with more lower level development, then learning C++ would be a great place to start.

Either way, you'll be learning something new.

In the end no one here can tell you if learning C++ is right or wrong for you. It's up to you to decide if it's right time to jump into it.

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