2 answers
Cody
Student
Port St. Lucie, Florida
1
Question
Asked
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Is it possible to be successful in a Computer Science major without any previous knowledge on coding?
I am an upcoming college freshman.
I am familiar with technology.
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2 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1463
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Cody!
Short answer is Yep — totally possible.
You don’t need to roll into college with coding superpowers. A lot of people start from scratch in Computer Science. What matters more is your curiosity and your willingness to struggle through stuff that makes zero sense at first (which is… most of coding, honestly).
Since you’re already tech-friendly, that gives you a little head start in mindset. Coding’s just another tool — you’ll pick it up. The first few weeks might feel like learning a weird new language (because it is), but once you crack that first problem on your own...lets say it becomes Addicting.
And of course I would recommend now that you want go ahead and start now. You can totally start by Trying out Scratch or Code.org, my brother started hard but he recommends these as super friendly so yea just hit them a shot man because you can literally do somethin without writing actual code. After a while you can slowly Move to Python, you can then Hop on Replit or download Thonny — both are great for beginners to learn it. Also you can check youtube for beginners playlist and or check other learning apps. You can also Play around on sites like: HackerRank
Think of it like learning to ride a bike — wobbly first, then suddenly you’re zooming
You got this, and good luck. Feel free to reach out when you need anythin buddy.
Ask questions early, even the “dumb” ones (they’re never dumb)
Don’t compare yourself to the kid who’s been coding since middle school — you’re not late, you're just on lets say your clock
Practice outside class. Little projects, challenges, YouTube rabbit holes — they help a lot
Short answer is Yep — totally possible.
You don’t need to roll into college with coding superpowers. A lot of people start from scratch in Computer Science. What matters more is your curiosity and your willingness to struggle through stuff that makes zero sense at first (which is… most of coding, honestly).
Since you’re already tech-friendly, that gives you a little head start in mindset. Coding’s just another tool — you’ll pick it up. The first few weeks might feel like learning a weird new language (because it is), but once you crack that first problem on your own...lets say it becomes Addicting.
And of course I would recommend now that you want go ahead and start now. You can totally start by Trying out Scratch or Code.org, my brother started hard but he recommends these as super friendly so yea just hit them a shot man because you can literally do somethin without writing actual code. After a while you can slowly Move to Python, you can then Hop on Replit or download Thonny — both are great for beginners to learn it. Also you can check youtube for beginners playlist and or check other learning apps. You can also Play around on sites like: HackerRank
Think of it like learning to ride a bike — wobbly first, then suddenly you’re zooming
You got this, and good luck. Feel free to reach out when you need anythin buddy.
Dr recommends the following next steps:
Ok, that's a relief, thank you so much for responding so quickly Dr. H.
Cody
Cody you're very very welcome!
I’m glad it brought you some relief! And honestly, your curiosity and open mindset already put you ahead. Also, Clifton gave some excellent advice, especially the part about going beyond the minimum. That kind of mindset turns you from just another student into someone who builds with what they learn. And his “Make it work, then make it pretty” philosophy. That applies to both code and life tbh here so focus on getting your foundations solid, then polish as you grow. Keep that spirit, keep tinkering, and remember pal small efforts now turn into massive gains later.
Dr H
Clifton Norton
Install and maintain computer systems
3
Answers
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Updated
Clifton’s Answer
I agree with Doc H! It's definitely possible. Let me add a few points to his great advice.
When you're in school and working on assignments, always try to add something extra. For example, in one of my early classes, the task was to code the card game War. The basic requirement was to randomly generate cards and compare them, displaying "It's War!!" when matching cards appear. Doing just this will get you a passing grade, but you should aim higher. Try to add more to the program. For instance, since there are 52 cards in a deck with 4 of each type, you could program the game to have an endpoint and include a reshuffle option to keep playing. Adding extra features can earn you extra credit and, more importantly, you'll learn more. As the class progresses, you can enhance future assignments. This approach will help you graduate with more skills than if you only did the minimum.
Another important lesson is "Make it work, then make it pretty!" In one class, we were divided into two teams to design, create, and deploy a telemetry package for an amateur rocket, along with a ground station on a PC to display acceleration and altitude. The signal from the onboard packages had to be the same so either ground station could show the data during the launch. Both teams finished the hardware, but the other team spent too much time making their PC interface look good and never got it working, so we used our ground station for both launches. Our interface looked okay; it wasn't fancy, but it worked! Focus on functionality first, then on aesthetics.
When you're in school and working on assignments, always try to add something extra. For example, in one of my early classes, the task was to code the card game War. The basic requirement was to randomly generate cards and compare them, displaying "It's War!!" when matching cards appear. Doing just this will get you a passing grade, but you should aim higher. Try to add more to the program. For instance, since there are 52 cards in a deck with 4 of each type, you could program the game to have an endpoint and include a reshuffle option to keep playing. Adding extra features can earn you extra credit and, more importantly, you'll learn more. As the class progresses, you can enhance future assignments. This approach will help you graduate with more skills than if you only did the minimum.
Another important lesson is "Make it work, then make it pretty!" In one class, we were divided into two teams to design, create, and deploy a telemetry package for an amateur rocket, along with a ground station on a PC to display acceleration and altitude. The signal from the onboard packages had to be the same so either ground station could show the data during the launch. Both teams finished the hardware, but the other team spent too much time making their PC interface look good and never got it working, so we used our ground station for both launches. Our interface looked okay; it wasn't fancy, but it worked! Focus on functionality first, then on aesthetics.
Thank you for your insight Mr. Norton, I will definitely be using these tips in the future.
Cody