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What type of college do i need to go to in order to become a successful programmer?

My career is a computer programmer #engineering #programming #facebook

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Thank you comment icon Hey Tyra! I'm a sophomore in college majoring in computer science, and if your goal is to become a computer programmer, then you should look at schools who have good computer science programs. A quick google search would suffice. You could also go to a technical school, where you get a lot of hands on experience, but you don't learn the fundamentals of programming. Albert
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Beibit’s Answer

Obviously, attending top college increases your chances of landing into a desired company/position. However, I've also seen people without a degree or a degree from not-well known university being successful. Thus, I'd say your degree help you to land a first job, but your career depends on your skills and past projects. That means constant learning and improvement is required to be successful as an IT professional.
If I would start over, I would probably focus the first 5-6 years on acquiring breadth of knowledge and then select whatever I liked the most:
- back-end development
- front-end development
- web/mobile
- data analyst/engineering/science/big data
- on-premises/cloud
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Frank’s Answer

Hi Tyra, you'll want to enroll in a college that provides a major in Math or Computer Science. These are the usual two "gateway paths" leading to computer programming careers. Others may include Engineering, Business, Finance/Economics, and Science majors, too.
Thank you comment icon If your goal is to work at Facebook (or similar caliber company), you likely want to do what Frank suggested and get a comp sci degree. While you're there, apply for internships early and often, and practice programming. Daniel Moy
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Maria’s Answer

Hi Tyra!
You can start with a good community college with a strong IT department. I would look at an Information Systems major. Do you know what industry or business are you'd like to work?
Some of the smartest and most successful IT people I know and work with have little college. Find a good tech school and look for apprentice positions or intern jobs where you can learn on the job and with a mentor.
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Steve’s Answer

I recommend you start learning now--don't wait for college. The best programmers began learning as a hobby. And then when you get to college, you'll be well on your way to a successful programming career.

A survey published in 2016 reports the vast majority of programmers are self-taught. The report concludes:

According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, only 1 in 10 schools nationwide currently are teaching computer science classes. If developers aren’t being presented the opportunity to study computer science during their school years, they’re going to have to find alternate ways to learn to code. This helps to explain why so many developers are learning to code in non-traditional ways (aka not through earning a BS in Computer Science).

How do they learn?
- They read popular programming blogs, like Joel on Software and Coding Horror.
- They learn through free online resources, such as Code Academy and Bento.
- They participate in online coding communities, like Stack Overflow.
- They watch video coding tutorials.
- They read programming books.
- They build their own websites, apps, or another project to practice their coding.
- They join local meetups, hackathons, or educational groups to code with their peers and mentors.

Read more at https://www.stackoverflowbusiness.com/blog/how-todays-developers-are-learning-to-code
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Keith’s Answer

Computer Science and Computer Engineering degree programs are the traditional route and provide credentials that many employers look for. One of the great things about computer programming is that you can work on it as a hobbyist as well. Do some research on different programming languages, and try experimenting with one. Try to find a language that is recommended for beginners, and you will find many tutorials online that can help you get started.
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