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Ask HN: Anything for a teenage programmer?

4 points by closavia ↗ HN
I dedicate myself each and every day to study and learn about computer programming. I build useful things that occasionally gets me some cash. I have so much ideas and a huge ambition for learning about newer technologies and such.

The problem is that I still attend high school and no one takes me seriously here. I'm wondering if there's anything I can get.. an internship, some mentoring, a job, anything that could fortify and expand my knowledge in computer programming.

I live in NY and I am 15 years old.

10 comments

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onion2k
Are you sure that your age is the reason people don't take you seriously? It's an obvious assumption, but in reality it probably isn't true - if you do things to demonstrate your ability and willingness all those apparent age-related barriers will evaporate.

To do that.. make stuff. Share it. Ask for feedback. Find people (go to events, use Twitter/LinkedIn, use HN, etc) and just ask them to help you. It takes guts, but you'll be amazed at how many people will go out of their way to lend a hand if you reach out to them. Generally speaking people are pretty awesome at this sort of thing and want to help when they can. Don't be put off if people say no though. Sometimes people just don't have the bandwidth to help, so saying no is the best thing they can do. Accept it and ask someone else. Some people will help.

runjake
Perhaps dedicate yourself to a specific area of programming that interests you, develop a portfolio on something like Github, network with people, express an interest in opportunities, and let your work find you something.
closavia
The problem is that I don't know where to go to network with people, or how to get people to actually find me and my work.

My GitHub is a lonely horse and I think that the only way to actually have an active portfolio on the internet is if you already have an amazing reputation.

brudgers
As soon as you put "teenage" in front of anything, the expectation is lowered.

Do things that are hard for programmers. Learn Emacs. Read Knuth.

The people who will take you seriously as a programmer will be people worth having take you seriously as a programmer.

closavia
So do I have to know more than someone who went to college and has been in the industry for a few years now in order to get taken seriously?

I find that very unfair. If it is the only solution, however, time to start reading Knuth's books.

brudgers
I am taking you seriously.

You can hold yourself to some absolute standard as a programmer or you can choose a sliding scale, and nobody can fault you for it, yet. But in the end, what really matters is what really matters, and I don't see any reason to recommend waiting.

jbarrec
Where in NY are you? I'm on Long Island.
zachlatta
I'm around your age. First and foremost, don't define yourself a teenage developer. The moment you do that, you've cheapened your work. Make things that you're proud of, regardless of your age.

NY has a great tech scene. Get involved. Go to meetups. Learn from others. Don't be afraid to fail.

If you'd like to chat more about this, shoot me an email at zach@zachlatta.com. Would love to chat a bit more about what you're up to.

krrishd
I'm the same age as you. I personally feel that age is irrelevant to clients and employers if you can demonstrate that you know the appropriate competencies in programming. If you are still looking to learn, I would recommend starting out with some MOOC's (online courses)[0], as they give college level education for free, and I know from personal experience that a large part of the computer science I know today is because of two things: trial&error, and those courses.

Also, I'm trying to start a community of teen developers where we can collaborate and discuss, and it includes a resource aggregator, internship board, and social news platform. You can signup at http://teen2geek.com, and I'd be more than willing to send a beta invite to the social news platform if you're interested :)

[0]: Harvard's Introduction to Computer Science free online course started yesterday - https://courses.edx.org/courses/HarvardX/CS50x/2014_T1/info