So You Want to Be a Programmer(Java) / Computer Scientist?

A lot of people want to get in to programming but really do not know where to start. This post will hopefully help you get a sense of what is all involved in programming, and where to start.

The first thing you have to ask yourselves is, "Do I really want to be a computer scientist?" Computer Science and programming really does take a lot of time and effort to master, but I find it to be one of the most rewarding experiences. I think it is very much worth the effort, but many, many people do not see the enjoyment in programming. How do I know this? Next time you meet someone, just tell them, "I am majoring in Computer Science," and get your camera ready because they are gonna have a funny look on their face. The reality is most people just don't know what Computer Science is, but that is changing. Computer Science is one of the fastest growing fields and will continue to be a growing field as the consumer electronic market grows. But that is enough about how people are dumbfounded about what Computer Science really is.

Let's talk about what Computer Science actually is, because how do you know if you want to be a Computer Scientist if you don't know what a computer scientist is or does? Wikipedia says, "Computer science or computing science (abbreviated CS) is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems." That definition makes it sound way more terrifying than it really is, so let's just focus on one aspect of being a computer scientist, programming. So what is programming? Wikipedia says, "Computer programming (often shortened to programming or coding) is the process of designing, writing, testing,debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. "  Now doesn't that sound much more enjoyable? It is.

So what does it take to start programming? 

1. The desire to learn how to program. If you don't want to learn, then you won't learn. You won't persist when you have problems and you will just give up.
2. Time. Unfortunately, you will not be programming Android apps after just one day.
3. You find joy in the little things. With programming you have to start small. You have to be amazed by something as simple as getting a sentence to print out. If you get excited over the little steps that you make as you learn to program, then you will be successful with programming.
4. A computer. You can't program without at least having access to a computer. It does not matter if it runs Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux.

If you have all four of those things, then I recommend that you give programming a try! You never know if you will like it until you try it. Let's get started! Click on words with links for more information of the subject. And get pumped you are gonna learn to program!

Getting Started

1. You need an integrated development environment or IDE. The most popular one in the world is Eclipse. It is available for a wide range of systems. We are going to use Eclipse for Java Developers. Download it here. The links are on the right side of the page just select your operating system.

Must Get App, Mac Edition: Carbon Copy Cloner

Everyone should be backing up their files on their computer. No, everyone needs to be backing up their files on their computer. Unfortunately it is much easier said then done. There is an app for Macs however that makes the process a little less painful. Carbon Copy Cloner is a FREE download that will help you quickly set up your back up. You can schedule your backups or enable options like eject drive when the backup is complete. There are many features which make backing up your files a much more pleasurable experience. So download it and try it out! Download Carbon Copy Cloner here.

EDIT:
If you need to purchase a hard drive feel free to ask me to help you find the best one for the money.