Before I turned 19 I just kind of... fell into coding. I used to think programming was something incredibly hard that only child prodigies and people with a 160+ IQ could do. (A view often reinforced by Hollywood stereotypes.) And I thought that I just wasn't smart enough.Since getting into programming,${}^1$ I have learned that even a monkey could take up coding. (Seeing some code, it seems in fact, they do.) This is not evident to many outsiders, however.I currently have a friend that is about to finish school and she has no idea what to do with her life. I am trying to encourage her to give coding a shot. I know she would be great at it as she's one of the smartest people I know, even if she won't believe it. Just like younger me, however, she thinks she's too dumb to have a chance at coding.How do I convince her to give it a shot?${}^2$ What tools are there to show her it is much easier than it looks at a glance?${}^1$I just kind of happened to get into coding via databases, but that is a rather unusual path to take and not one I would recommend to start out with.${}^2$I don't want to pressure her into a career in programming; if she decides it's not for her, that's fine, but basic coding knowledge is surely not a bad skill to have.
Overcoming a friend's self-discouragement
student motivation;layperson
First, try setting up some sort of coding hangout time - you and her can practice coding together. You can help her when she gets stuck, and encourage her. It's always good to have a buddy in what you're doing =)Second, start with the right things. Try a little visual programming first, using hour of code programs, or a language like Python, which will teach good practice (indentation, etc) and remove worries like memory control, which make it harder for new learners.Third, start small. The classic hello world program in Python is literally print(Hello world!). From there, maybe go to things like adding, or using variables. I particularly enjoy Codecademy's course - problems with instructions. And remind her that you'll be willing to help when you have time, and so will people on sites like stack exchange (Codecademy also has a forum, though I haven't really used it). To conclude - show, don't tell. Don't tell her she can code, show her she can code.