I'm back in coding, but I wasn't for a while. For a while, I was in management, and ended up a CTO. Twice.
If you find yourself not enjoying writing code, then perhaps it's not the perfect job for you. It pays better and is perhaps more fun than manual labour and cleaning jobs, so have a think about what your pain points really are, but genuinely: if you think you'd prefer to be a farmer? Go be a farmer. You'll probably hate it, but at least then you'll know.
I came back to coding because one day I wrote two lists of things about my job: 1. Things I like doing about my job. 2. Things I hate about my job. At the time I was a startup CTO and so was doing some code and architecture stuff as well as meeting investors and doing the finance and strategy stuff. All the coding stuff was on list 1. All the business and strategy stuff was on list 2.
I quit that day, and took a job as a senior dev. Don't regret it, but find it difficult to bite my tongue around managers and even CTOs or CEOs I think have got it wrong. I'm trying though.
I learned to code when I was 11. I thought I was rubbish for a long, long time. I had constant imposter syndrome. But it was only when I left the coding gig I realised that it was something I loved doing, was actually not bad at it, and that the alternative was just mindless games and niceties dressed up as strategic planning.
Go do something else, if coding is for you, you'll find yourself being pulled back to it all the time. If it isn't, consider stuff that plays to your strengths, and challenges your weaknesses in a good way.
> It pays better and is perhaps more fun than manual labour and cleaning jobs.
No offense, but these are not really great comparisons for someone with the aptitude of a programmer. I don't really understand the point you are trying to make with that statement.
OP could go to an accelerated nursing program for a year, not sit behind a desk, help people, be mentally stimulated, and make six figures (at least in the bay area).
I believe there are pre-reqs for nursing school (including biology and chemistry) before one could enter an accelerated program. I realize most people on this board already have those.
Nursing does not require a bachelors degree, but does have a few prerequisites that you could polish off in a semester or 2. There are 1-year (LVN or LPN) and 2-year programs (RN) at many community colleges. RN pays better, of course.
I've thought a lot about dropping out of programming to do it, but my mom dissuaded me - she recently ended her 30-year career as an RN.
If you enjoy nursing, after a couple years of experience you can go on to get your NP (and I believe work full-time/half-time while you are doing it - and/or get it paid for by a hospital).
NP's can bring in 150K outside bay area and often have better schedules/flexibility than physicians.
If you find yourself not enjoying writing code, then perhaps it's not the perfect job for you. It pays better and is perhaps more fun than manual labour and cleaning jobs, so have a think about what your pain points really are, but genuinely: if you think you'd prefer to be a farmer? Go be a farmer. You'll probably hate it, but at least then you'll know.
I came back to coding because one day I wrote two lists of things about my job: 1. Things I like doing about my job. 2. Things I hate about my job. At the time I was a startup CTO and so was doing some code and architecture stuff as well as meeting investors and doing the finance and strategy stuff. All the coding stuff was on list 1. All the business and strategy stuff was on list 2.
I quit that day, and took a job as a senior dev. Don't regret it, but find it difficult to bite my tongue around managers and even CTOs or CEOs I think have got it wrong. I'm trying though.
I learned to code when I was 11. I thought I was rubbish for a long, long time. I had constant imposter syndrome. But it was only when I left the coding gig I realised that it was something I loved doing, was actually not bad at it, and that the alternative was just mindless games and niceties dressed up as strategic planning.
Go do something else, if coding is for you, you'll find yourself being pulled back to it all the time. If it isn't, consider stuff that plays to your strengths, and challenges your weaknesses in a good way.