Does programming require high IQ?

[Deleted member 9758]

I’m doing mechanical engineering in college but I don’t like it and i’m thinking of switching majors to programming. I’m doing a bit of it in my free time and I seem to enjoy it but I haven’t gotten far enough to know if i’d be good enough to make a career out of it.
All i’d want is some regular codemonkey job that would pay me 40 - 50k a year.

 

[allDead]

What kind of programming? I did webdev as a hobby for about a year. I decided to give up thinking about pursuing it as a career because learning to program takes a lot of time and repetition, above all else, imo, and with my job I simply did not have the time. Like I couldn't get past asynchronous programming.
Anyways, you're approaching this incorrectly. If you put in the time, you'll probably get somewhere. Don't get in your own way by wondering if you're smart enough or whatever

 

[Deleted member 9758]

What kind of programming? I did webdev as a hobby for about a year. I decided to give up thinking about pursuing it as a career because learning to program takes a lot of time and repetition, above all else, imo, and with my job I simply did not have the time. Like I couldn't get past asynchronous programming.
Anyways, you're approaching this incorrectly. If you put in the time, you'll probably get somewhere. Don't get in your own way by wondering if you're smart enough or whatever

Well i’d be doing it in college full time so my life for 4 years would be programming. And idk really know. I’m currently messing around with html, css, javascript, c++ and python.

 

[SIR ETHNICCEL]

No it does not require high IQ. Average IQ is more than enough. But it does require a solid interest for it. Programming has MANY fields you can go into. Doctors need programmers who understand a few areas of physics like electrical waves and imaging of radiation because they use machines to measure heart rates and using sonographs to see into your stomach, what sex the baby is etc. You can do that.

You can go into AI which requires a good understanding of a few selected areas of statistics because those probabilities are what you programm into your models.

You can go into programming machines like refrigirators or heating systems, or cnc machines in meatl working facrories which requires a bit of web programming and specific areas of electrical engineering because you need to programm that stuff into machine language which is completely different to AI script languages for example.

Or you can go into the commonly talked about app and web programming which requires loads of css, html, javascript, databases, and some platform like ruby or react, angular etc

So you see it is a very dry and boring subject to study but once you gain the knowledge you are in and it will then be very easy. The start has a very steep learning and you will only succeed if you are ready to focus for at least 2-3 years because it really takes time to understand. But it is not hard like high IQ hard rather requires alot of effort and motivation.

 

[SIR ETHNICCEL]

Oh yeah so you need to decide which area you are interested in first. Because then if you are planning to study at college that will force to choose your degree type. for example information systems which is more into business stuff like business intelligence , AI.

Or you go into CS which then has alot of electrical enginnering.

Or you choose techical informatics which goes deep into machine languages.

etc etc etc

 

[based_meme]

Programming, like writing, requires an average to slightly above average IQ. Great programming, like great writing, requires a high IQ.

 

[Deleted member 9758]

No it does not require high IQ. Average IQ is more than enough. But it does require a solid interest for it. Programming has MANY fields you can go into. Doctors need programmers who understand a few areas of physics like electrical waves and imaging of radiation because they use machines to measure heart rates and using sonographs to see into your stomach, what sex the baby is etc. You can do that.

You can go into AI which requires a good understanding of a few selected areas of statistics because those probabilities are what you programm into your models.

You can go into programming machines like refrigirators or heating systems, or cnc machines in meatl working facrories which requires a bit of web programming and specific areas of electrical engineering because you need to programm that stuff into machine language which is completely different to AI script languages for example.

Or you can go into the commonly talked about app and web programming which requires loads of css, html, javascript, databases, and some platform like ruby or react, angular etc

So you see it is a very dry and boring subject to study but once you gain the knowledge you are in and it will then be very easy. The start has a very steep learning and you will only succeed if you are ready to focus for at least 2-3 years because it really takes time to understand. But it is not hard like high IQ hard rather requires alot of effort and motivation.

Thanks for the informative post, I bookmarked it. Luckily I do think I have a genuine interest in it because when I was a kid I autistically looked up to hackers lol.

Oh yeah so you need to decide which area you are interested in first. Because then if you are planning to study at college that will force to choose your degree type. for example information systems which is more into business stuff like business intelligence , AI.

Or you go into CS which then has alot of electrical enginnering.

Or you choose techical informatics which goes deep into machine languages.

etc etc etc

Is there just a general course that will teach me a bit of everything? I don’t think electric engineering would be for me.

Programming, like writing, requires an average to slightly above average IQ. Great programming, like great writing, requires a high IQ.

How much can you make being average?

 

[based_meme]

How much can you make being average?

It depends on your market. The type of programming you do (front end, back end, webdev, enterprise software, graphics, networking, debugging and code maintenance etc.) and where you live are the primary factors in how much you earn. You also have to factor in salary to cost of living ratio. Silicon valley salaries are high, but they need to be because cost of living will strangle you otherwise.

 

[Deleted member 9758]

Oh yeah so you need to decide which area you are interested in first. Because then if you are planning to study at college that will force to choose your degree type. for example information systems which is more into business stuff like business intelligence , AI.

Or you go into CS which then has alot of electrical enginnering.

Or you choose techical informatics which goes deep into machine languages.

etc etc etc

Also do you think there’ll be a time in our lifetimes that computers will write code themselves and programmers will become obsolete?

 

[Deleted member 9758]

It depends on your market. The type of programming you do (front end, back end, webdev, enterprise software, graphics, networking, debugging and code maintenance etc.) and where you live are the primary factors in how much you earn. You also have to factor in salary to cost of living ratio. Silicon valley salaries are high, but they need to be because cost of living will strangle you otherwise.

Does the average cs/ programming degree prepare you for all that?

 

[SIR ETHNICCEL]

Thanks for the informative post, I bookmarked it. Luckily I do think I have a genuine interest in it because when I was a kid I autistically looked up to hackers lol.



Is there just a general course that will teach me a bit of everything? I don’t think electric engineering would be for me.



How much can you make being average?

For deciding which degree best fits you I can advise you to click on the different university websites and download the information about which topics exactly you will need to pass to gain your degree.

Each university from what I can see when browsing through their ciriculum offer degrees with the same sounding name but the devil is in the detail and in this what I mean is that they teach at times completely diffent subjects within their degree programms even though the name of the degree is the same as other universities.

Take your time dont rush and thoroughly inform yourself because that is where you get to decide the best choice for your and your preferences. Plus if you find the right university for you then you can even start preparing now. Also since you already at university you can even take some classes now in common subjects like business management because every degree regardless of specialisation forces you to do silly common topics like communication competancy or business management which in many cases are just presenting some research you did during the semester or some silly oral exam and if the ciriculum is similar enough they will automaticaly make it so that it is counted as a pass at their university.

 

[SIR ETHNICCEL]

Also do you think there’ll be a time in our lifetimes that computers will write code themselves and programmers will become obsolete?

Alot of stuff is going obsolete bro. Nobody really knows. If you are really worried about staying relevant into the future then your best bet is cyber security. Hackers are constantly upgrading their skill sets so even if some super AI is developed to self programm mofos will adapt.

Cyber security is basically networking stuff and web programming. But loads of networking which is very boring but once you in if you are prepared to focus then you will earn decent paper to at least have a decent life in the worst case regardless of where you are because hackers also work from their moms basement.

 

[based_meme]

Does the average cs/ programming degree prepare you for all that?

Theoretically, yes. Practically, it depends on your school and the kinds of projects you work on. Whenever you go into a workplace you have to know/learn the frameworks they use and do things their way. But there are certain principles that are universal and considered good practice in software engineering. I didn't do computer science so I had to learn what I needed.

 

[TheDarkEnigma]

I'd say average intelligence. The only skills you need is memorization and basic algebra.

 

[based_meme]

I'd say average intelligence. The only skills you need is memorization and basic algebra.

This is very, very wrong.

 

[TheDarkEnigma]

This is very, very wrong.

What else do you need? I already know Python, and you need to understand how functions and logic work.

 

[based_meme]

What else do you need?

you need to understand how functions and logic work.

Yes, keep going.

 

[TheDarkEnigma]

Yes, keep going.

And the general syntax and arrays and loops n shieet.

 

[Deleted member 40252]

Programming, like writing, requires an average to slightly above average IQ. Great programming, like great writing, requires a high IQ.

This

 

[Jaundice]

Personally for me programming is way to complex for me. I am not that good at math so its not something I can immerse myself into.

 

[codingcel]

Not necessarily. But it helps if you're from a technical background, so many stuff becomes easier to grasp.

Otherwise for jobs your main focus should be mastering data structures and algorithms. 1-2 years of regular practice can easily lead you to your dream job.