Why should high school students learn to code?

Computer programming skills are some of the most in-demand job skills that one can learn, with demand for software engineers expected to grow by 17% over the next decade (significantly higher than the national average). We rarely go even a few waking hours without interacting with something that runs on computer code, so no matter what field you want to enter or what kind of work interests you, there is a good chance that learning to code will be a useful step in making your dreams into a reality. Coding is also an incredibly versatile skill set that, once you become comfortable with the basics, you can expand your skills in a wide range of different directions without much added difficulty.

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How high school students build real-world coding skills

What makes learning coding during high school so valuable as a skill is that students will have an opportunity to apply what they learn through guided lessons and hands-on projects. Below are some of the processes through which students will gain coding skills during their training:

• Structured lessons and exercises to gain confidence in coding languages like HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Python, or Java. 
• Practice writing and debugging code with in-browser tools .
• Build confidence by working through coding challenges and algorithm-based exercises.
• Gain experience working with tools like Git and GitHub.
• An opportunity to collaborate with other students in a collaborative coding session or by completing group projects.

Skills you’ll learn during a high school coding class

No matter what language you learn to write code with, there is a range of general skills that you’ll pick up as you go. These skills are meant to lay the groundwork for future training and to make sure that you understand all of the fundamentals of computer science before you start to specialize later on in your career. Learning a coding language is like learning a real-world language, and it stresses some of the same parts of the brain. However, once you are used to reading and writing a singular language, it becomes easier and easier to pick up additional languages as you go. And, like learning a new language, it pays to start learning early and practicing and practicing as you get older.

One of the major skills you’ll learn in a high school computer science class is how to think like a programmer. Computers are hyper-literal; they only understand exactly what they are programmed to do, and this means that programmers need to approach a computing problem differently than they would approach any other problem. Students will need to learn how to read and write precise code and how to debug code when systems aren’t working in the way that they are supposed to be working. Regardless of the language you study, learning how to approach the problem as a programmer will pay long-term dividends, even if it is initially a somewhat complicated challenge.

You’ll also get practical training in how to write and read code, which is understandably one of the important first steps for anyone wanting to pursue a career in computer science. Regardless of the path you follow, learning how to read and write code will be essential for your future training. Students who learn to code in one language, be it Java, HTML/CSS, Python, or JavaScript, will be able to more easily pick up future programming languages, and they will be able to blend languages as more complex tasks require additional knowledge of computer programming.

What are some advantages of learning to code during high school?

The most obvious advantage of learning to code is that it will open you up to a wide range of career possibilities, particularly in fields like software engineering, data science, FinTech, and web development. These are high-paying and in-demand careers that you can give yourself a leg up on the competition by learning to code in high school. No matter what language you learn during your summer training, you are sure to find that you will be building the skills you need as a foundation for future professional training. These jobs all require more practical education and you are likely to continue on with your training in a college or technical school setting, but having taken the first steps is always a good place to be when you are entering a new educational setting. 

Speaking of colleges, taking a high school coding course can help demonstrate to tech schools that you are serious about your education and that you have already given substantive thought to what your future looks like. This will give you a competitive edge in the often competitive field of elite college admissions, particularly because you can be certain that your cohort is likely full of students who have also already started their coding education before applying to college. Anything you can add to your application materials is likely to serve to your advantage, and being able to list programming languages amongst your skills will certainly give you an edge.

On an even more practical level, many schools offer college credits and advanced placement programs for students with a background in coding, particularly if they have also completed an AP computer science or programming course. This will not only save you money on college credits, but it will also help you get your education off the ground early so that you aren’t spending time and energy on courses that you have already completed the equivalent of in high school or in a summer development program.

Finally, learning how to code in high school will help you establish yourself in the field and give you a chance to build a personal portfolio of work that you can use in a wide range of different scenarios. By the end of a summer programming course, you are likely to have a collection of completed projects, including webpages you’ve designed, programs you’ve coded and examples of fixes and logs that you can use to demonstrate your coding proficiency to college admission boards or prospective employers. You can also keep working on these projects in the future to refine and expand your portfolio.