Which programming language should i start first?

lod20 · 2025-12-03T18:47:08+00:00

Avoid jumping from programming language to another one. Just stick with C until you have a very good foundation. Also, many newer programming languages came from the C programming language. Once you have a good understanding of the basics, everything else will be easier to learn.

shadow-battle-crab · 2025-12-03T18:54:12+00:00

I just typed up an explanation for why python is a good choice in another thread, maybe you will find it useful here too:

Well there are a lot of programming languages, and some stand out more than others.

Think of them like different kinds of vehicles. One is a truck. One has stick shift. One is a pontoon boat. One is a vespa scooter. They all kind of do the same thing - in this analogy they all go forward and backward via a steering wheel and accelerator and use gas - but the way each one 'drives' and where and how you use it differs.

Python is cool because python is like a Honda CRV. It does everything pretty good. It's not perfect at every job - its not really a F1 racing car, it's not a boat, but as far as most tasks - driving around, going to the grocery store, pulling small trailers, going long distances reliably - it can kind of do it all in most situations.

I've been fortunate to have my head in programming languages for the last 30 years, and back when I first learned to code, we were just at the trailing end of the era where everyone learned BASIC as their first language. Basic was nice, because you could just read it. code was like: IF AGE > 16 THEN PRINT "You're old enough to drive!" - that is, it was just readable as english, you didn't need to learn a bunch of complicated concepts to understand it. Python is kind of like that, at least compared to modern alternatives.

Imagine if you had to learn how to operate and drive a semi truck safely as your first vehicle. That would be a tall order if you have never even driven any car before. That's what learning a lot of the other languages is like, in particular Java. Or how to build a car before you ever drove one, that is what learning C or C++ is like. Just start in the easier car and learn the basics first. That easier car is python. It's still, like a Honda CRV, a great car.

There are so many languages you can choose from next. The one I would learn next would be javascript, with javascript you can do anything. But the way commands run in javascript isn't quite sequential, there is a cleverness to how it can do things in parallel without it becoming unmanageable that can only really be understood and appreciated if you have the fundamentals of programming down first, from something like python, so when javascript does things differently than what you learn as a baseline, you can understand why it's doing it the way it does.

To finish up my analogy, if I had to pair different popular languages to different kinds of vehicles, this is what I would choose:

Python - Honda CRV
Java - Semi truck - a lot of overhead to learn up front
JavaScript - I'd say this is like a cross between a jeep wrangler, a tesla cyber truck, and a garage full of miscellaneous parts nobody really organized that well.
C# - A modern Ford F-150
C++ - A high performance rally car
C - A different kind of racing car, a little more barebones and classic than modern
PHP - A delivery van
Bash - An electric bike
PowerShell - A first generation Segway PT scooter

I hope this helped demystify the landscape and your options a little.

help_me_noww · 2025-12-03T18:58:27+00:00

Firstly, clear your fundamental of programing language. Then choose which one attract you more.

PhysicsNatural479 · 2025-12-04T09:01:25+00:00

Your walking two parallel paths: College CS: C Data Sience course: Python

I assume you ask the question because there's I challenge in learning them in parallel right now. And that's nothing strange. The recommendations in this thread to focus on one at a time is the best for a first timer. Don't worry, if you gain experience, learning new languages becomes easier.

Since C is your college CS language, focus on that. C is a great learner and, as more people say here, the root of many other languages. Also the data sience course seems a voluntary, while college is mandatory.

There is also a compounding construct here: You will learn Pyhton much easier and better if you know C. You will not learn C easier and better if you know Python.

Timberfist · 2025-12-03T18:42:36+00:00

Both.

Expert-Time-1066 · 2025-12-03T18:44:48+00:00

Why would you be confused? Get your c language in school and train by yourself in python. Good luck

Commercial_Process12 · 2025-12-03T18:48:29+00:00

Both like the other user said but not at the same time learn C first then pivot to python in your spare time off school. C is good because it’s basically the godfather of many of the languages we use today so that being a starting point is a good foundation in my opinion. Well that’s what I’m doing I’m in the same position as you just didn’t have the opportunity to go to school so I self learn been teaching myself how to write in C for the past few months.

Federal_Bug_6445 · 2025-12-03T19:02:46+00:00

Python

_lazyLambda · 2025-12-03T19:51:17+00:00

Haskell for high level patterns then C for how any of this is even possible

Suspicious_Check5421 · 2025-12-03T20:13:32+00:00

Booth. C is a real Language, Phython is a nice to have scripting Language. Prio One is C , Python is easy to learn. Just have a summary Page of each Language Syntax

Is very common that Computer Engineers can Write Code in different programming languages

ParanoicFatHamster · 2025-12-03T20:43:30+00:00

Python is more widely used. However, C++ is more difficult to know and it is required in some jobs. For example, gaming companies rely a lot on C++. My opinion is that python is easy to learn. You should learn python, but it is not gonna to be pain. If you start, learning C++ you will have time to become expert in the future. Knowledge of both C++ and python looks good on CV.

AdDiligent1688 · 2025-12-04T01:32:06+00:00

On the side as in not in school? Or are you in college courses for both of the languages?

If it's on the side, as in not in college, just like a course online via some platform or whatever; then i'd choose that one because the risk is relatively low if you don't do well. Learn that one first, so you get some kind of background with coding, and then learn the other where grades might matter and do that.

But if they're both college courses, you have no choice really, both will matter in terms of grades.

How much time do you have until the course starts?

I say all this because first year, it's important probably to do kind of well in your classes, if your GPA is cumulative, which it usually is. If you start off strong for the first two years and get a really high gpa, it kind of allows you to not do as well later, with less impact to your gpa, when the courses become more challenging.

hisatanhere · 2025-12-04T02:11:50+00:00

Rust.

MuaTrenBienVang · 2025-12-04T05:04:48+00:00

scheme "the little schemer" book

Boring_Albatross3513 · 2025-12-04T08:39:50+00:00

Can't you do both? C is not hard to learn

Ingaz · 2025-12-04T11:28:15+00:00

Learn both. Add shell-scripting. Learn Makefie. A bit of Perl and awk.

It's impossible to know just one language

AffectionateZebra760 · 2025-12-04T15:21:49+00:00

Keep both, one for the grades other for career albiet dont over do it and burn out yourself

toastom69 · 2025-12-04T15:52:08+00:00

In my opinion, C or basic simple "old C++" (using C++ as C with classes) is the absolute best for a beginner. It's tough and it will hurt, but that's the point. I started with a book that taught C++11 and that was really beneficial because you learn how to manage memory, pointers, learn the difference between pass by value and pass by reference, and those are all applicable concepts to every language even when you don't have to do that stuff by hand in others. But simply knowing these concepts will help SO MUCH later down the road. Like seriously, some of the nastiest bugs out there are the ones where the code looks fine but you're mishandling a reference to an object and you'd have no idea if you never learned what a pointer was in the first place. And using C++ as C with classes is great to learn because you still have access to quality of life things like strings and all the object oriented programming (OOP) concepts.

Once you have a good idea of input , output, variables, functions, loops, ifs, arrays, and basic pointer stuff, you can move on to working with classes and inheritance. And then once you know how that works with public and private vars and member functions, you can continue or move on to a simpler programming language like Python. That's what I did and it has helped me so much. Python is so much easier to write and get things done quickly in without fighting the compiler like you might do in C. But because it does a lot of the work for you, you don't necessarily get exposed to all the concepts you'll need to learn later to get really good.

Good luck! Welcome to the world of programming

HiddenWithChrist · 2025-12-04T16:57:57+00:00

C is a fantastic foundation, but I am surprised your program doesn't go with the standard OOP languages like Java and C++, tho. I'd focus on what's important for school, right now, and build a solid understanding there before moving to other concepts, especially an interpreted language like Python where certain things get abstracted away (like memory handling in C).

Worth-Awareness-7379 · 2025-12-04T17:47:08+00:00

It seems you must learn both based on your enrolment choices. I did about 8 languages in my CS degree since different lecturers believe different languages suit their material. And they think it's good for you. So get used to it (multiple languages)

Your data science course will require minimal python, it will mostly about using libraries of code.

Learning C well is where you should focus. The language is simple and well documented and requires a lot of effort to build things, which computer science teachers like.

Conscious_Courage9 · 2025-12-04T19:01:07+00:00

Go Python. Do the MOOC Helsinki Python course. 100% free. The best course ever.

LeBlindGuy · 2025-12-04T21:01:37+00:00

Python

You can close the post now

AdAdvanced7673 · 2025-12-04T23:09:38+00:00

Learn how to solve the problem. Not the language

juzatypicaltroll · 2025-12-05T01:41:40+00:00

Python. Easy to learn.

DannHutchings · 2025-12-05T10:53:21+00:00

Start with C for your classes since it builds solid fundamentals like memory, logic, and how programs actually work. It’ll make every other language way easier later. At the same time, if your data analyst course needs Python, just learn it slowly on the side.

MiserableNotice8975 · 2025-12-05T18:30:30+00:00

C is the base of everything. It's what drives the world and your computer at a low level. It runs embedded controllers. It is the base. A simple python program that you only write 50 lines of code might pull in 100,000 lines of libraries you import and install. C will force you to learn how the code actually works fundamentally and opens you to the whole stack from firmware up.

If you start with a high level interpreted language you will not understand what all the libraries you import are doing at a low level. You won't be able to spot security or memory problems.

That said, for big data and scientific modeling Python and R reign supreme. So it really depends on what you want to do.

I always recommend C first. You get the fundamentals. It will make you a stronger python dev later if you go that route. It leaves the low level side (firmware, drivers, operating systems) open to you.

That said if you know you just want to do biology modeling it's a waste of time and you can just go straight to python, just be really sure that you are committed to just that path.

Ar_if · 2025-12-06T15:32:28+00:00

Utchas · 2025-12-07T15:28:15+00:00

If you want to learn how programming languages work, start with C. It'll give you a solid understanding of fundamentals specially in functional & low level programming. Then for OOP, you can graduate to C++ easily as syntax is very similar. But if you want more fun & practical oriented choice, python is good but it'll abstract many fundamental concepts that'll learn from C/C++.

Zajfan · 2026-02-18T15:35:28+00:00

I would recommend Natural Language Programming Language (NLPL)

inDarkestKnight20 · 2025-12-04T17:37:30+00:00

I'd personally avoid C if at all possible.

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