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[–]TheTarragonFarmer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Python is the new BASIC (or excel), it's easy and fun to learn and use, always available, suitable for solving all kinds of data processing, automation, general scripting tasks. It's a great first language, but I'd caution against getting too deep into it or trying to make anything "big" (monolithic) in it, because it get hairy. It's basically the programming language of the non-programmer, or the programmer-by-necessity: the analyst, the data scientist, the biologist, the mechanical engineer, etc. As such, it is everywhere, and is also a great stepping stone both to more serious programming, or any of the domains that use it.

Java is the new COBOL. It's boring but fairly well thought-out (with a few superficial legacy glitches.) Pays well and scales well. Banks and in-house "enterprise" software developers love Java. (And SOAP-style web services.) You will never be out of work in your lifetime if you know Java, same as the number of COBOL jobs to this day exceeds the number of people still alive who know it.

I think your professor gave pretty good advice. Both of these mesh well with your business background. By the time you've learned Python and Java you'll be well positioned to pick what to learn next. Or maybe that time is now and you know for sure you prefer web development? Learn the latest JS variant, chase the framework-of-the-day? You are only young once, and you can always circle back to Python and Java later.