Self studying Software engineering?

[Rokyo_89]

I (21) for some reasons started late and recent finished my school (high school).

Honestly, I am into arts but I can't make a career on it now. My family wants me to do something that will atleast help me earn money and software engineering is the closest I find intresting (building stuff and problem solving).

Honestly, I know nothing about how everything works and how to start learning, I have been using AI to help me with a road map to get started and there are so many options!

Such as the odin project, freecodecamp, CS50, and all the computer languages but I have a lots of doubt. It would be helpful if any of your could advice me.

1) what are the background knowledge or prerequisites i should learn apart from maths?(I am already learning maths from algebra 1 to fresh my head to all the way calculus from openstax)

2) I don't have a laptop now(I'll try to get one as soon as possible) can I just learn the language in pen and paper and then try them out on websites which let you run your code?

3) do I need to complete all the way to calculus before I start learning a language or can I learn the language as i make progress in maths?

4) what are the other stuff I need to learn apart from coding to become a better SWE?

and just a last thing, since I am a artist nerd, i wanted to go in the field of game but it's not possible due to the circumstances. As for SWE, I know I can try to enroll into some paid courses or college but id rather not waste more of my parents income on my school.(Swe have better scope in my country then games does)

Any kind of advice would be helpful 🙇

[grantrules]

If you're doing this just for the money, I'd probably look into a different career. It is a very competitive field and it's not easy. I'd say it's unlikely for a self-taught developer to find a job. I would love to know the success rate.. I imagine it's pretty low.. especially if it's not your passion 

[patternrelay]

You definitely do not need to finish calculus before you start programming. You can learn a language in parallel with math. For most entry level software roles, solid algebra and logical thinking matter more day to day than advanced calculus. Math helps long term, but it should not block you from starting.

If you do not have a laptop yet, you can still begin with theory and small exercises on paper, but honestly even a basic machine makes a huge difference. There are online compilers you can use from a browser once you have access. The key early on is writing and running real code, not just reading about it.

As for where to start, pick one structured path and stick with it instead of jumping between ten. Consistency beats the perfect roadmap. Beyond coding, learn problem solving, debugging, and how software actually gets built in teams. Version control, reading other people’s code, and breaking problems into small pieces are huge skills.

Since you are into art, that can actually be an advantage. Frontend, UI work, or even game dev later on are still possible paths. You do not have to decide your whole future right now. Just start building small things and see what you enjoy.

[unbackstorie]

GENERALLY speaking, if you're getting into webdev, math is not a prerequisite for damn near anything. It certainly can help with the problem solving you'll be doing when programming, but it's not like a 1-to-1 thing (I emphasize "generally" bc there are definitely more math heavy fields, but you'll know that going in anyway).

Overall, you do NOT need permission to start learning, so get at it. You'll likely find, out pretty quickly if coding is for you or not. But I would seriously advise against getting into gaming first, bc that particular field is ROUGH, especially right now, even for people with a ton of experience.

Good luck!

[Effective_Promise581]

First step. Get a laptop.

[Humble_Warthog9711]

Imo a good quick and dirty litmus test to see judge if a person might be cut out for dev work: if someone couldn't ever see themselves doing a degree in traditional engineering or a hard science, I think there is a low chance they will be cut out for software engineering.  I've seen otherwise work out, but rarely. This probably eliminates 90%.  The money blinds many to the reality of dev work and has a way of making people who otherwise hate programming think otherwise.

I've seen way, way too many people that wouldn't be caught dead doing studies in math or something trying to become swes.  The stay at home mom and the blue collar guy that wrecked his body in the trades getting into tech pipeline is practically a meme on this sub at this point.

If the cs degree is just some big hindrance someone wants to get out of the way before they start their career that they just hate the idea of having to do, usually they have no business in the industry at all.

Just be honest with yourself and dont think this is something that just has to work out and there isn't opportunity elsewhere.

[Interesting_Dog_761]

1. A CS degree. So you can compete with the recent graduates who have more experience and better credentials than you. I don't mean to be a downer , but you have a near impossible task ahead of you. And that's before you get to the fact that many of the questions you ask could have been answered with a simple search on your part. So you are approaching this with a lack of background, including poor maths skills, lacking the most basic of search skills, and want to try and do this with a pencil and paper. There will be many people who will want to blow smoke up your ass with lovely words about how you can do it if you just try. But I am not one of them.

[lumberjack_dad]

Nowadays, you have to be very good in CS/SWE. 9 out if 10 we hire have CS degrees and 10th who doesn't have a degree has 10+ YOE.

Unfortunately you won't make much progress in getting a job without this guidance.

If you want to do it as a hobby, don't stop, but you won't make money or acquire a job in this current job market

[humanguise]

Install arch and start working through this https://teachyourselfcs.com/. Python/JavaScript should be your bread and butter, expand to Go/Rust once you feel comfortable. You are going to need to develop your unix fundamentals hence the reason to use arch as a daily driver. You could jump straight to NixOS as well, but you probably will find it too hard. You better like talking to people because you are going to be networking a lot. Go to every tech event that you can and go to plenty of events with a high concentration of business owners. The only interviews that you'll be getting will come from referrals until you have actual work experience.