My uncle who did COBOL for 30 years said skip Python and learn C first, here is how that went

Logan Hart · 2026-09-12T15:15:04.535351+00:00

Back in January I asked my uncle, who wrote COBOL at a bank in Des Moines for three decades, what language a total beginner should start with. He said skip Python entirely and go straight to C, because you will understand how memory works. I spent 6 weeks stuck on pointers and segfaults, and I almost quit twice. Then I switched to Python and shipped a little script that sorts my fantasy football scores in one weekend. Was his advice bad, or did I just need the hard version first? Would love to hear from anyone who started with C and actually stuck with it.

HW Forums

Loading…

My uncle who did COBOL for 30 years said skip Python and learn C first, here is how that went | Coding For Beginners - HW Forums