Hey, wishing you a bright future—read to the end! No way is programming dead, trust me. The idea that AI will wipe out coders is a myth. Tools like GitHub Copilot are like having a brainy assistant—they make you faster, not replace you. Coders who skip AI might lag since it cuts problem-solving from weeks to hours. You’ll learn quicker, debug faster, and tackle big stuff, but AI needs your creativity to work. Coding’s been around forever (before you were born!) and isn’t going anywhere—it just evolves. Use AI to level up, and you’re golden. It’s totally worth jumping into in 2025. The industry needs solid coders who solve real problems. Stay curious, keep learning, and you’ll stand out, no matter how many others code.

Learning paths depend on you. Self-taught is awesome but tough—you need discipline to avoid scams or getting lost. A mentor, even paid, can save you tons of time by guiding you right. Tons of top devs are self-taught, so it’s doable with grit. Bootcamps are great for fast, practical skills—3-6 months and you’re job-ready if you pick one with mentorship and job help. Check Course Report for legit ones to dodge duds. A CS degree gives deep theory for stuff like AI or systems coding and looks great to employers, but it’s pricey and takes years. You don’t always need it for jobs like web dev. Whatever path, you’ll need to self-learn, so try Coursera’s “Learn How to Learn” to master studying. Tech’s got endless free resources—use them! I’d start self-taught to test the waters, then maybe a bootcamp or degree if you’re hooked. Just know bootcamps focus on jobs and might skimp on theory like algorithms, which you’ll need.

First, see if coding’s your thing with Harvard’s CS50 on edX—it’s free and a fun intro to programming with bits of C, Python, and JavaScript. It’s not a full course but a taste of what coding’s about. You’ll know if it clicks and get a sense of next steps. After CS50, don’t jump straight to a track like web dev—focus on building core programming skills, like algorithms, data structures and solve a lot of problems on websites like hackerrank,leetcode,codeforces, and so on... . These are the foundation of coding and crucial for any field. You can learn them while exploring a track (like web or AI) or before picking one—it’s up to you. Python’s a great first language—easy, versatile for web, AI, or data, and super in-demand. But it’s not about the language; it’s about getting loops, functions, and logic, which apply everywhere. Think of coding like swinging a hammer: easy to learn, hard to master. Start with computational thinking to grasp how computers work before diving into languages.

Expect bumps—coding’s all about solving problems. Don’t quit when you’re stuck; take a break, hit Google or Stack Overflow, or use AI to explain (but don’t let it solve coding challenges—that’s cheating and you learn nothing). Everyone learns differently—some pay for courses to stay motivated, others grind free stuff. Stay consistent, even 2 hours a day. You’ve got this! Finish CS50, then focus on algorithms, data structures, databases , operating systems, programming with C++ and OOP, and any programming fundamentals that didn't covered in CS50(because 8 weeks not enough to know what you should learn ) (try free resources like FreeCodeCamp or books like “grokking algorithms”). Hit us up for next steps.

What you did was the right move, you took the initiative to ask, keep doing that when you have questions, always ask the experts and don't rely on the answers of laymen or non-specialists, not even AI, AI can help you along the way if you know what you're doing, but it may not be appropriate at all times. Good luck!