Benefits of CODING + Sentinel’s very own coding club

Coding- we seem to hear that word around a lot these days, described as useful or important, but how, why, and where?

According to DailyTekk, code is “a set of instructions (or rules) that computers can understand; it might be helpful to think of code as a recipe”. Code makes computers work, which make many everyday objects work, including phones, laptops, cars, watches, anything with a plug.

Sentinel’s very own coding club meets every other Tuesday at lunch in room 254. It’s never too late to learn and new members are always welcome to join at any time!

BENEFITS OF CODING

1. Helps you become smarter

Specifically, coding develops creativity (while developing more appealing user interfaces), problem-solving, and critical thinking skills (while troubleshooting software bugs). These are highly transferable skills that create “an effective and productive mindset towards problem-solving” regardless of the subject. (Under the Gui and Career Foundry)

2. Useful for jobs

Did you know that computer science majors earn “40% more than the college average”? (Code.org)
In Canada, “despite the rapid growth of the use of technology in our everyday lives, there is a large technical skills gap… that is hampering our ranking amongst competitive countries” (Under the Gui). Therefore, demand for coding is strong in Canada and makes you a stronger candidate, whether for college or employment.
Gabby, co-founder of Sentinel’s coding club, believes that it is “becoming increasingly relevant in all sorts of STEM and business fields and opening up a ton of possibilities for intertwining disciplines (like integrating it into medicine, education, or even art)”.

3. Better understand the world around you

Just like how we learn physics to understand motion, biology to understand living organisms, coding gives us an understanding of computers and their function. In our digital world, “being comfortable with the latest hardware and software tools” is beneficial and a contributor to success (Career Foundry).

4. It’s fun!

Like playing video games? Coding literally creates the app or video game, which is another way to expand upon that interest. Coding can also be a fulfilling, fun, and interesting activity due to the logic and problem solving involved.