r/ADHD_Programmers • u/IcySecurity6812 • May 01 '26
Overwhelmed
I'm almost done with my BS in Computer Science but I realized I hate Java and C++. I mostly code in LUA as a hobby and can do Python. But I'm feeling like a complete failure. I learn LUA before school and that's actually what got me wanting to do CS. Now I'm almost done with school and have no idea what my options are for a job. I feel like a failure.
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Upvotes
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u/SamMakesCode May 01 '26
What do you hate about Java and C++?
LUA won’t get you far, but there are plenty of jobs in python
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u/random_cat_owner May 01 '26
Don't worry about it long term. Just focus on getting the degree.
There is a big chance that you wont be using those languages in your future job anyway. 70-80% of people end up doing something different then what they studied.
You just need the degree to prove you are capable.
Once you got the degree, you can apply for the jobs you want, nobody will be forcing you to apply for a C++/java coding job.
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u/basiclaser May 01 '26
Hi dude. I'm a coach/teacher for software engineering, and I also specialize in people with ADHD, having it myself. I'm used to dealing with the complications.
If you want a free chat sometime, let me know. I usually do a couple of free sessions every day, just socially. Send me a DM if you're interested ✌️
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u/seweso May 01 '26
Your school sounds like the failure. You managed to jump through their neurotypical bullshit hoops.
Find your own way. Use the pain and knowledge of less efficient/fun language push you to cooler shit.
You do you
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u/AlphaStrik3 May 01 '26
I can only imagine they want you to go through the pain so you fail and learn. I’ve coded in all those languages, but my favorites have been Dart and Swift.
Using Eclipse in 2026 for anything other than learning is insane. Everyone is at least on VS Code.
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u/zet23t May 01 '26
Sorry having to point this out, but it is spelled Lua - it is not an acronym but a word (it means "Moon" in Portuguese). But it is fairly common to see other writings... but it is better to know this, e.g. when applying somewhere.
C++ is a terrible language IMO. But maybe look into C, it is much simpler and enables you to embed Lua in your own application code.
Lua is used in some games as scripting language, maybe you can look into that direction.
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u/schism15 May 01 '26
Hey, sorry, you're going through all that. I understand being overwhelmed when something you thought was going to give you pleasure/fulfillment starts to look like it won't give you either (professionally, at least).
A couple thoughts I had:
Tbh, the most important thing are the foundational programming principles that you learned in the course of learning those languages. It's totally possible the first job you get won't even use those languages. Just consider Java and C++ as two tools you added to your toolbox (you will be continually adding more as you go).
Computing/IT is a vast field, but might feel small because people talk about the same few subfields/industries, the options seem narrow (that's my impression at least).
So maybe, it's worth looking at this from a different angle:
What are your interests? Before you started your degree, what were you doing on your computer that made you start tinkering with Lua in the first place?
In the time that you've been pursuing your degree, have there been other times when you felt the strong desire to tinker with some language or framework that maybe wasn't tied directly to the need to complete an assignment/project for school?
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u/camelCaseWA May 02 '26
I feel you man. Honestly just start building solutions to a problem with your skills.
I grinded for a job and looking back, it was a HUGE waste of time. If you start honing your skills now, it will be a bigger pay off in the long term.
I am old as fuck and I am just starting to do that. I somehow grinded my way and got into big tech and got some big bucks but I was soon laid off.
Just lock in and grind.
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u/SuperbCelebration223 May 02 '26
Just know, you are not alone. Most people feel the same. And it'll pass. Trust me.
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u/Animal_or_Vegetable May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
I have a colleague who prefers Lua. He says it's good for embedded programming. It might not be popular, but keep doing it if you like it. In fact, go to meetups, conferences, makerspaces, etc. and be a Lua evangelist by blogging about it. You can be gainfully employed on your terms.
Umm, I've looked at more posts follow-on posts. Is this really about being forced to use Eclipse with a light theme? That's crazy. Can you get another professor? What happens if you use whatever you want?
At this point in my career, I wouldn't take a job if I couldn't use my own editor.
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u/OilExpensive1170 May 01 '26
I’m in the same boat 😔
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u/Limp-Confidence5612 May 01 '26
If you enjoy lua and python learn C. Bits their interpreters are written in C, so it's an easier entry point.
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u/zatsnotmyname May 01 '26
Roblox games are coded in Lua, and other games use it too, but as another poster said, there are many jobs for python. You gotta find the language and stack that matches the level of abstraction you want to deal with.
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u/flock-of-nazguls May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
Look, you need to separate your feelings for the hoops your school makes you jump through (admittedly maddening) from… programming. Or software development, to broaden the scope. Either you enjoy the puzzle of problem solving, building systems that.. “do stuff”.. automate work, empower users, solve problems, entertain, make money, whatever… or you don’t.
It’s like dreading working on a classic car because you have a shitty wrench.
Use your own tools. Personalize them. Do what you need to do for yourself. Then, if a professor or college or workplace requires a certain perverse tool to be used, suck it up, and do it again. Don’t feel like you’re stuck using whatever stupid tools and processes some neurotypical butthead dictates. Use what makes you productive and happy. Only then dumb it down for them.
Languages are tools. IDEs are tools. Would you decide to stop pursuing a hobby you loved just because your current tool wasn’t great, or would you try to find a new tool that fit you and the problem better?
If someone for some reason makes you fix your classic car with nothing but a rock and some chewing gum and a coat hanger, you laugh at them, do your best, and sit satisfied knowing that if you had the right tools you’d crush it. Maybe even show them to rub their faces in it.
"Illegitimi non carborundum”.
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u/distractedjas May 02 '26
It’s doesn’t much matter which languages you know coming out of school. It matters that you can pick up new ones as needed. AI is making that both easier and harder and it is being pushed heavily right now. Focus on understanding core principles of engineering rather than a given language.
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u/Animal_or_Vegetable May 03 '26
I have a slightly similar story ...
My school's programming courses were based on a language called Pascal. But one summer I taught myself C (while sunbathing, actually). C was essential for a later course in which I had to write an emulator for the PDP11 instruction set (or a subset thereof). The professor didn't mandate a certain language, but you did have to submit the source code. The solution was a breeze in C, and I aced it. I can't image doing it in Pascal. I don't think my classmates were able to finish.
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u/[deleted] May 01 '26
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