Rachel Girard AddedMonday, January 1, 2018 at 10:36 AM Do I need prior coding skills to be successful if I want to become a computer or software engineer? As a high school junior, I'm looking into schools that can offer me a strong foundation in computer/ software engineering. The thing is, I don't have a great amount of experience in coding, and I'm worried that that will hold me back from being successful in the future college classes I take. Related to Computer, Computers, Difficult Classes, Engineering Skills, Preparation for College, Self Doubt, Social Concerns, Software Areas of Impact Computers Reset Sort By Default Sayari Ghosh , QuickApplyLoan (Gobdu Corporation) Answered Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 1:06 PM Hi Rachel! That is a very good question and I'm sure many students are thinking about the same. Let me tell you what, in future, once you are in the software industry, you need to have good coding skills to be successful but what you need more is the will to learn something new. Right now, as a high school junior, this is your time to start learning. The school where you will eventually get into for your BS in Computer Science will offer you introductory programming courses. Take those. Challenge yourself with coding exercises, develop small games if you are interested in those. So that when you graduate you have a solid knowledge of coding. Don't worry about not having much experience right now. Just to let you know, there are software developers in the industry who come from varied backgrounds (like biology, arts, or even music) and many of them had no experience in coding until college. Personally, I was a very bad programmer even in college. It comes through practice and the intention to learn. Good luck!