Rich Apodaca has a great post about the different programming languages that you might want to learn (and how it's more important that you find an interesting problem...):
Reddit Chemistry hosts an interesting discussion about which programming language is most useful to learn as a chemist. This is an important question as chemists everywhere come face-to-face with the worst job market on record. Combining a good chemistry background with a useful skill such as computer programming would be one strategy for staying prepared for whatever lies ahead...
[snip] Identifying good problems - problems that when solved will yield profitable outcomes - is one of the most difficult and valuable things we do in our careers as scientists. This is equally true in software. Finding a good problem matters far more than finding a programming language to learn. I’d even go so far as to say don’t even bother learning a programming language until you’ve identified a good problem to solve.I think software is still a place where younger chemists can still make an impact (and start from a basic skill set...)
I use to work as an analytical chemist and doing a lot of batch HPLC/GC-MS analysis using MS Excel. I found that learning how to code VBA was very useful when I wanted to create a macro that can auto import HPLC data, generate graphs, and auto generate update reports for weekly meetings. Very useful and efficient if you're into these types of jobs.
ReplyDeleteI completed my M.Sc. Chemistry and right now I am struggling what to do further. I am not at all interested in research. Right now I am preparing for govt exams mainly in chemistry field. I also an interest of learning computer language and I learn c in my msc and work little bit in computational chemistry. Should I learn computer language and what language should I go with which not only helps me in chemistry but also in some other fields.
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