Do you code in C++? Do you know C++?

I'm about to return to school, and seriously looking into getting another degree but this time in CompSci and looking at C++ as my focus.

Problem is, I've only dabbled at coding, never seriously wrote anything, or ever fully loaded anything into a compiler, let alone tried to debug anything.

How would one determine if coding is right for you? If you found out, how did you learn that it was the thing for you?

Personally I just enjoy writing in C++. The structure of the language is nice and easy. And with G++ as compiler, it isn't hard to compile.

Any chance you could first give it a try with other languages? I know lots of people would swear by C++, but from all the scripting and programming languages I learned (and that's quite a couple) I found C++ to be the least intuitive, least elegant and least easy to learn.

Not trying to say you shouldn't learn C++ (it's what most companies are looking for, after all), but getting into a more comfortable language first might help keeping your long-term motivation.
(And makes you more versatile on the market, too.)

every programmer knows several programming languages. the experienced ones can count several dozens.

c++ is only one. usually its not the language you choose by itself, but the technical posibilities of each one what determines your choice.

thats why c++ is not an absolute choice. even if you choose, you need to learn a lot more

It depends what do you want to code for. I enjoy programming games, it will probably become my job when I start working. And because computer graphics is one of the most performance oriented branches of computer science, I had no other options(C is capable for CG too of course but C++ is almost the industry's standard).

It is a great language. Has a perfect balance between performance and usability. And since MeeGo will be QT oriented, if you want to code for it, you should definitely know at least an entrance level of C++.

University & computer science is waste of time if you just want to start programming. You learn it by doing, not sitting at school listening to guys talking about doing it.

When you stay up until 3am in the morning getting your program to work and writing "just one more function".

Debugging your program and making it finally work makes you feel like you can do anything and feeling insanely happy about a couple of line of code.

Just give it a go - you'll find out very quickly if you like coding!

Slinging code without understanding what's going on can lead you into more than a few traps. If you can get an understanding on your own, more power to you. But actually studying it works better for most people.

I'd not go to say that far out. Programming is not exactly science but at least 80% science.
You don't know data structure, OS, compiler theories,... how do you program? Schools help you with that. Programming languages reflect ways of thinking. Some prefers procedural, some not.

To me, common sense helps you the most. You have to know anything exists because there is a reason behind. Go to school, learn, and practice.

I was learning electronic engineering at university (I haven't finished it yet), and we had a semester in both C and C++.

Although I have used C# before, they are not bad either.

C is very close to the hardware, and C++ adds many features to C. (Most notably, OOP.)
C is rather easy, but C++ is not really. Still, it is one of the most efficient languages on the planet, and is the basis of many other modern object-oriented languages.

If you learn C++, it will be most likely very easy to learn any other OOP languages afterwards.