Learning a new programming language at 35 — my timeline and honest experience
by Ghassan Malik·May 22, 2026
Started learning Rust at 35 after 8 years of writing Python. Here's what was different from learning your first language.
What's easier at 35:
- Understanding why language design decisions were made, you have context
- Learning from documentation and specs rather than needing hand-holding
- Knowing what questions to ask and where to find answers
- Patience, you've been a beginner before and you know it passes
What's harder at 35:
- Less time (full-time job, life obligations)
- The ego cost, being bad at something in a field where you're usually competent is uncomfortable
- Fewer peer learners at your stage, most Rust resources assume a younger audience
Timeline for me: 6 months to write anything useful in Rust. 12 months to feel comfortable. Still learning at 18 months.
Recommendation: Pick a specific project you want to build in the new language. Language learning without a destination is much harder to sustain.