Building a Strong Foundation: Top 11 Must Learn Programming Languages for Students

There was a time when the world of computers was open to few. Only a handful of people had the cutting-edge coding skills. However with the advancement of technology, to have a better job opportunity, students opted to learn programming languages. 

Programming is the most sought-after skill in the modern world. As the demand for a skilled programmer tends to grow, choosing the right program language to learn can be a tedious task. It will take time, money, and effort to learn a new programming language. So, there are various things a student should keep in mind before opting for the best programming language such as the difficulty level he or she wants to tackle and the benefits of learning the top programming languages in 2023. Whether a student wants to develop a web application, learn new skills, or get a certification for their coding knowledge, choosing the right programming language is of utmost importance.

But before diving in, let us first understand what exactly a programming language is.

Understanding programming languages

A programming language is a way by which a web developer tends to communicate with computers. It is a set of instructions that the developer writes in a specific language such as C, C++, or Java to perform a particular task. Learning the most widely used programming languages can be helpful for students as these computer languages are majorly used for the development of desktop applications, mobile websites, and mobile applications in today’s technological age. Having good coding knowledge will be helpful for students to get better career opportunities. 

There are various types of programming languages, which are as follows:

If you are looking for the top programming languages in 2023, you can segregate it into three main categories.

1. Low-level programming language

Low-level programming languages are majorly machine-dependent (Os and 1s) programming languages. The processor tends to run low-level programs directly without the need for an interpreter or compiler. As a result, programs written in low-level language can run very fast. 

Low-level machine language can future be divided into two parts-

• Machine language 

Machine language is a type of low-level programming language and is also known as machine code or object code. Machine language is the best programming language to learn because it is normally displayed in a binary or hexadecimal form. Hence it also does not require any translator to convert the program as computers can directly understand a machine language program.

One of the biggest advantages of machine language is that it allows the developer to execute the programs faster than the high-level programming language. 

• Assembly language

Assembly language (ASM) is also a type of low-level programming language that is designed for a specific processor. This language tends to represent the set of instructions in a symbolic and human-understandable form. An assembler is being used to convert the assembly language to machine language. One of the major advantages of assembly language is that it is one of the easiest coding languages to learn, requiring less memory space and shorter execution time to run a program.

2. High-level programming language

High-level programming languages (HLL) are mainly designed for developing user-friendly websites and software programs. This programming language tends to require an interpreter or a compiler to translate the program into the machine language and execute the program.

The main advantage of using a high-level language is that it is easy to read, write, and maintain.  

Some of the best high-level programming languages for beginners are Python, Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Java, JavaScript, C++, C#, Objective C, Perl, Cobol, LISP, Pascal, FORTRAN, and Swift programming language.

A high-level language can be divided into two parts –

• Procedural-oriented programming language

This language tends to follow a sequence of statements or commands to achieve the desired output. Each command is called a procedure and a program written in one of these languages will have one or more procedures within it. A few common examples of procedural-oriented programming languages for beginners are C and C++, Java, Pascal, BASIC, etc.

• Object-oriented programming languages

In this programming language, programs are divided into smaller parts that are known as objects that can be useful to implement real-world entities such as polymorphism, inheritance, and abstraction thereby making the program efficient, reusable, and easy to use.  

Some common examples of object-oriented programming (OOP) languages are Java, Python, Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), C++, and Ruby

3. Mid-level programming language

This language tends to support the features of both low-level and high-level languages and is also known as intermediate programming language.

Some of the most widely used mid-level programming languages are C and C++.

Importance of programming language for students

Learning programming languages has numerous benefits, especially for students such as

• Better job opportunities

With technological advancement, students who have good programming skills are more in demand as they tend to bring more value to a business organization. Learning the most in-demand programming languages can be considered an excellent way for students to broaden their skill set and avail better career opportunities.

• Enhance performance as an employee

Coding tends to play a major role in today’s technological evolution. Learning to code has become all the more important with the rise of new automated technologies and robotics. A student who has a good knowledge of the most widely used programming languages can communicate more easily with the technical support team or the web developer team. 

• Improve efficiency

Learning a new programming language can at times help the students to better understand the codes that they are already familiar with. Understanding the basic concepts and principles behind top programming languages in 2023 can help students write better error-free codes and be more productive. Good programming knowledge allows students to design user-friendly and interactive web applications for better career opportunities. 

• Encourages creativity and problem-solving skills 

A student can think more creatively and come up with various innovative ideas by learning a new programming language. It helps students to use their technical skills more creatively and efficiently. Learning programming languages broadens the horizons of a student and helps them approach any problem with a unique perspective and find an efficient way to solve it. 

• Teaches consistency 

Learning about a new programming language can be both challenging and stimulating. While learning new things a student is bound to get stuck at certain problems. At that time students should have patience and perseverance. This, in turn, will teach them to be consistent. Consistency can be considered an essential aspect of learning a programming language as it allows the students to write code that is more understandable and readable.

What are some of the most commonly used Programming languages?

Now a question might arise which programming language is best for getting a job?

In today’s business scenario, the majority of sectors such as banking, hospitals automobiles, and education are using programming languages to develop effective and interactive web applications. As a result, there is a rise in demand for a web developer who is affluent with programming language. Some of the best programming languages in 2023 that a student should be aware of are given below –

1. Python

Python was developed in the year 1990s and can be considered the interpreted, high-level, general-purpose one of the most widely used programming languages for rapid development. This open-sourced and user-friendly programming language is mostly used in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, GUI-based desktop applications, robotics, and much more. There are various reasons for Phyton being extremely popular among web developers and big multinational companies such as Intel, IBM, Netflix, etc. One of the main reasons is that it is easy to learn and can be used in almost all projects. Furthermore, there is a wide range of powerful Python such as Django, Web2Py, Bottle, and PyScript. 

According to recent reports in the year 2023, around 40% of business organizations are looking forward to hiring people who have good knowledge of Python, making it the third most popular programming language around the world.  

2. JavaScript 

Javascript is a versatile programming language and has been in the field of web development for many years now. The main advantage of JavaScript is that it is compatible with other languages which makes it an essential tool for developing interactive and responsive websites. 

JavaScript can be considered one of the most in-demand programming languages that is useful for both front-end and back-end web development. Since Javascript is versatile and flexible, it can also be used for mobile app development along with technologies such as Ionic and React Native. In addition to the rise of Node.js, Javascript has now become an excellent choice for the development of server-side, microservices and application programming interfaces (APIs).

According to a recent report, Javascript is one of the most popular programming languages among recruiters in the year 2023 with more than 50 percent of recruiters looking to hire people who have good Javascript knowledge.  

3. Typescript 

Typescript, one of the top programming languages of 2023 can be considered as the subset of Javascript that adds static typing and many other unique features to make the code more reliable and robust. With the help of the static typing system of TypeScript, web developers can detect errors early in the development process, making it easier to develop more reliable software.

Various features of Typecast such as classes, interfaces, and generics make it easier to manage large codebase and develop large-scale web applications. Furthermore, TypeScript programming language is particularly helpful when web developers have to work with large teams, where the need for maintainability and consistency is essential.

4. C#

C# programming language is designed by Microsoft and is useful for developing a wide range of applications such as web applications, games, windows desktop applications, and much more. 

One of the main advantages of C# language is its simplicity and ease of use making it an excellent choice to develop reliable and high-performance applications. The syntax of C# is concise and easy to read, making it one of the most in-demand programming languages for web developers who want to write maintainable code.

Moreover, various advanced features of C# such as delegates, garbage collection, and events come in handy while writing more reliable codes.

5. Kotlin 

Kotlin is one of the most widely used programming languages that JetBrains developed and it works seamlessly with Java. Since Kotlin is compatible with Java, it can used to develop various Java-based applications and Android applications. The concise syntax and advanced features of Kotlin programming languages such as null safety, lambdas, and coroutines make it easier to write more reliable and maintainable code for web applications, server-side applications, and desktop applications. In addition, Kotlin can be easily integrated with existing Java-based codebases. 

6. Swift

Swift is a programming language developed by Apple and is highly useful for developing macOS, watchOS, iOS, and tvOS applications. One of the main benefits of using Swift programming language is that its syntax is easy to read and concise, making it one of the best programming languages for beginners who want to write simple maintainable code. Some of the other interesting advanced features of Swift are closures, optionals, and generics making it easy to write more reliable code and develop high-performance applications. 

7. Structured Query Language (SQL)

Structured Query Language (SQL) is one of the top programming languages of 2023 that is mainly used to seamlessly access and manipulate databases. It allows web developers to leverage database functions, create views, and store procedures, to enable advanced database operations and enhance data processing capabilities.

Due to the versatility of Structured Query Language (SQL), it is extensively used in social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, music streaming services such as Spotify, and various banking platforms. 

8. HyperText Markup Language (HTML)

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a universally accepted markup language that tends to use a text-based methodology to delineate the structural composition of content within HTML files. HTML facilitates the development of web pages by organizing web applications and websites. HTML tends to establish a cohesive framework by defining the interconnections between web pages with the help of hypertext. Learning programming languages such as HTML has various benefits as web developers can easily integrate HTML with other programming languages such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), scripting languages like JavaScript, etc allowing them to focus more on refinement than full coding.

9. PowerShell 

PowerShell can be considered an open-sourced, command line interface (CLI) that tends to automate tasks and configurations using code.  It is one of the most in-demand programming languages that helps web developers, IT admins, and DevOps professionals by providing a platform to automate various operations.

One of the biggest advantages of PowerShell is that tends to leverage the .NET framework while working with objects instead of traditional text-based command-line shells.

10. Rust

 Being one of the top programming languages in 2023, Rust helps develop ‘low-level software such as device drivers, operating systems, and game engines. It is an ideal choice for developing secure and robust software because of the memory safety feature of Rust. Moreover, because of the excellent performance of Rust, it is a good choice for applications where speed tends to play a vital role.

One of the main reasons for Rust being a popular programming language is its ability to combine the safety and reliability of languages like C and C++ with the ease of use of languages like Python and JavaScript.

11. Go

Go is a programming language for beginners that is useful for developing highly concurrent and scalable systems such as microservices, distributed systems, and cloud applications. It is an excellent choice for web developers who want to build highly performant applications without sacrificing simplicity because of the garbage collection system and simple lightweight syntax. In addition, Go’s standard library tends to offer a wide range of functionality for cryptography, networking, and other essential tasks.

Wrapping Up 

Programming languages can be considered the heart of the digital revolution. From enabling communication to developing complex software solutions, the importance of programming language cannot be overstated. With the advancement of technology, learning various programming languages offers various benefits for students – from enhancing problem-solving skills to availing better career opportunities. So it doesn’t matter whether you have just started your coding journey or are an experienced coder, learning the most widely used programming languages from the best educational institution is always can be helpful for all. Hence, without any future ado, apply for the latest basic or advanced-level courses today. 

Also read: Building your career with the best short-term courses after 12th standard or graduation