Intro:
In my first year of college as a computer science major, I repeatedly asked myself the same question and searched online for a favorable answer. The burning question was: What is the best language to learn? or Which language is the best? After gaining some maturity and trying out four different languages, I finally realized the question was wrong all along. I understood that a programming language is just a medium to express my logic or write my software. There are no “best” programming languages—there are programming languages that are best for certain use cases.

I will give you a roadmap for using programming languages to your advantage without falling into the rabbit hole.

The most repeated question is: Which language should I learn first?

You should ask yourself why you want to learn a language. The reasons could be:

1. Starting:
   I am just starting, so I want to take a look at how the whole programming thing works.
   My advice: If you are just starting, I recommend you begin with C++. But if you don’t have much patience, get easily scared, or have anxiety around coding, you should start with Python. However, I always encourage people to learn the basics of C++. Finish the basics and solve some online problems. Once you understand concepts like variables, functions, arrays, etc., start learning about DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms).
2. Web Development:
   I want to become an entry-level web developer in 6 months, focusing only on web development.
   My advice: If you want to focus on web development, I recommend starting with JavaScript. It’s a safe language to start with, and there are always jobs available, though there is also more competition. One thing to note is that web development jobs can depend on where you live. For example, I live in Michigan, and I often see job postings asking for Java (Spring Boot). Research a little to see what is in demand locally if you want to niche down.
3. Machine Learning/AI:
   I’ve seen a lot of hype around AI, and I want to start learning machine learning.
   My advice: The obvious answer is Python. Python is a language that can be used for anything, but it excels in machine learning. There are tons of resources available online, and Python is the best choice for this field.
4. Mobile App Development:
   I think mobile app development is the right path for me, and I want to pursue it.
   My advice: I recommend starting with Java. You may hate it at first, but stick with it. I don’t suggest Kotlin or Swift as they tend to focus on specific operating systems. After you’ve gained some proficiency in Java, you can decide whether you want to become an Android or iOS developer.

I want to mention one other possibility:
For example, cloud engineering doesn’t require much coding initially, but you will need some proficiency. This could be in Python or Terraform. I suggest Python because it allows you to explore other career paths as well.

In short, the question is not which programming language is the best but rather which language will be more efficient for my use case.