About the beginner course:
Week One: How to act like you're l33t.
Week Two: How to update Adobe Reader.
Week Three: How to write a fully-functional operation system from scratch.
Week Four: How to copy/paste.
Week Five: How to copy/paste.
Week Six: How to copy/paste.
Week Seven: How to copy/paste.
So you want to be a code monkey!
Congratulations! You're an idiot. But on a lighter note- lets discuss what you are getting yourself into.
Medical requirements:
Do you have caffeine intolerance? Too bad - you're out. Every self-respecting code monkey needs its caffeine to function correctly. Without a minimal daily intake you cannot receive the code deities' wisdom. Then your frontal cortex stops functioning and you die.
Time you will need to invest:
Lots. And lots and lots of time. If you do you'll get good - that's for sure. And yet, there will always be a twelve-year-old somewhere much better than you!
Social life:
You'll have none. Buy a japanese anime pillow and tissues.