Ah, let’s learn how to code today! Where do I start? Okay, so you want to learn how to code like genius? There’s tons of resources and you somehow ended up here. I am sorry to hear that, but on a serious note, learning to code has been one of the best skills I’ve ever learned.
You don’t have to be super smart to learn it, and there’s tons of free resources on the internet. The only thing is you have to work really hard. But the problem with a lot of people who try to learn to code is they don’t know what to work hard on. So I’m going to teach you the areas that you should be working hard on so you don’t waste time.
Quick disclaimer here: I’m not here to teach you how to get a job in 3 to 6 months because it’s not that realistic. I’ll be honest, is it possible? Yes. Have people done it? Yes. And people have also won the lottery. That does not mean it’s going to happen to everybody. I’m just here to give you everything you need to get started, and I hope you understand that. So with that out of the way, let’s get started.
Learn How to Learn
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, I’m here to learn how to code. What do you mean ‘learn how to learn’?” All right, all right, I hear you, but this is really important. I swear this will help a lot. Learning to code is not about programming languages; it’s about developing a mindset for problem solving and continuous learning. This is what separates the beginners from the professionals. The professionals know how to solve their own problems and learn new concepts pretty quickly. So it’s crucial that you understand how to learn.
Importance of Learning How to Learn
Is it really that important, especially for coding? Yes, it is. Let me explain why.
- Rapidly Changing Technology
The tech world is always evolving. New languages, tools, frameworks—they’re popping up all the time. If you know how to learn effectively, you can keep up with these changes without getting overwhelmed.
- Problem Solving Skills
Coding is basically problem solving. Each line of code is a solution to a mini puzzle. Learning how to learn enhances your ability to break down complex problems into manageable pieces and find innovative solutions.
- Adaptability
This skill is gold in the coding world. When you’re comfortable with learning, you adapt better to new challenges. You’re more willing to step out of your comfort zone and tackle unfamiliar tasks.
- Independent Learning
You won’t always have someone to hold your hand through every coding challenge. Being a self-sufficient learner empowers you to find solutions on your own, making you a more competent and confident coder.
- Efficient Learning
Time is precious, right? You want to learn to code as fast as possible. Well, by learning how to learn, you can tailor your coding education to be more effective. Instead of taking 5 hours learning a concept, you’d only need to spend an hour.
Where to Start coding?
Big question: where do I start? Coding is a vast jungle, but don’t worry, I’ll give you a map to guide you on the right path. But I need to know a few things from you first.
Questions to Consider
What do you want to make? Why do you want to code? Do you want a big tech job? Do you have an app idea? Want to make a video game? Okay, that might have been too fast. Let’s slow it down and start with two questions.
What Do You Want to Make?
Your answer to this question will guide your learning path to make sure you’re not learning something you’re not supposed to and end up wasting time. It’ll decide the resources you choose and the projects you’ll embark on. Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s all about what excites you and what keeps you up at night thinking, “I can’t wait to create that.”
Why Do You Want to Code?
Are you looking for a career in programming? Do you want to bring a unique app idea to life? Or are you just coding for fun? This is what’s going to motivate you when you eventually hit that bug at 2 a.m. and can’t figure out why your code isn’t working. Understanding your why also helps in choosing the right resources. If you’re career-focused, you might lean towards areas that are easier to get a job in. If it’s a hobby, you have more freedom to explore certain areas.
What Programming Language Should I Learn?
The programming language you should learn all depends on your answer to those two questions. There’s no such thing as a best language, but there do exist popular languages. Let me explain what you should research based on your interest.
Web Development
If you want to build websites or web applications, start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are the main technologies of the web. HTML structures your content, CSS styles it, and JavaScript adds interactivity. As you advance, consider learning frameworks like React, Vue, Svelte, or Angular for more dynamic and responsive applications. From there, you can start learning some backend.
Mobile App Development
If you want to build mobile apps, your path depends on the platform. For iOS apps, learn Swift, Apple’s modern programming language for iOS. For Android, start with Java or Kotlin. Kotlin is the newer language and it offers more modern features and is now preferred by Google for Android development. If you’d like to do both, consider learning React Native or Flutter.
Video Game Development
For those of you who want to build video games, check out some video game engines like Unity, Godot, and Unreal Engine. Unity and Godot use C#, and Godot has its own language, while Unreal Engine primarily uses C++.
AI and Machine Learning
For those of you who want to take over the world with AI and machine learning, Python is your starting point. This area is not just about coding; be prepared to learn a lot about math, especially statistics, calculus, and algebra. Python is the most common language in this field for its simplicity and the powerful libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and a lot of other libraries that support machine learning operations.
In each of these paths, your foundation is crucial. Once you grasp the basics, you can delve into more complex projects and refine your skills in your chosen area of interest. There’s a lot more areas when it comes to coding, so I strongly suggest you check out this video here if you want a high-level road map of every main area of programming to get you started.
How to Start Learning
So far we’ve discussed picking the right programming language and understanding your why, but what about the actual learning process? You know, how to code. First off, let’s talk about resources. There’s a wealth of information out there from online courses, YouTube videos, books, tutorials, and coding communities.
There’s websites like Codecademy, FreeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, and Coursera. They offer structured courses that are great for beginners. YouTube definitely has its fair share of tutorials, but also don’t overlook the power of books. They often go deeper into concepts than many online resources. However, there’s a common pitfall that almost every beginner gets stuck in that you should watch out for: tutorial hell.
Tutorial Hell
A cycle of constantly consuming programming tutorials without being able to apply the knowledge in the real world and build real apps. Tutorial hell is one of the worst things to ever get stuck in. You feel like you’re not growing or improving. If you stay there, you’ll want to quit because you feel like this is not for you. I was stuck in tutorial hell at one point and it was one of the worst feelings ever.
I kept watching tutorial after tutorial and I just felt like I never got better for some reason. It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of constantly watching tutorials and courses without really applying what you’ve learned. While these resources build your foundation, they don’t always push you to the next level of solving real-world problems. This is where the learning resources you pick make all the difference.
Project-Based Learning
If you prefer something other than tutorials, then the key to breaking out of tutorial hell is to start practicing project-based learning. This means applying what you’ve learned to real-world projects. You can still watch or read tutorials, like making a to-do list app, but the key difference is to add on to the tutorial and build other features from scratch. This way, you’re not just following instructions; you’re innovating and building your skills in a practical, hands-on manner. For example, let’s say you’re watching a tutorial on making a calculator program. They show you how to add two numbers. Well, you can add on to the tutorial by adding a feature of subtracting two numbers
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