Many people, from what I’ve seen, want to start a career in programming, but it is difficult to do so without any formal education. Because of this, I’d like to offer those hoping to gain a job in programming some of my own advice and the road I took to get there.
1. Set goals:
Determine your motivation for coding education. You should be as specific as you can about what you want to study because programming is not a niche field. What do you hope to achieve by learning to code? It doesn’t matter if you want to work in data science, create websites, or are just curious. Consider your pastime, your professional goals, or consult with those who work in the field. Understanding your motivation is critical if you want to learn to code for whatever reason. This will helps you in maintaining your motivation and concentrate while learning. Additionally, it will assist you in selecting the best tasks and learning materials for you.
Once your mind is clear, you may come to the next step:
2. Choose a coding language:
There are numerous coding languages available. They have pro and cons, and they are used for various things and hit different targets. To avoid getting lost, it is important to select one that is suited for your objectives. By deciding on a particular language to learn, you may concentrate your studies on the vocabulary and syntax unique to that language. This can decrease the time you need to learn before finding a job and help you learn more quickly and effectively. The popularity of the language is another factor that must be made. Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS are a few of the most well-known programming languages. This implies that there are more learning materials available for such languages as well as more job prospects for those who speak them.
3. Find a good learning resource:
Choose a resource that works for you among the many different ways available to learn how to code. There are books, tutorials, online courses, and even coding boot camps. Online courses are highly advised to learn coding from scratch, especially with the rise of the internet. These courses include exercises and projects that you can work on to improve your coding skills, and there is no better way to learn to code than by doing.
The list below is some of the best websites to learn programming online:
- Codecademy: an online interactive coding platform that teaches you how to code through interactive exercises.
- freeCodeCamp: free online coding bootcamp that teaches you how to code through projects and challenges.
- The Odin Project: free online coding curriculum that teaches you how to code through a series of projects.
- Khan Academy: free online coding course that teaches you the basics of coding.
- W3Schools: a website that offers free online tutorials on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
4. Check out how other people code:
It’s common for senior programmers to be extremely knowledgeable about coding methods and best practices. By looking at their work, you can discover fresh approaches to creating readable and maintainable code. You can also read their advice on problem-solving techniques, which you might not discover in any book or paper.
You can also discover more about the various ways that code can be written. This might help deliver a broader programming vision and in understanding the many methods for tackling coding issues.
5. Start small:
There’s no reason to hurry. Each step is remarkable. Try not to attempt to learn everything at once. Start with the fundamentals and gradually advance your knowledge. When you are new to work and things become a little stressful, it can be challenging in the early going. Before participating in more complex tasks, you can better comprehend the fundamentals by gradually developing your talents. Many online resources offer challenges and projects that you can work on to practice your coding skills, such as:
- HackerRank: This website offers a variety of coding challenges, from beginner to advanced levels. You can also find practice problems for specific coding languages and frameworks.
- LeetCode: LeetCode is another website that offers coding challenges. The challenges on LeetCode are typically more difficult than those on HackerRank, so they are a good option for experienced programmers.
- freeCodeCamp: Free Code Camp is a website that offers a free coding curriculum that includes challenges and projects. The challenges on Free Code Camp are designed to help you learn the basics of coding and to build your skills gradually.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help:
There are numerous online communities and forums where you can seek out the assistance of other programmers. You can post your code online and solicit feedback from other programmers if you are stuck on a coding issue. You can observe how they resolved issues that you are also dealing with, and you can pick up fresh strategies for putting your own ideas into practice. Never be embarrassed to seek for help if you’re having trouble. They are all aware that learning to code is challenging and that seeking help from others is always nicer to locking yourself in a room.
7. Practice makes perfect:
Practice, practice, practice! Practice is the key to learning to code. You’ll get better the more you code. Like any other skill, coding depends on muscle memory. You will get better at coding as you practice more. You may identify and correct problems in your code as well as reinforce the topics you have learnt through practice. You will begin to gain confidence in your abilities as you continue to practice coding. This will make it simpler to take on more difficult jobs and pick up new ideas. So start coding on some projects that you’re interested in!