Getting started with Programming
29 January 2020
Is Coding for me?
If you are considering a career transition into Web Development but you don’t really know where to begin, I wrote this article for you. I personally started coding right after my college graduation when I was looking for a meaningful career that would challenge my intellect and allow my creativity to flow. The path to becoming a developer requires dedication and patience, but it could open tremendous possibilities. Does this sound like something you are looking for? If yes, I am handing you some resources that I wish I knew before I started learning to code. All of them are free, interactive and will help you evaluate if Web development is for you.
Harvard’s famous CS50's Introduction to Computer Science
A great introduction into the field of programming. It is a self-paced course that has been taken by millions of students. CS50 is the same course you would take if you a CS freshman student at Harvard. While it is more theoretical than the other coding courses it also offers the opportunity to participate in coding projects. You can also earn a certificate if you are willing to pay $90 for it.
The Dash course was my first exposure into Coding. It is short , fun and straight to the point. You will be creating a simple site in no time. The topics explored are HTML CSS and JavaScript. If you are a hands-on type of person I would suggest you start from here.
Codecademy contains a broad set of technologies you can learn. Codecademy’s topics vary from Front-End, to Back-End and Data science. The courses are longer than Dash. However they are less project oriented and it might be challenging to connect the dots at the end of the course.
freeCodeCamp is a non-profit organization dedicated to help new coders. freeCodeCamp offers certifications and thousands free resources to newbies. They have a large and community of coders and they pride themselves for being supportive towards one another through pair-programming. If you learn better with others I would highly recommend freeCodeCamp.
BOOKS
Two of my favorite books for getting into the programming world.
Coders By Clive Thompson
Coders gives a compelling account about web development, the history, the humans who shaped it and its impact in our world. If you are wondering what’s is like to be a coder this book will give you the picture.
The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide by John Sonmez
This book is for whoever has decided to become a programmer. John will guide you every step of the way, from choosing the right programming language, to your resume and your career goals.
Podcast
Probably the most popular coding Podcast among newbies. The title is self-explanatory.
In my next post, I will write about diving deeper and getting serious with coding. Stay tuned!