How to Teach Yourself to Code

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If you’re a big fan of TV shows―particularly those based on cybercrime and technology―your perception of coding might be that it’s a genius-level activity relegated to a select few.Teach Yourself to Cod,e Many people look up to programmers as geniuses capable of doing the impossible.

Teach Yourself to Code
Teach Yourself to Code

The truth, however, is that coding isn’t as hard and complicated as most non-programmers think. You’d be surprised to learn that even the most ‘genius’ developers make mistakes. Plus, it’s not uncommon for them to struggle to fix what most perceive as ‘basic’ programming issues. So, the idea that coding is a skill that only a select few can learn is unfounded. While there may be difficulties during the initial stages of learning to code, anyone can easily get over them and be successful. Here we are help to How Teach Yourself to Code?

You’ve probably read about tons of people who have taught themselves how to code and are now leading developers in different spaces. That’s a sure sign you can do it as well. And here’s how to get started:

Learn DevOps

Whether you’re already working as an IT professional or this is your first move towards joining the tech world, you need to start by embracing a cultural shift in the way you approach your work. And that means learning DevOps: a cultural philosophy and practice that fosters collaboration and a team-based approach across the development and IT operations teams. Fortunately, you can learn DevOps online and work at your own pace. 

Learning DevOps will have a profound effect on how you learn to write programs and on your career as a programmer. First, you’ll learn how to work closely with people across the department of education and understand their unique needs and priorities. Secondly, DevOps will help you understand the end users’ viewpoint and learn to develop code that not only works but also integrates and can be deployed successfully into production. Plus, you’ll be able to drive decisions, solve problems, and make improvements based on the measurable data from applications rather than just user reports. DevOps is certainly a modern trend that everyone looking to learn how to build a career in coding must learn.

Find the Language You Want to Learn

Chances are you’ve taken some time to think about the direction you’d want to take in as far as your programming career is concerned. If that’s the case, then you won’t have a hard time figuring out the programming languages to start with. 

For example, starting with C#, C++ and JavaScript will give you a good foundation for 2D and 3D game development while Python would be preferable if you want to get into machine learning. You should, however, learn JavaScript and HTML/CSS if you want to become a front-end developer. And if you want to try your hand in back-end development and database administration, start by learning Python, C#, SQL, and JavaScript.

If you have no idea which career path to take, simply pick any language and stick with it. Some of the best DevOps scripting languages you can consider to start learning include Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, C/C++, and Perl. As you’ll soon realize, the basic concepts of programming are similar across all coding languages. So, don’t stress so much over which language to start with. 

Attend an Online Class or Workshop

Another thing you shouldn’t stress over is the type of online course or workshop to attend. It doesn’t really matter whether you take a paid online certification course from Treehouse and Coursera or enroll at The Odin Project or Watch and Code for free. What’s more important at this point is whether the class or workshop teaches the specific project domain or programming language you’re interested in. Your goal should be to find a course that will teach you enough to start solving basic programming problems even as you tinker on your project. 

Learn Conceptual Thinking

It’s not uncommon for people to hyper-focus on becoming proficient with specific programming languages that they forget to build their problem-solving capability. The truth is that you can’t become a successful coder if you can’t identify problems and find efficient ways to overcome them.

Remember you’ll be writing code to solve a specific problem. As such, you need to have some background knowledge about how computers work and learn basic programming concepts so it’s easier to apply them when tackling complex problems. With so many resources available online, you won’t need to enroll for a four-year computer science degree to learn these concepts.

Read a Book

Ask any highly successful coder and they’ll tell you reading programming books is one of the best ways to learn and master coding. So, go ahead and check your local library for any books that teach programming― particularly the language, framework, or type of project you’re interested in and trying to learn. Books will not only provide you with the coding knowledge you need but also offer challenges that you can use to improve your skills over time. You’ll also find valuable advice on the programming profession. 

Watch Interactive Coding Videos and Tutorials

There’s no denying that there’s some pretty good educational video content available online that non-coders can use to learn this very important and lucrative skill. And you can take advantage of them. A quick search on YouTube should get you started on how to start your coding career and troubleshoot different coding errors. Other valuable sources include FreeCodeCamp, LinkedIn, and CodinGame. 

Join a Hackathon

It makes no sense to invest your valuable time and money in learning how to code and not make an effort to put the skill into practice. And there’s no better way to gain real-world coding experience as a beginner than joining a hackathon. Not only will attending hackathons get you out of your comfort zone so you can showcase your skills but it will also allow you to learn as you network and connect with other coders.

Furthermore, the fact that these events are usually not centered around perfection but collaborative effort means that they offer a great opportunity to boost your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Plus, you get to share your ideas and expertise with others. So, go ahead and start your coding journey, and don’t forget to celebrate your small wins.