Hello World! Learning to Code

7 min readMay 3, 2022

My Coding Journey (Week 1)

Recently I decided to learn to code. When I posted my plans on LinkedIn, I was amazed by the support I received. The kind words of encouragement boosted my confidence and helped me overcome pre-course jitters.

So, I’ve decided to publish a series of weekly articles to document my experience of learning to code over the next 8 weeks.

This is partly for my own benefit of “witnessing” my progress, partly to welcome tips and tricks from readers, and partly in the hope that my experience might help others who are thinking about learning to code.

Curious about Coding

As a Project Manager working in the digital space, coding is something I’ve been curious about for a while. But it’s also something I thought was beyond me.

Quite a few years ago one of my colleagues joked that I wasn’t very good with computers. I didn’t think this was true at the time, and I’ve proven that I can use technology in creative ways to successfully manage complex partnerships and projects. But that comment stuck with me and became an “internal voice” telling me that I wasn’t cut out to code. Perhaps because I’m in the final year of my 30s, now I feel a little older, wiser, and freer to decide on my abilities myself. Hard work has always paid off for me, so what’s stopping me from learning to code?!

Quite a few years ago one of my colleagues joked that I wasn’t very good with computers… that comment stuck with me and became an “internal voice” telling me that I wasn’t cut out to code.

I have the incredibly good fortune and privilege of working with over 150 people who are learning to code through the innovative TechUP programme at Durham University. Before that, I worked with a fantastic group of mums when leading Newcastle University’s #techmumsClub (in partnership with the social enterprise #techmums and The Alan Turing Institute).

Each person on these two tech retraining initiatives is an inspiration. Their journeys into tech are stories of bravery, resilience, and dedication. Most are women, have caring responsibilities, and are juggling part-time study with paid work. Add covid to the mix, along with the unexpected challenges that life throws up, and it becomes clear that they are nothing less than superheroes! Hearing their stories and watching their journeys is incredible, and has encouraged me to follow in their footsteps.

My Motivations

When I was very young, my big brother had an old Commodore 64. He used to creep downstairs early in the morning and flick through a spiral-bound paper manual to create his own mini-games. Always in awe of my brother, I didn’t know what he was doing, but it was magical that he could make a little stick person walk across the screen and seem to have a conversation with me. That was nearly 35 years ago, and I’m intrigued to see what coding looks like today.

Unlike most people who learn to code, I’m not pursuing a technical career. I love my job as a Project Manager for the TechUP Programme. But I work with people who know how to code: computer scientists, software developers, data engineers, etc. I also support people who are retraining to return to work or start a new career in tech. I feel that learning to code would help me in my job so that I can be better at listening to, understanding, conversing, and empathising with people.

I also love to learn. After having a baby during the pandemic, and returning to work in a new job, I feel that I missed out on a lot of time for professional development. When people were learning new things during the lockdowns — new musical instruments, new languages, new qualifications — I had my hands full with nappies and parenting books. Now that I have more time to focus on myself, I feel that coding is relevant to my area of work, but it’s certainly not a requirement, so it seems like a perfect skill to challenge my brain and test myself while developing new ways of thinking that will benefit me personally and professionally.

Coding is relevant to my area of work, but it’s certainly not a requirement, so it seems like a perfect skill to challenge my brain and test myself while developing new ways of thinking that will benefit me personally and professionally.

Choosing a Course

There are lots of different options for learning to code, as summarised in this helpful article by Mary-Ann Russon for the BBC: What Can We Do to Get More Women Into Coding?.

I thought about what might suit me best. Raising a young family (a 1 year old “pandemic baby” and a 6 year old), and working a 4 day week leaves me very little time to focus on myself. I needed something that was introductory level, a relatively low weekly time commitment, and free (childcare costs are HUGE!). I wanted a high-quality option, as I have very little free time, so I need to use it wisely.

After reviewing the options, I chose a Code First Girls Coding Kickstarter course in “Python and Apps”:

Free course
2 hours per week for 8 weeks
Live virtual sessions
Regional focused (North East England)
Developed in partnership with Cognizant

But then the pre-course jitters started and I worried that I might not keep up, so I also chose to study a Codecademy “Learn Python 3” beginner course. The Codecademy course would enable me to study key concepts in my own time, while the Code First Girls course would give me a learning community, enable me to ask questions of instructors, and get a deeper understanding of the key concepts and how they fit together.

By a stroke of good luck, I also found a helpful child-friendly book on Python while cleaning my children’s bookcases: Coding for Beginners Using Python. I bought the book for 20p from a charity shop, and it’s remained hidden in a bookcase for the past couple of years. I’m looking forward to getting some use out of it in the coming weeks!

Content Covered in Week 1

I covered the following material in Week 1:

Codecademy:

Module 1: Introduction to Python syntax
Module 2: Control Flow
Module 3: Lists

Code First Girls:

Python Basics (Data Types and Variables)

Reflections on Week 1

I’ve been surprised by how much I’m enjoying learning to code! It’s an immersive experience, where I am completely engaged in the work, and — if waking children wouldn’t drag me out of my chair — I think I would work through the night!

My natural learning style is to make notes, memorise details, and make sure that I fully understand something before moving on to the next. But with coding I’ve been putting this to one side. I’ve been focusing on understanding core material, and not worrying too much about committing new things to memory as soon as I encounter them. I’ve been returning to activities and cheatsheets to remind myself of material I’ve already covered, and I plan to do more exercises in future weeks to cement my knowledge.

While I’m a details person, I also like to see the big picture. At the moment I feel like I can see the tiny details but I don’t yet have sight of the big picture. It feels like paving a path in the dark. I’m trying to be patient, feel comfortable focusing on the small pieces, and trust that the bigger picture will become visible as I progress.

Live sessions are challenging when you have two little children, especially if the live session takes place in the middle of the bedtime routine for a breastfed baby! But the virtual nature of the course is ideal, as I can turn off my camera and continue coding one-handed with my baby on my lap. Not ideal, but it works.

I’m so excited to start the Code First Girls group project later in the course. I’m trying to be patient and learn the basics before steaming ahead and thinking about the project briefs. But I know I’m going to love this aspect of the course.

I know that I’ve hardly scratched the surface, but I feel like I’ve learnt so much already! I can read simple bits of code to identify bugs and predict outputs. I’m also growing in confidence to test my learning more freely outside of the prescribed exercises.

Goals for Week 2

My goals for the coming week are:

Complete the Loops and Functions modules in Codecademy
Arrange a better bedtime routine for the children so that I have fewer distractions during the Code First Girls live session (!)
Engage with the Code First Girls community in Slack
Find a good Youtube channel on Python or coding more generally

Key Takeaways

This week, the personal lessons that I’ve learnt are:

Don’t let other people define your boundaries; if want to learn something new, go for it.
Although you’re starting something new, you might be surprised by the number of people who are rooting for you and there to support you.
Be mindful and patient; take it small chunk by small chunk, and enjoy it.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve found this interesting. If you have any comments, tips, or links that you’d like to share, please include them in the comments.

Right, I’m off to work on Python…!

My weekly coding articles

Week 1: Hello World

Week 2: The Joy of Learning to Code

Week 3: Coding Like a Mother

Week 4: One Month of Coding

Week 5: All Progress is Good Progress

Week 6: Learning to Code: Practice and Projects

Week 7: My First Coding Vlog!

Week 8: Learning to Code in 8 Weeks

I hope that sharing my own experience might encourage other people (and especially women) to explore coding or other tech topics.

About the Author

Dr Elena Gorman is a UX Designer specialising in User Research. Before changing careers into UX in 2022, she worked as a Project Manager, including for tech-related initiatives, such as the TechUP Programme at Durham University, for The Alan Turing Institute at Newcastle University, and the Creative Fuse North East project at Northumbria University. Elena is also the Co-Founder of Women in Tech North East, a free community of over 800 women and non-binary people who are interested in tech. Elena has a PhD in Theology from Durham University and has published research on female martyrdom in early Christianity.