Learning to Code: Great Resources to Use Today

It is no secret that the wide availability of free coursework from some of the world’s top universities has made the Internet something of a learner’s paradise in recent years. Indeed, online computer science courses currently provide aspiring software engineers and personal hobbyists with an astounding number of opportunities to hone their coding chops. Here are just a few great CS classes to take online, and why it’s never been a better time to learn how to code.

Harvard CS50
Free on Youtube and offered as a full-bore course at websites like edX, Harvard’s CS50 is one of the most popular resources available for learning how to code. It’s also a remarkably interesting class to take; distinguished computer science professor David J. Malan somehow manages to make even the thorniest concepts in computer science feel approachable to new learners. For many people, taking CS50 can be a life-changing experience.

MIT 6.0001 (Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python)
More dry and straightforward than Harvard’s introductory computer science class, this famous intro to Python at MIT is available at the university’s OpenCourseWare site. (Like CS50, it’s also available for free on Youtube.) 6.0001 is geared towards beginners in computer science, but it’s a compelling watch even for pros. For anyone who wants to get a good grasp on the Python coding language, this course can be extremely useful.

Khan Academy
Khan Academy may not currently have the same cachet as Harvard or MIT, but its coding lessons are definitely first-rate. The company’s simple lessons making learning about coding a breeze, and visual learners will find classes here easy to navigate and comprehend. Available for free on Youtube and the company’s website, the CS tutorials at Khan Academy cover everything from HTML/CSS to video game development in JavaScript. Khan Academy may be the new kid on the block when it comes to education, but it is definitely a resource that should not be overlooked.

For these reasons, now is a great time to learn the art of computer coding. With great universities like Harvard and MIT currently providing fantastic resources for computer science fans, the sky is the limit for individuals who want to take their coding skills to the next level. Truly, that is learning at its best!

Originally posted on AlexPodgurski.org.