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JAVA LEARNING PATH (from novice to expert)

J.R
2 min readMar 21, 2023

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So I’ve had the privilege of meeting beginners and juniors who wish to become experts in the Java programming field. Below is a path of how you can get from beginner (slash novice) to an expert and senior Java developer. I highly recommend that you take this study path in order of sequence from step 1 to step 5. Step 5 is optional as it is a personal choice to get certified or not.

NB — I also highly recommend ‘Thinking In Java’ by Bruce Eckel. It is one of the best books ever written on Java. It’s long, but worth the read.

I can guarantee you that if you follow the steps and complete almost all of the learning and study material below, you’ll become one of the best Java developers in the world.

Happy learning to whoever is going to take this study path…

Step 1 (Learn the fundamentals of JAVA and the world of enterprise application development)

Thinking In Java (Bruce Eckel): Thinking In Java 4th Edition (blackball.lv)

(This is one of the best books, if not the best, you’ll ever find on Java)

Official Oracle Training Material (Free): Java Learning Subscription (oracle.com)

(This will introduce to Java and the world of enterprise Java development)

Step 2 (Learn About Being A Better Developer)

  1. Clean Code: Clean Code Explained — A Practical Introduction to Clean Coding for Beginners (freecodecamp.org) and also check out Uncle Bob’s clean code series on Clean Code: Fundamentals, Episode 1 — Clean Code, by Robert “Uncle Bob” Martin (cleancoders.com)
  2. Design Patterns: Design Patterns in Java (refactoring.guru) , Design Patterns in Java — Javatpoint , or Design Patterns in Java Tutorial (tutorialspoint.com)
  3. (Optional) The Pragmatic Programmer: https://www.cin.ufpe.br/~cavmj/104The Pragmatic Programmer, From Journeyman To Master — Andrew Hunt, David Thomas — Addison Wesley — 1999.pdf

Step 3 (Learn the Spring Framework and SpringBoot)

  1. Introduction To Spring: Gontuseries: (82) Spring Tutorial 01 — Introduction to Spring Framework — YouTube, (82) gontuseries — YouTube
  2. Spring Framework 5: Beginner to Guru Tutorial | Udemy (I highly recommend this one)

Step 4 (Learn About Cloud Development)

  1. Docker and Kubernetes Tutorial: Docker Mastery: The Complete Toolset From a Docker Captain | Udemy
  2. Deploy Java Spring Apps Online to Amazon Cloud (AWS) | Udemy

Step 5 (Get Certified)

  1. Basic and Core Java Certifications:

Java SE certified programmer: Java SE 8 Programmer I (Also available in CHS for Taiwan) | Oracle University ,

Java Foundations Certified Associate: Java Foundations Novice-level Exam | 1Z0–811 | Oracle University | Oracle University

  1. Oracle JEE certifications: Oracle Certified Professional, Java EE 7 Application Developer | Oracle University
  2. Spring Certified Professional: Spring Certified Professional 2023 (vmware.com)

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