Learning to Code: Where to Begin
Learning to program has always been on my bucket list both for personal enjoyment and also for career success. It seemed that everyone around me knew at least python and were all well on their way to software engineers. While this isn’t entirely true, in the world of physics, programming no longer seems like a skill which will differentiate me in a positive light. Rather, it seems that not having this skill will make me stand out (in the kind of way that will land my resume in the ‘no’ pile). Thus, it has been my goal this year to learn to program.
Throughout my many attempts, I have learned a lot about the best way to learn this skill. In reality, I have only progressed from a daunted novice to a confident novice, but the progression was enough to increase my self efficacy to the point that I am able to work creatively and enjoy the process.
Where to Begin: Pick One and See it Done
This was by far the hardest step for me. I often received the advice to find tutorials online. There are, after all, a wealth of beginner videos and projects all available for free. This is really great advice — why pay for a class when you can jump right in? The problem is, the advice needed to be a bit more specific for it to work for me. The way I would tweak this advice: find one tutorial and stick with it.
