How to learn a programming language in a week

A variety of tips to help folks learn and retain knowledge in no time.

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Clichés are pretty much the truth on repeat so here’s a good one: Learning is a journey. While you observe the different approaches listed in this reading, keep in mind that you are not obliged to learn a language in a short period of time. It is a valuable ability to have. Having been through Flatiron School’s Software Engineering boot-camp, I’d like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about how to pick up the pace in studies. Without further ado, here are some tips from me to you whether you’re either new to coding or have some experience.

First thing’s first:

CREATE A GITHUB ACCOUNT/DOWNLOAD A SOURCE CODE EDITOR

Now there isn’t any particular order that you need to follow these tips in, but I highly suggest that you consider this one a prerequisite to everything else in this blog.

Before taking any classes, my go-to application to write code in was my laptop’s notepad application. Looking back, It’s funny to think about. While I was able to accomplish simple tasks like create static websites, It’s not a very dynamic program in comparison to apps like Notepad+, Sublime Text, UltraEdit, Atom, Brackets, GNU Emacs, BBEdit, CodePen, or my personal favorite… Visual Studio Code. Programs like these are a must in my opinion because they provide more organization and structure than a basic text editor ever could, plus they can be visually customized and in cases like VS Code, provide a variety of helpful plug-ins for programmers to enjoy.

Here’s the download link for VS Code

Having a code editor is a great start, yes. Now let’s talk about version control. Keeping track of your changes to a project is very important, but so is having the ability to organize your data and even collaborate with others in a manageable way. All this and more is possible with services like Github. I’m inclined to agree that Git is like “Facebook for programmers”, plus Git also allows users to host their projects online.

Learn how to set up git here: Set up Git
Have a look at some Trending Git Repositories

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Having done all that, Let’s get to what yall came here for:

1. PEEP AN APPLICATION OF THE LANGUAGE YOU’RE INTERESTED IN.
   The purpose of this is to have an visual example of what’s possible with the language of your choice. Use your browsers dev tools to inspect the code. Note things that you think you understand and things you don’t. Note any questions you may have. Re-visit these notes after you’ve followed tip #2.

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2. IDENTIFY AND GET FAMILIAR WITH THE FUNDEMENTALS
Mostly all programming languages have the following data types:

• Array: A type of data structure that is a collection of elements.

Example in JavaScript: const sampleArray = [1,2,3,4]

• Boolean: a logical entity that has two values: true or false.

Example in JavaScript: 10>9 =>true

• Function: This is what makes your program’s world turn. A function is a block of code that performs a specific task. In this sense, a function is a type of instruction that you write. It tells your program to do something.
• Integers: Numbers.
• Null vs Undefined: Null is the absence of value; considered false in booleans. Undefined occurs when a variable has not been assigned a value.

Identify these concepts in relation to the language of your choice and get familiar with them.

3. TAKE QUIZZES
There are tons of free online skills quizzes for many programming languages.
Taking quizzes allows you to see not only what your understanding, but more importantly that which you can and should improve. I recommend taking a quiz everyday to assess yourself and track your progress.

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4. BUILD SOMETHING WHILE YOU LEARN

“I barely know what I’m doing” Who cares? just build something. I’ve seen the awesome folks in my cohort do amazing things from the first week of learning a new language. Whether it be an original idea, to a recreation of existing apps and games. You’d also be developing some muscle memory by doing so, so consider that. Just give it a shot and improve on those projects with every language you tackle. You’ll see how much fun you can have.

5. PAPER IS YOUR FRIEND
I might get some raised eyebrows for this one, but there’s no shame to my game. I AM A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR PENS, PENCILS AND PAPER. Note taking is a beneficial because life isn’t a movie and having encyclopedic knowledge is not realistic. We document our experiences whether good or bad and refer to this documentation to guide us. Of course you can type your notes out, but for me, writing has been instrumental in helping me learn anything and I argue that you’d be doing yourself a favor by having a notebook handy.

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6. PSEUDO PSEUDO PSEUDO EVERYWHERE
If you’re a hands on learner, you’re me. As I was learning frameworks such as React and Rails. I’d take 10 minutes to plan things out and then code after. I frequently write commented-out code/ideas to help me understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I still do this. There is Pseudo code all over my projects and lab practices. Commented-out code blocks won’t break your projects and they can easily be moved and used as needed, so you don’t have to kick yourself for forgetting about them later. I’d recommend planning in your readme file as well.

7. BE SOCIAL

This one’s up to you, but I encourage everyone to learn amongst friends if you’re up for it. You can collab on a project while reviewing each others work, teaching, and testing each other. Working with a team also keeps you accountable for the work you put in and I believe a sense of accountability is an excellent trait for any aspiring programmer, in addition to the fact that it keeps you on track of your goals… you know, like learning how to use a programming language in week. That’s all. Small suggestion. Huge benefits.

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Last, but never least…

BE REALISTIC AND “BE KIND TO YOURSELF”

Understand that you will not and I repeat YOU WILL NOT be a complete expert in one week of studying a language and that is ok!. As my awesome teacher at Flatiron has told me time and time again, Be kind to yourself. If you think your not at some desired level then guess what? with one weeks worth of learning the fundamentals, you’ve already accomplished much. As a matter of fact, you can literally do cool things from day one. Imagine a whole week? This is why I love programming. It’s not boring. There’s always something new to learn. I wish the same feeling of joy for YOU. Keep in mind that if you get familiar with the fundamentals from tip #2, you can spend another week or two exploring the deeper layers of those concepts, therefore further learning the language, while sharpening your skills overtime.

Although the tips in this blog aren’t exactly field tested, focus grouped strategies, they are suggestions rooted from my own experiences. They helped me and hopefully they can do something for you too. Happy Hacking!

Written by Matthew S Umrawsingh