How to Learn to Code When You Have No Idea Where to Start
There are a lot of reasons to want to learn to code. Career options are plentiful and often very lucrative, you have more opportunities than most fields to work from home and set your own hours, and it can be a very fulfilling line of work. Even if you don’t plan on pursuing it as a career, knowing how to code can make you an impressive asset in other industries or help you become more independent if you’re starting out as an entrepreneur. Coding can be a valuable life skill no matter how you plan on applying it.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn to code, it’s also true that a technical pursuit such as coding can be very intimidating. Last week we invited everyone to make 2017 the year everyone should learn to code, but many people don’t know where to begin or how to succeed, and this can discourage them from ever getting started in the first place. Don’t let this be you- coding doesn’t need to be intimidating! The world of technology has never been more accessible. Here are some easy ways to get started.
When You’re Testing the Waters
If you’re not quite sure that you want to code yet, or what you want to do with coding, there are a few free resources that you can start with to test the waters. Since you’re not ready to invest too much time or money into coding, these online learning tools will help you see if coding is the right fit for you without setting you back.
While a casual Google search can turn up many quality resources that will help you get started, it can be hard to tell the winners from the duds. Luckily, there’s an online resource that will guide you to the best free tools that teach you the languages and skills that you’re most interested in. It’s called Bento. Start exploring your options on their website.
Codecademy is where most people who are new to coding get their start. If you haven’t been to the site yet, you need to. The platform revolves around interactive learning; that is, you read a little, type your code right into the browser, and see results immediately. They teach HTML & CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Angularjs, The Command Line, and more.
This is a great resource to see if code is something you enjoy doing and want to pursue as a career path. That being said, you need to actually push through all of the content. Don’t just stop at the basic HTML course and once you hit something hard throw up your hands and give up. Push through. Play around with Javascript. Commit to actually finishing an online course that pushes you and tests you. That way you can really get a taste of coding.
When You’re Ready to Commit
Self-teaching is hard. We know. For most, it will only get you so far. We know because 90% of DevMountain students have tried to teach themselves. What typically happens is they hit a wall, stop learning, and then 2 months go by without them doing anything. We understand that most people don’t learn this way.
Once you’ve decided that coding is really for you, it’s time to invest in a resource that will give you the tools, teachers, and qualifications you need to excel in your chosen field. DevMountain is a coding bootcamp engineered to help people of all skill levels learn to code. With full time 12-week programs and part-time 16-week programs available, we’ll help you maximize your time and achieve coding success no matter your circumstances. We strive to make our coding bootcamp as accessible as possible, and it’s paid off for our students in a big way.
Our team of real world professionals knows what it takes to be successful in tech careers, and they provide our students with impressive references after they graduate. Our curriculum walks you through what you need to know to accomplish your goals, and provides you with valuable learning tools that help you learn the material quickly. You’ll come out of our program with a keystone project that you can show prospective employees to further prove your new coding prowess.
If you really want the best possible start to your career, consider DevMountain’s world class coding bootcamp. You can learn more and request a syllabus on our website.
