The Apps and Classes I used to Become a Developer

Join my troop and become self-taught developers

Lucia Pan
ILLUMINATION
6 min readMar 14, 2023

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Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Becoming a developer can be a challenging but rewarding journey. As someone who has gone through this process, I can attest that it requires a lot of dedication, hard work, and the right set of tools. At the same time, thanks to the adequate resources online, we can become a developer by self-learning with no degree.

In this article, I will share my personal experience and the apps, tools, and classes that helped me become a developer. Whether you are just starting out or looking to improve your skills, I hope that my journey will provide you with some inspiration and useful insights. So let’s dive in!

Apps for Programming Learners:

1) FreeCodeCamp:

FreeCodeCamp is where I started to get exposed to coding. It is a non-profit organization that provides a free, self-paced coding education platform for anyone who wants to learn how to code.

Each track consists of a series of interactive lessons, quizzes, and projects that build on one another to help learners develop their skills. And yes, all the tracks you can attend are FREE.

A community forum is also provided where learners can ask questions, get help with their projects, and connect with other learners.

Link: freecodecamp.org

2) App Academy Open:

Free Coding Bootcamp with quality courses, self pace.

Link: https://my.appacademy.io/

3) Brilliant.org:

Brilliant.org is an online learning platform that offers courses in mathematics, science, computer science, and engineering. It was founded in 2012 with the goal of making high-quality education accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

The app provides a neat, interactive user interface and describes concepts and topics in a very fun and intuitive way. The platform features interactive quizzes, problem-solving challenges, and community forums where learners can engage with each other and with expert instructors.

Link: https://brilliant.org/

4) ChatGPT:

ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like responses to natural language queries. It has been trained on vast amounts of text data and uses advanced machine learning algorithms to understand the context and meaning behind user input.

ChatGPT can help the program by providing assistance with coding problems, suggesting solutions, offering explanations of programming concepts, doing code reviews, and giving feedback. It can also help users stay up to date with the latest developments in the programming world and provide personalized recommendations based on their specific needs and interests.

Link: https://chat.openai.com/

5) W3 Schools:

If you’re interested in learning web development or programming, W3Schools is an awesome resource. I’ve used it myself and found it to be a comprehensive and user-friendly platform. W3Schools offers tutorials and courses on a wide range of topics, from HTML and CSS to JavaScript and Python.

Link: https://www.w3schools.com/

6) CodeWars:

CodeWars is an online platform that provides programming challenges to help users improve their coding skills. It offers a variety of challenges, ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert, across multiple programming languages such as Python, Java, Ruby, JavaScript, and more.

Users can choose from a range of coding challenges in various categories like algorithms, data structures, and programming paradigms to solve and gain points.

CodeWars provides a gamified learning experience by allowing users to advance through different ranks, earn badges, and compete against other users on the platform. It also offers community support through forums where users can collaborate, ask for help, and share knowledge with each other.

Link: https://www.codewars.com/

7) Bitburner (free game on Steam):

Bitburner is a hacking simulation game that allows players to become skilled hackers and take on various challenges to hack into different systems and networks.

The game features a user-friendly interface and requires players to manage resources and upgrade their tools to complete increasingly complex hacking missions. As players progress through the game, they earn money and reputation points, which they can use to purchase new tools and upgrades to make their hacking more efficient.

Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812820/Bitburner/

The game also features an in-depth storyline that allows players to uncover the secrets behind the organizations they are hacking into. Overall, Bitburner is an engaging and challenging game that offers a unique insight into the world of hacking and cybersecurity.

Courses to Learn Online:

1) The Complete 2023 Web Development Bootcamp — by Angela Yu on Udemy:

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-complete-web-development-bootcamp/

The Complete 2023 Web Development Bootcamp by Angela Yu on Udemy is a comprehensive course that covers web development concepts and skills. The course is designed for beginners and covers topics such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.

The course includes over 500 lectures and 64 hours of video content. It also offers practical projects to help students apply what they have learned. The course has received high ratings and positive feedback from many students.

2) Let’s Make A Website — HTML + CSS + JavaScript Series — by Rich Armstrong on SkillShare:

Link: https://www.skillshare.com/en/user/taptapkaboom

The series of courses aim to teach students how to create a responsive and interactive website from scratch using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The course covers a wide range of topics, including web design principles, responsive design, and interactivity with JavaScript.The course covers a wide range of topics, including web design principles, responsive design, and interactivity with JavaScript.

3) Harvard CS50:

Link: https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog?keywords=&subject%5B%5D=3&max_price=&start_date_range%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=&start_date_range%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=

Harvard CS50 series is a highly respected and popular computer science course that covers a wide range of topics, including programming in several languages such as C, Python, and JavaScript, as well as web development, databases, and algorithms.

The course is designed to be accessible to both beginners and experienced programmers. It is both very interesting and challenging.

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Lucia Pan
ILLUMINATION

Life-long learner / journey to ideal life -- Freelancing, Productivity and Lifestyle. You can work with me here: https://www.fiverr.com/luciapan