The reality is: coding is the future. If you just want to change careers (especially if you just got retrenched and are now looking for a new job!), or if you just want to earn more money, learning to code can get you there.
An online coding course is a great way to keep yourself disciplined enough to keep brushing up your programming skills at a slower pace. The bonus is that youd be able to do this wherever you are, and at whatever time is convenient for you. However, if you are someone lacks discipline, most like you wouldnt thrive in online courses which requiretremendous amount of self-discipline. Researchers found that the completion rate of online courses were as low as7%.
Cool camp-like concept with waypoints (lessons) and bonfires (basic to advanced challenges)
Hundreds of hours of coding lessons available.
Each of these options has its edges and disadvantages, which its suitability is depending on your needs and what would you like to achieve learning to code.
Also, the Hour of Code concept is neat because it only takes up 1/24 of your day. In other words, you wont be wasting too much of your time on this if you end up not liking it at all.
The premise:Free online courses from the worlds best universities
Read also:10 life-changing reasons for why you should learn how to code
See also:Coursera, which is similar to EdX
All challenges are taught by in-line coding, with a console at the side to see exactly how the code works or how it outputs.
While there are quite a number of courses which are self-paced, there are some which require you to commit on a weekly basis for a certain number of hours.
Progress bar can be a motivation to keep coding
Yes, yes it is. But when youre a beginner, you should think of yourself as a kid in the programming world.
Programming is now considered abasic literacy, and its one thing we cannot continue to overlook anymore.
Still, Codecademy is really easy to use, so you should definitely give this a shot if youre just starting to learn to program.
Humans communicate with one another using languages. To communicate with a computer, you have to use a program or language which the computer understands.
Khan Academy is famed for their Explain Like Im 5 methods which breaks down even the most complicated concepts into something that a five-year-old might understand.
Try out EdX if youre looking for something with a more academic spin to it, and have full intention of learning programming through a college-like experience.
One of the greatest plus points of both of these options werehands-on experience that you will gain as well as a dedicated team of lecturers or mentors.
And just like every other Khan Academy tutorial, the courses are guided along by a series of simple yet incredibly helpful video walk-throughs.
You can try this out if you dont mind looking up other online resources for in-depth explanations or documentation on the lessons!
But, the platform is available to anybody with an internet connection, and there are no prerequisites or admissions processes.
Commitment level:Medium to high (most courses requires a number of hours per week over a set number of weeks)
Coding for beginners can be a really scary thing.
It is in our vested interest to say yes, but the exciting future prospects that come with having advanced programming knowledge would mean nothing if it is something you do not like. So, how do you know if coding is for you? Simply put:belum cuba, belum tahu(if you dont try, youll never know!).
Founder of , Sam Fellig puts it simply:Just start. Somewhere. Anywhere!
the prestige that youre taking courses from the worlds top universities like University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
We know what youre thinking this website (and companion iPad app!) is for kids!
The program starts off with learning basic HTML/CSS and leads you through jQuery and more advanced Javascript topics. For the bonfire challenges, no lessons are given because you are expected to apply what youve already learnt.
This might sound a bit overwhelming, but they give you links to relevant documentation as well as encourage pair programming and the use of theRead-Search-Ask methodin solving the challenges, so you wont technically be alone.
It is also fair to note that Code.org wont actually teach you how to code per se, but rather to help you start thinking like a coder (which is a very important first step).
Very clean, easy-to-use interface.
However, just like , Tynker doesnt technically teach you how to program right off the bat. Nonetheless, it is great to form logical thought processes in order to help you think like a coder, which, again, is a vital first step.
Below are the top 6 resources that we find most useful (and more importantly) FREE online resources where you can pick up some basic programming knowledge:
In every course? Between 5 to 20 exercises.
Commitment level:Low to medium (its entirely self-paced)
Instructionalvideos by famous peoplelike Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates
Some basic concepts taught such as control flow, classes, loops, arrays, strings, objects, methods and more are common through almost all object-oriented programming (OOP) languages. This means that understanding the concept will be beneficial regardless of what language you choose to go ahead with in the future!
Cute graphics featuring Angry Birds!
This option is great for someone who is more visual (who will appreciate the videos) and even someone who is more competitive.
which brings us to our next point!
On a more serious note, though, weve had people with no background in programming or computer science (a whopping 70%!) atNEXT Academy. That had no effect on their ability to pick up coding, as 97% of all our students graduated and fit the industry standard to be a world-class junior developer in just 9 weeks.
However, the way the course is designed can guide you along even though you dont fully grasp the concept.
After all,programming is how humans talk to machines!
However, there are times where the explanation or hints provided dont teach you enough about solving a problem at hand which can be frustrating for absolute beginners.
Being good at typing code isnt enough, as you need to understand the need to use a certain function or method.
Fair warning: youre technically getting an education from some of the worlds top universities. And theyre not messing around.
Technically, yes. I mean, even Victorias Secret supermodelKarlie Kloss can code!
Think of all your favourite apps whether its Facebook, Instagram or even Tinder (we dont judge!) theyreall made with code. Coding is what makes it possible for all these apps, as well as computer softwares and websites, to exist.
Also, the community is helpful, and some of those who have taken the course say theynever stuck on something for more than a few minutes.
The premise:You only have to know one thing. You can learn anything.
If computers are a part of your life, learning to program is going to improve it. This is because youll be able to speak the same language as the computer, which will help you think of ways to create anything from simple scripts to comprehensive apps to make your own lives easier!
Really simple, easy-to-understand explanations
Getting the exercises right wins you points and badges, anda cute character will congratulate you!
The premise:Learn to code and help non-profits.
But, we also know that you wouldnt want to spend money on something you might not end up liking. So, instead of merely compiling all the available online courses, weve taken the extra steps to evaluate and to provide our personalised point of view on our top picks.
The premise:Programming courses for kids
Im sure youre wondering can anyone really learn how to code?
Complete with lectures, breakout sections, walkthroughs, homework, quizzes, etc, itll really start to feel like youre taking a college level course.
Wondering what coding is like for total beginners? What does programming even *mean*? Thats exactly what well be covering in this article:
Wide range of courses available
Diving head first into software or web development without learning how to program or having any programming basics is like jumping into a pool without knowing how to swim. It just ends up being a frustrating and solitary experience.
Dave McFarland of Treehouse says that even if you dont want to become a programmer for a living,its still worth your time to learn how to program.
You start off by choosing a course, after which youll be shown a list of tasks youll have to complete in order to graduate. So, youll have a rough idea of what youll be picking up throughout the course. If you see something more interesting further along in the tutorial, you can also easily jump forward to it.
Itll be a challenge, but youll be spoilt for choice on EdX theres almost everything betweenhtml tutorialsand app development.
With a tagline that basically confirms that anybody can learn to code, Code.org is famous for being backed by a laundry list of celebrities like Chris Bosh, will.i.am, President Barack Obama and of course tech giants like Facebook and Microsoft.
With aheavy focus on visual-based codingand code games, it is easy to try out one or two of the available options for size, and great for people who are visual learners.
Commitment level:Medium to High (if you intend to complete all the exercises under a topic)
It sounds like a lot, but you dont need to do each and every exercise or course. It allows you to skip ahead or go back to an earlier exercise as you please.
This is absolutely perfect for someone whos just starting out in learning to code.
So, now that you know some programming basics and roughly how to code, think about what you want to do with this knowledge. If you intend on taking things one step further (or, as get serious with programming *wink), here are a few options you can consider.
The cute graphics are a huge plus because its easier for beginners to grasp the concepts being taught.
Conveniently, these blocks are converted into Javascript. For example, move forward in English is moveForward() in Javascript. Simple enough, right?
However, learning to code (and being good at it) is something that requires a fair bit of commitment. Especially if you intend to really understand what youre doing and hope to (eventually!) build something with your new-found skills.
And because its made for a younger age group, you can be sure that it is also made to cater to shorter attention spans, too (which translates to: you wont be spending too much time completing this).
Perhaps youve always been intrigued by coding, or have always wanted to learn how to build software yourself. Luckily, the world wide web is full of websites which will let you dip your toes into programming to find out if its something for you.
Be prepared to look things up on Google if you intend to use this site as a resource!
What we think:The courses here are divided into tracks specifically Javascript, jQuery, HTML/CSS, Python, PHP, Ruby and APIs. Under these seven courses, there are a total of 100 courses.
The instructions and hints provided allow you to do the challenges correctly, but there is not enough explanation on the concepts behind the code in layman examples.
But, it can also be incredibly rewarding, which iswhy you should start programming today!
One of the highlights of Codecademy is that the lessons all end with a Project, which you will have to build using the new concepts taught throughout the lesson and apply them to a real world problem. The completed code is shown at the beginning of the lesson so you have an idea of what youre going to take on.
The courses areconsidered lightweight and introductory, but they will give you the building blocks you need to develop your programming basics.
Self-promo time: To learn more about our mentor guided, hands-on approach to learning coding, check out our coding bootcamps atNEXT Academy, where you can enroll for a 9-week, crash course on coding which teaches you everything you need to know so you can go from total beginner to a world-class junior software developer (and get a job as well).
Commitment level:Low to High (if you intend to complete all the exercises under your chosen language/ track)
So, in all seriousness, expect to commit some of your time on a daily basis if you intend to complete the courses, because theworkload will make you feel like youre back at school again, and if youre still in school, then youll feel right at home.
It is one thing to know how to use technology, butanother thing entirely to understand the logic behind them. As such, the skill of knowing how to write code has become as vital as reading, writing and math in the modern world!
Our only irk is that there is only one offiicial Code.org course in the Hour of Code Write Your Own Computer Program. It is basically asks to move blocks of code around to give directions to the Angry Bird on how to reach the Green Pig.
Story-based puzzles are fun and engaging
Both these options give you the opportunity to do more than just learn to code! Youll get to network for an extended period of time with your classmates, who could potentially be your future startup cofounders, programmers or even investors!
Each of the options presented to you has its unique plus points as well as what could be lacking. Its a good idea to give each of this websites a go to figure out how best do you learn and if programming is something you want to spend more time on. Once you do, youll start asking yourself
The rest come from other sources, though, so if blocks and code games arent your thing, you might want to check out other options.
If your goal is to get a job, build your own tech product or even to freelance as a developer, thenperhaps coding bootcamp and a college degree is the way to go.
Tynker for Home (the free version) has language extensions, built-in physics engine, character editors and other cool tools, which make it super fun and easy to unleash your creativity in creating games or completing the projects provided.
Why do we say that? Well, once youfinish a project, you can save it on the site as a spin-off, and anyone else who attempts the course canbuild on your existing code.