Skip to main content
11 answers
13
Asked 1382 views

How should I start learning about Coding and software?

What should I learn in order.

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you

13

11 answers


1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Atul’s Answer

Most high school offers computer language courses- find out which one is offered in your school.
If they offer Java or Javascript or Python - it will help you get started.
1
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Ali’s Answer

I would start with a structured course, then try to build your own project.

Ideas for structured course;
- School AP Java course, AP Computer Science if your school offers it.
- Khan Academy
- freecodecamp

After you have done a couple tutorials/structured tutorials, then you will have a basic understanding and can dive in on your own (it will be more fun!)

Project
- Todo List
- or anything fun that speaks to you!
1
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Katalina’s Answer

Find something that interests you and google any questions that you might have. You can also look on YouTube for videos of sample projects you can try. Then you can try to build a project if you can (a project would be something like a game).
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Gurjyot’s Answer

Depending on your school you may be able to take some 'intro to programming' or related courses there. I would recommend taking those if available and if not, see if there are any community centre/college courses that are free or relatively cheap, as structured learning could be helpful. If these are unavailable or infeasible for your situation, then I would recommend using things like khanacademy, code.org (or similar) and youtube to begin learning.

As some others have advised, coding and software are very vast fields. If you have a specific end goal in mind, that would be useful in guiding your starting point. However if you are just curious and want to learn how code works I would recommend intro courses that teach fundamentals - either structured or online. Java is a commonly used language to teach fundamentals.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Dan’s Answer

There are a lot of different answers here. If you want to start with something that is most likely to translate well into high/school college courses, Java has been the best option in my experience. A lot of schools still use it to teach the basics of Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures. It's also widely used by a lot of different companies and industries in the job market.

More importantly though might not be which language you learn, but how you learn it. Khan Academy is a great resource that has already been mentioned, but my personal favorite would be Udemy. The courses there are a bit more in-depth and have more specific guidance. With either one of these, you can learn at your own pace and review topics as many times as you want.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Jaime’s Answer

First be clear on why you want to learn coding. Don't do it just because you think you'll make a lot of money. Start with something small that you know you can complete. Is there anything you find boring or tedious? Write a script or a program to do that thing for you. Then just build from there. As your projects start to get more complex, you'll be forced to learn something new.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Patryk’s Answer

A fun way to start learning to code is to build your own static website! This is usually referred to as 'Front-End' development because it is the part of the application that a user interacts with. More complex websites will send and receive data using APIs or Database Connections and this is referred to as 'back-end' development because it is the part of the application the user does not interact with directly.

Here is a great place to start learning the basics https://www.w3schools.com/howto/howto_website_static.asp.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

david’s Answer

I learned to program software many decades ago and it was a skill that served me well. Once you learn one language, others come easily, as what you learn is not just how to code software, but also the design and structure that works for you. I suggest getting a book at your local public library on introductory programming and then do a web search(such as with Google) for "free compiler"). Then, you will have the fundamental tools to code a simple program. But even that 'simple' program from the book will become a strong base from which to do more complex programming. If there is a computing club at your school, you will enjoy learning and sharing experiences there. Go slowly, as viewing the code for a complex application may be overwhelming, but remember that coding is done one line at a time and the skill for large programs takes many months or years. If available, taking a coding class at school, as that will open many windows in your brain on future possibilities. Fortunately, basic coding is best learned by doing it. Just do it. You'll enjoy it. All the best.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Sophia’s Answer

A few additional resources to check out:
1) MOOC - Massive Online Learning Courses from universities that are accessible for all communities (mooc.org)
2) Scratch - MIT - Visual programming language to practice coding (scratch.mit.edu)
3) NPower - Serve people in underserved communities and veterans with online learning access (https://www.npower.org/)
4) Local public library resources and technology meetups
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Mandy’s Answer

Take notice of the technology that is relevant around you; what are you most interested in developing? Python is a relatively easy language to pick up, and there are lots of resources (YouTube, Khan Academy, code.org) to get you started.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Mohan’s Answer

1. Decide on type of programming -
Machine learning - Requires Python etc...
Data science - Requires R etc...
Software development - Requires Java, Dotnet etc..
2. Decide on functional vs reactive vs procedural vs object oriented
3. Then start learning the frameworks, which are built by using the language
4. Then do hands on
To do the above, choose a good online tutor like udemy, plural sight etc...
0