Want to learn how to code in 2021 but don't know where to start? The process can be intimidating so I decided to make the video I wish I had when I started learning how to code as a self-taught programmer so you can learn to code faster and with less frustration.
If you want a more in depth written guide instead of watching the video, you can read how to learn to code in 2021
Topics Covered:
- Importance of defining a goal when learning to code, a goal helps you decide where to focus your time and effort
- Best learning path- my advice is to avoid bouncing around all the different resources and instead focus on 1 comprehensive resource like Free Code Camp to learn the basics. Guides that give you a list of 100 courses are worse than useless, they make you question what you are doing. Stick to Free Code Camp and then you can check out some other resources once you've learned the fundamentals
- How long it takes to learn to code - This will depend on several factors I go over in the video, can be anywhere from 3-12+ months
- General tips and advice - Mainly about maintaining motivation and how to mentally handle the struggles that you'll encounter when learning to code on your own
Experienced Developers feel free to leave your own advice if you think I missed something important!
Top comments (4)
One of the biggest challenges any new developer will face is getting stuck in tutorial hell.
To avoid being stuck in tutorial hell, it's probably better to pick up a project and try to adapt the tutorial that you're following to the challenges you're facing at that current stage of the project.
Granted, this approach works best when you have some level of foundational knowledge. If you're completely new to something you're probably going to have to follow a tutorial.
good advice, doing your 1st project without something to follow is intimidating. Taking something and modifying or adapting it is a good idea. Once you've done that a few times you can then start a project from scratch
Agree. Another thing that is hard to encounter is distraction. Which I am experiencing at the moment. I hope to find my motivation soon. :(
look into Tiny Habits so you don't get down on yourself, basically it involves not relying on motivation. You'll feel better even if you just open up your editor and write 1 line of code. That was a better strategy for me than saying I was going to sit down for an hour no matter what and then feeling bad when I didn't stick to it