How to start learning to code?

Nowadays being able to code is one of the most valuable skills to have. Regardless of the industry, many companies find themselves in need of coders. With many of the industries making the transition towards the web, the job market is filled with tech positions.

1. First figure out why do you want to learn to code

Off course that every company looks for good coders, but if you don’t have any passion for it, you will never be great at it. If you do it just for the money, the results will not satisfy you as much. But on the other hand, if you like what you do, your work will reflect that. When you do something with passion, everyone is able to see that because you will always go the extra mile, trying to better your skills.

2. Choose the right language

Not every language is for everyone. While some may love one language you may not. There are no “best” programming languages. People pick up whatever meets their needs, but once you learned one it's easier to learn another, because you understand the basics of how programming works. Some languages are more easy for beginners to learn, other may require to invest more time to grasp the techniques.

3. Start Small 

Regardless of the language you are choosing, you should always set up small goals. Setting up a big goal and not being able to achieve it, will only end up in frustration and a lot of headaches. There are plenty beginner-level resources available online that could help you get started in the coding world. Once you think you have some familiarity with a language you should set up a small project. The feeling you will get after completion will be one of the best rewards.

4. Practice Practice Practice

Even children are learning how to code nowadays. Why shouldn’t you? How good you will become depends of how much time you are putting in, and you know what they say: practice makes perfect. Well I don’t know about perfect, but you will certainly become better with time. Use the free online training websites, build a small app, make a website for a relative or a friend or work pro bono for a charity, any place is good for you to get some experience behind a project.

5. Enroll in a course

If you want to get some professional help, you should join a coding course. Although it may require some upfront investment, you will definitely end up with some aces up your sleeve. They are well structured in order to make your learning process easier and to teach you the fundamental skills that you will need in the future.

6. Don’t give up!

Programming can be frustrating, especially in the beginning, so stay strong and don’t give up. Things will not go as expected, but that’s how you develop those strong debugging skills. At some times you will get stuck and feel like there is no way to solve the problem. I assure you there is and chances are, that someone else already encountered the problem before and you could find the solution online. Here’s where online forums like StackOverflow and Software Engineering Stack Exchangecome to help.

The first language that you will learn might not be the one you stick with, but it’s imperative that you choose something to start with. Good luck and start coding!