The following is a guest post by Colin Simpson, a project management professional with experience in the IT industry. If you would like to submit a guest post, please contact us.
“Coding is not for everyone!” Said no one ever in the modern world. Gone are the days when coding was considered to be only for a few nerds who could spend endless hours in front of a computer screen. Today, coding is a fundamental life skill that helps freelancers, marketers, and entrepreneurs excel at what they are doing.
Coding for yourself is empowering. It allows you to transform your idea into reality. If you are a blogger, coding can help you create an intuitive blog. If you are an entrepreneur, coding can help you with your product idea. Also, coding is one of the popular Education Trends that will Shape the 2019-2020 Academic Year.
Why should you learn to code?
You must be thinking, why learn to code when there are programmers you can hire?
Well, when you code for yourself, you can reduce your dependence on others and execute your idea exactly like it is in your head. The added cost advantage can be a cherry on the top.
For many of us, having the basic programming knowledge will mean that any developer cannot fool you into thinking that an idea is impossible to convert into a program. When you know how to code, you can work on your vision without relying on anyone else.
Why are online methods a great way to learn coding?
The internet has been a great facilitator and has changed every aspect of our life- from shopping to entertainment. Similarly, when we think of education, online learning has completely revolutionized the domain. Anyone can learn using the internet without thinking about the distance, time or language barrier.
When we think of coding, there cannot be a better way to learn coding than the internet. For the instructors too, teaching coding via the internet is really easy. They can provide real-time support and relatable examples by using technology and connectivity, without any trouble of setting up and maintaining physical infrastructure. This way, a lot of resources and time get saved and teachers can concentrate on teaching, instead of other aspects.
Many companies prefer hiring developers who have learned programming on their own or via online learning. We also prefer such candidates and it helped us to become the top app development company in San Diego.
5 Websites to Learn Coding for Free
In the age of the internet, all you need to learn coding is just a reliable internet connection and a laptop. The rest you can discover and try on your own. Here are 5 amazing resources you can use to learn coding without spending even a single penny:
1. Code.org
One of the biggest coding resources on the internet, the website offers detailed guides and tutorials on how to code.
Code.org is really popular among amateur coders and aspirants who want to learn coding. This is because of the presence of several tutorials, applications and guides that are offered by Code.org partners, making the website a large repository of learning resources. Being a non-profit initiative, code.org aims to promote the concept of code learning among school and college-going children.
One can learn how to develop games for school children, JavaScript programming and a lot of other exciting things.
Apart from self-paced tutorials, the website also conducts specific lessons in the form of lectures by famous programmers and instructors for easy learning.
2. Codeacademy
Codeacademy has been used by more than 45 million people all over the globe to learn coding. An educational company that believes in making programming more engaging, Codeacademy offers useful courses in HTML, CSS, SQL, JavaScript, C++, Python, among other courses.
One can learn several technical aspects associated with coding through self-paced courses on a wide range of programming languages.
3. MIT Open Courseware
MIT Open Courseware is ideal for someone who has already cleared the basic stages and wants to learn advanced concepts. An initiative of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Open Courseware gives you a chance to take up language-specific courses on C++, MatLab, Java and other programming languages.
One can also learn more about programming concepts and other innovative technologies using the Open Courseware website.
4. Khan Academy
Khan Academy was developed by an educator, Salman Khan in 2006 and is one of the most genuine free eLearning platforms. There are several dedicated courses and video tutorials on the platform that can help you in learning how to code, how to create webpages with HTML, CSS.
A special program on the website, ‘Hour of Code’ also teaches students more about computer science and programming.
Students can share their learnings with other students and this kind of shared learning model creates more engagement. Apart from instructor-led courses, there are several specialized courses and learning material that you can utilize to create your own extensive code learning repository.
5. Web Fundamentals
A project by Google for web developers, Web Fundamentals has a large number of free resources like tutorials, guides and walkthroughs to learn the nuances of HTML5 coding. Being an open-source platform, one can use the HTML5 code to learn several aspects of advanced coding and programming.
Recommended for someone with basic programming knowledge, this website can serve as a useful resource if you want to refine your skills, grow as a programmer and achieve bigger things with your coding knowledge.
Wrapping Up
Learning to code is no longer an expensive ordeal. The online medium is quite an affordable way to learn coding. Anyone from a school-going kid to an adult can grasp coding fundamentals and use them to his/her benefit by learning to code online. Coding can be especially a useful skill if you plan to launch your own startup or wish to make a career in the STEM industry.
As it is said, a little extra knowledge is never harmful. So, you should not shy away from donning your learning hats and start learning to code, right away!
Author’s Bio: Colin Simpson is a competent project management professional with rich experience in the IT industry. He is currently working as a project manager at BlueKite Apps. Over the years, he has worked with startups and business owners to transform their ideas into digital solutions, and that experience has helped him to start writing on various aspects of the IT industry. You can find Colin on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcolinsimpson/
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Touro College.
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