Is it really possible to learn to code 100% online? Well, maybe. It definitely sounds appealing, especially since University degrees could burn a hole in your pocket. Of course, there’s a difference between knowing how to code and being a developer. But we’ll get to that later.
The truth is, it definitely is possible to learn to code 100% online. It might not be easy, but it sure is possible. Also, online doesn’t necessarily mean free. There are loads of online courses available these days that help you to learn to code. There’s plenty of courses available. Some offer income share schemes like Lambda school. Other course providers ask for a straight-up fee with loan options.
But is it possible to learn to code 100% online for FREE? Damn right it’s possible. It’s also possible to build your own car. But does anyone have the time? I’m not saying that to turn you off, but if you plan on diving into a whole new world without a plan then you’re bound to run into trouble. So what do we need? A plan of course!
How to learn to code online for FREE?
No, I’m not trying to sell you anything and this isn’t some clickbait. Learning to code 100% online is definitely possible, and you can do it for FREE. The first step is to gain a solid foundation. Programming is a huge topic in itself, so we’ll just start with web development. Once you gain enough experience you might want to venture into other types of programming and development. There are a few topics that are essential for every programmer to understand. I’ve listed them below with some resources for you to get started.
- Client-server relationship. Understanding the process that takes place when you visit a website, click a button and what actually happens behind the scenes.
- Understanding basic key terms used as a developer
- https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/web-development/50-web-development-buzzwords-that-all-new-programmers-should-learn/ – Don’t worry about memorizing anything here. Just skim through since you’ll be coming across a lot of these terms during your studies
- Basic coding – There are hundreds of programming languages out there, so where do you start? HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Why these three? With these languages, it’s possible to build a fully functional website. Basic coding isn’t very difficult, there’s a number of programming language features that you learn once and can be applied to different languages. Here are a few resources to get started:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JluqTojuME – There’s a bunch of tutorials out there. Heres one I just found. You’ll want to go through quite a few just to familiarize yourself.
- https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp
- https://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
- https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp
- Documentation. This is probably one of the most important topics. Documentation is basically just instructions, and definitions for programming languages, frameworks or libraries. Kind of like a reference or instruction manual. Learning how to read documentation is a skill you’ll use even when you’re an advanced developer. This skill will give you loads of confidence in working on your own projects. Some examples of
- What are frameworks and libraries? Just getting to grips between the difference between frameworks, libraries and programming languages.
- https://djangostars.com/blog/what-is-a-web-framework/
- https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/the-difference-between-a-framework-and-a-library-bd133054023f/ – again just skim through this just to familiarize yourself with the terms and differences.
- Basic SQL databases.
- Project work – Work on some projects from start to finish. Including deploying it to a server.
- Probably one of the best projects to get you started is your own portfolio site
- https://dev.to/belanigaurav/projects-to-practise-your-web-development-skills-3g3n
One really great course that can help you along your way can is the free course by freeCodeCamp. They have a great set of projects to work on too.
The bottom line
In the near future, I’ll be creating some more articles diving deeper into some of these topics. Hopefully, this will give you a good start though. Of course, the more you practice the more you’ll learn. These are pretty much the core set of tools. You might want to carry on and explore on your own from here. Or stay tuned for more advanced topics in the future.
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