10 Tips for Learning to Code with No Prior Experience

Have you ever thought that you’re too young or too old to become a programmer, or the job market is too crowded already? Doubt is ordinary when considering something new. But ask yourself this: are these doubts reasonable, or are you just making excuses instead of stepping out of your comfort zone?

If you’re thinking about diving into the realm of programming, you might benefit from some tips to help you overcome any concerns you might have about your career trajectory. In this article, we have shared some of the best tips for newbies to learn programming.  

  1. Set Your Career Goals
  2. Decide on the Field of Programming and Learn an Appropriate Language
  3. Choose the Right Resource to Learn
  4. Make and Segment Your Plan
  5. Find the Right Community
  6. Practice Coding Every Day
  7. When in Doubt, Search for the Answers in Google
  8. Apply Your Knowledge by Coding a Project
  9. Monitor Your Progress
  10. Remember to reward yourself for achievements

Conclusion

1. Set Your Career Goals

“What really is the final aim in developing these skills?” is the primary question you must ask yourself.

It’s like going on holiday: nobody really goes on holiday unless they have a certain destination in mind. And no nobody is learning to code simply for the purpose of knowing. There’s still a purpose for everything.

Carefully consider what your ultimate purpose is. Then, you can work backward to see what you’ll do to complete it! Here are a few example goals:

  • I’d like to find a position at a corporation in my city so that I can have a steady paycheck.
  • I’d like to establish my own company that creates web pages for smaller firms.
  • I’d like to earn cash by developing mobile applications.
  • I’d like to work for a technology start-up.

2. Decide on the Field of Programming and Learn an Appropriate Language

You should make an enlightened choice on which programming language to master. Several variables should go into deciding the computer language to use. Consider – its reputation, potential value, and so forth.

If you’re just getting started with coding, something like Java or Python will be easier to learn as they have understandable syntax and beginner-friendly resources. If you have some prior experience, C or C++ may be an option. With C and C++, you’ll be able to understand how information is processed and how to handle it effectively.

But you should learn languages based on your professional career goals as well. Here are a few choice options:

  • Java for server-side enterprise apps developer 
  • PHP, Python, or Ruby for web back-end
  • JavaScript or TypeScript for front-end development
  • Java, Python, Scala, or R for data science
  • Java, Kotlin, or Swift for mobile app development
  • C++ or C# for game development

3. Choose the Right Resource to Learn

There are several platforms available for learning programming. You may begin your coding adventure with the help of these internet tools. Here are a few choice platforms:

 

4. Make and Segment Your Plan

One of the best things about learning to code is that there are several courses and books to choose from! The drawback is that most of them are self-paced. And even if there’s a time limit on a program, you’ll still need a daily schedule to learn effectively.

So, make a plan to help you study gradually and in sufficient increments. It should be segmented and divided into three categories: monthly, weekly, and daily goals.

5. Find the Right Community

The programming community is vast. Anyone could join discussions, platforms such as GitHub and Stackoverflow, meetups, and several other online and offline places.

Having to meet with developers and exchange ideas and experiences is another excellent approach to learning to code. You’re learning from others, and you may contribute, review, or perhaps even showcase your program to someone else for feedback.

6. Practice Coding Every Day

When you’re mastering a new programming language, steadiness is crucial. So, establish a daily commitment to programming.

Committing to programming on a daily basis will significantly assist in the development of muscle memory. Even if it might appear difficult at first, begin with 30 min per day and gradually increase from there.

7. When in Doubt, Search for the Answers in Google

If you get stuck on issues or your code isn’t working as expected, you can also explore the solutions on the internet. Most likely, you aren’t the first to have the same problem, and someone on the web has almost certainly previously solved your problem. 

Simply “copy/paste” your error text into Google, put a pair of inverted commas around the full text to ensure you’re not just looking for keywords, then press “Submit.”

8. Apply Your Knowledge by Coding a Project

The greatest method to learn to program is to just start doing it! You might start by taking on a challenging website development task, but you could discover yourself quitting it due to disappointment or complexity. What matters most is that you keep on going. 

As you get skills working on difficult tasks from start to finish, you build a solid drive to succeed that will serve you well across your profession.

9. Monitor Your Progress

You will receive greater inspiration every day if you keep track of your accomplishments. If your aim is to complete daily activities, this could be as simple as crossing dates off a calendar with x’s or a smiling emoji. Regardless of shifting conditions, ongoing inspection is helpful.

Go for a level of change that can be sustained. For example, if you’ve started with 30 minutes or an hour of exercise every day, set aside 1–2 hours a few days per week. And work your way up to 1–2 hours each day.

10. Remember to reward yourself for achievements

When you finish a challenging task, treat yourself to something you enjoy, even if it’s a beverage or dinner. You must pay yourself to stay driven when there is no one to praise you. Once you find success, don’t be hesitant to treat yourself. During your course, the perks will give you energy.

Conclusion

Coding could be both thrilling and stressful and so is the path to becoming one. But you can become a successful programmer if you have goals, a solid plan of learning, outside help, and a nice reward system.

Incorporate the tips in this article into your learning plan and see how much more enjoyable the way to a coding career can become.

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