Coding is rapidly becoming a more sought after skill as digital technology continuously develops. With enough coding knowledge you can build your own apps, create your own websites and write your own programmes. But how does one initially get into coding?
There are in fact many routes to learn programming. By watching Youtube videos you can practically self-teach yourself. Easing yourself in is the most important thing to remember – like learning a new language you need to full understand the basics first and can’t expect to be designing your own software overnight. Saying that, some people have learnt to code in a matter of weeks. As long as you are patient and thorough, it will pay off.
Get to grips with HTML
Before deciding what language you’re going to learn, try experimenting with HTML. This basic language is essential for writing websites and can be accessed via WordPress and Blogger. You may have previously used it to embed videos or widgets. Practicing with HTML can help you develop the problem solving skills and basic structuring that is essential to learning code.
Buy a Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a cheap customisable mini-computer of sorts – one of its primary uses being to help people to learn to code. It comes loaded with multiple languages from Java to Python and is currently being promoted in schools as a learning tool. There are Youtube videos and sites to help people understand the device and its capabilities. By playing around on it, you can take a practical approach to learning code. You can check out the various Raspberry Pis on offer here at The Pi Hut.
Take a course
Some of us learn better by being physically taught. There are all kinds of learning options out there from full-time courses to flexible online courses to fit your lifestyle. One popular choice is Codeacademy, an entirely free service that allows you to work at your own pace. You may also be able to find a number of free workshops, although some can have stringent criteria. Adopt the learning method that best suits you. If you like to be able to bounce your ideas off of other people, a workshop might be your best bet. If having other people around you is a distraction, private tuition or an online course might be better suited.
Practice building simple web applications
Once you’ve got your head around a language, you’ll want to start practically applying it, but don’t dive straight in the deep end and try and produce some all-singing-all-dancing app. You need to build your way up from basic applications first. Eventually you’ll find an area you excel at, which is when you can start experimenting and coming up with the really creative stuff. You may also feel confident trying other languages. Once you know one, learning others becomes pretty simple. This can further increase your programming possibilities allowing you to work with multiple companies that may specialise in a certain language. Being such as highly demanded skill, you will always be able to find work and will always be able to make money.
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