If you are looking for the question “how to learn programming” it may be because you want to advance your career.
Perhaps you hope to develop software or games for your friends or gain a better understanding of technology. Either way, learning the language of computers can be an important asset for your professional and personal growth.
Why should we learn to program?
Before diving into the first lesson, think about why you want to program.
This will help you decide which programming language to learn first, what kind of projects you want to complete, and ultimately what you want to do with your skills.
Here are some of the known benefits:
Programming helps develop professional skills
Let's get out of the way. Knowledge of computer programming is one the valuable things for employees.
As technology continues to enter our daily lives, coding skills will become more desirable among candidates — some of the most in-demand skills fall into computing, according to the Indeed Job Board.
Knowledge of at least one programming language is essential if you are looking to land a career in technology or move into a more technical role in your field.
But this is not just for developers. Project managers must know the inner workings of the tools they help craft.
Even if you're running a simple WordPress website, familiarity with front-end languages and some PHP goes a long way.
Even if you're not strictly technical, coding experience is an asset. Demonstrate technical knowledge and ability to understand abstract concepts and solve complex problems.
Finally, knowledge of coding allows you to pursue freelance or full-time work.
Programming can help you earn more
The entry-level salary in the united states is about $40,153 in 2022. But the average starting salary for a programmer more than doubles at $85,293.
We mentioned earlier that there are differences between programmers and programmers. As you continue to learn to program, you can begin to specialize. Most of the top coding salaries come from being able to present your skills in a particular type of coding.
For example, you can decide to become a developer while you continue programming. In addition to writing code, developers also debug and work with the source code. Developers often specialize in a particular programming language.
Developers often earn higher salaries than programmers and have higher expected career growth. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, developer jobs should grow 22% by 2030.
Coding allows you to create things
One of the greatest benefits of learning to code is the ability to turn your ideas into reality.
Whether you want to monetize your project, publish it on an open source platform like GitHub, or just do something as a hobby, you will have the knowledge and tools to do it.
It's nice to know that you can create programs that you haven't fully understood yet.
How do you start coding?
Thanks to the internet, there has never been a better time to learn to program. But the sheer number of options can stop some new programmers before they even start.
In this section, we'll cover how to learn to program for beginners with some recommended resources for each step.
1. Determine your goal
It's tempting to jump right in when you start programming. But if you don't have an end goal, you can get frustrated and stop learning before you start having fun.
So, before you get down to business, think about why you want to learn to program.
2. First select the coding language you want to learn.
If you want to know what programming language to start with, you should think about your long-term goals. why are you coding?
3. Take online courses.
Knowing to code no longer needs a classroom environment. Thousands of programming courses online today cover everything from basic HTML to complex data structures and algorithms.
4. Watch video tutorials.
You may have seen a tutorial or two on YouTube - why not do the same for coding?
While online courses are your best bet for hands-on experience, online videos can complement your learning and satisfy your curiosity.
5. Read books and e-books.
Prefer the old approach? Get a book of your choice as your starting language. The books will introduce you to basic concepts and teach you about coding.
6. Use tools that make it easy to learn to program.
While it's great to know that you don't need any special tools to write code, some tools can help you.
7. Check how others are encrypting.
For some people, it's easier to edit someone else's work than create it from a blank slate. If this is you, the best way to learn to program is to review someone else's code.
8. Complete coding projects.
You learn programming by doing - there is no other way. You can read all the concepts and grammar needed to write functional code.
But if you don't put what you've learned into practice, the ideas won't fully materialize in your mind. This is where projects come into play.
9. Find a mentor and community.
All the resources I've mentioned so far are valuable, but they are mostly stand-alone studies. Having a friend or an online community to guide you further can be invaluable to your learning.
First, I suggest you find a mentor. As you progress, you will most likely encounter problems that you cannot solve no matter how hard you try. This is where mentors can help.
A mentor does not have to be a real teacher - it can be anyone who speaks your language. They should be able to explain difficult concepts and guide you to solutions. An experienced mentor can help you follow coding practices not covered in educational programs and provide advice for navigating a career in technology.
10. Consider enrolling in a coding Bootcamp.
Coding Bootcamp is a short-term training program that packs a comprehensive syllabus of coding into a few months. These programs are fast-paced, immersive, and a stepping stone to a development career.
Coding boot camps are intense and expensive — not the kind that you can dive into without any coding experience.