6 Beginner Tips for Learning How to code

Taking the first steps in learning any programming language can be daunting. Thus be sure that you understand how to learn to code from the right resources, see our blog 5 best programming books for beginners . All in all  to Learn to program is a critical skill, In South Africa alone, the top 3 scarce skills are in IT: Java Programmer, Python developer and the need for data scientists.

Why is knowing how to code so vital? Programming languages are always evolving,  new frameworks are created, and languages are used.  Thus knowing how to learn will be essential to keeping up with these changes and becoming a successful coder.

Need-to-know starter tips in learning coding for beginners, we will offer great tips that will help kick-start your path to becoming a great new programmer! In turn here are the 6 Beginner Tips for Learning How to code:
 

Here are some helpful Beginner’s tips for learning how to code and coding concepts you learn as a beginner programmer

Tip #1: Ask the right questions

 
People are always under the impression that programmers just simple write code. Essential coding at a beginner’s level is having the right mindset with logic and solving real world problems.  All in all for software developers in the industry, programming is just a tool, a means to solving a given problem. Programmers, who are starting out with code, should ask the questions “what problem am I trying to solve?” or “how can I begin to solve this problem?” In turn when you code as a beginner you should think about the following:
 

Logical Thinking

 
As a programmer, can you think, analysis and come up with viable solutions to problems. In turn it’s got alot to do with critical thinking. (5 Ways Coding Encourages Logical Thinking)
 

Persistence as a beginner developer:

 
Often solutions to problems are simple, In turn break up complex problems into doable chunks. Start small and code pieces. Thus coding becomes easier!
 

Use your Initiative as newbie coder:

 
Can I do things on my own, by practicing code and solving simple problems to start off with as a beginner coder, and then gradually moving on to more complex problems.
 

Tip #2: Practice Coding

The best way to prepare [to be a programmer] is to write programs, and to study great programs that other people have written. In my case, I went to the garbage cans at the Computer Science Center and fished out listings of their operating system. – Bill Gates

Practice is very important when you are learning a new language. We recommend that you code through trial and error as much as possible. Thus we recommend that you write your own programmes and test your logic through practical examples, build up from simple applications to full blown applications. In turn see also our blog on great tools and resources for beginner coders.
 

Tip #3: Ask the right questions

 
We often here from teachers and people that aren’t any bad questions in life, but when it comes to programming, you sometimes don’t go about it the right way. In turn when you ask for help with your code, you need to remember the context in which the problem needs to be solved, the following tips to asking the right questions:

• Always give context of the problem.
• Share what you have done thus far to solve the issues.
• List the code you have implemented to solve the problem.
• Lastly show the code, demo what you did systematically.

Tip #4: Pick the appropriate Programming Language

 
According to Wikipedia, there are about 700 programming languages! including esoteric coding languages.

Overall  often programming languages are very similar. Essentiall all languages share the same logic. For example most languages have if statements, loops, methods, arrays etx.  This includes their syntax (how you structure your code or write your chosen code). We recommend Python programming, as it is considered easy to learn, and most industries are using it. And for great reasons. Read about it here
 

Tip #5: Choose the appropriate learning path

All in all there are many ways to learn how to code after school, and each one has its own pros and cons. We list them here:
 

Traditional: University Route

 
✔️ Recognised Degree I.e BSc in Computer Science

✔️ Campus Experience

❌ More Theory based, not as many practicals

❌ Time and duration of the course could take you 3 to 4 years

❌ Costs are expensive

Online Courses (Such as Udemy)

✔️ Online courses you can do anywhere

✔️ More affordable, courses can cost R200

❌ you learn by watching videos and interacting with a website..

❌ Course content can be out of date or not enough

❌ Most Courses often not accredited or recognised.
 

Coding short courses or Coding Bootcamps (School of IT)

 
✔️ Affordable

✔️ You often can get internationally accredited and recognized, and get a industry job all in under 1 year.

✔️ Practical and industry aligned, 1 on 1 based learning environment.

✔️ You can learn from anywhere and often have flexible time (you can do part time whilst you work).

❌ Often you don’t interact with a huge class, more 1 on 1 learning

❌ Not all short courses or bootcamps are accredited

We always say you should evaluate which learning path is best for you as an individual when it comes to coding for beginners.
 

Tip #6: Surround Yourself with other beginner coders

 
Overall coding may seem like a an individual activity, it actually works best when you come together as developers.  Thus surround yourself with other people who are learning to code as well.

You can even join online community’s, forums, as a beginner in programming you can share the tips and tricks you learn along your coding journey.

Join a Forum – Get solutions to coding problems with StackOverflow , the forum is a popular community forum for programming solutions

Register a GitHub profile – As a beginner coder, it’s a must have to have a GitHub account. In turn you start building a repository of work (personal portfolio). In addition it’s a good idea, as most software developers use GitHub to manage their projects together.

Join Coding Challenge Websites – check out TopCoder or HackerRank to practice code by doing daily coding challenges.

TopCoder is one of the most popular platforms for online programming competitions.  In turn anyone can join the Topcoder Community to participate and compete in challenges.

In addition HackerRank is a leading platform for competitive programming. Thus it has challenges where you have to solve the problems as per the given specifications. In turn HackerRank offers you to solve these programming challenges in any of various programming languages such as C, Java, Python, Ruby, etc.

Overall we have mentioned the 6 Beginner Tips for Learning How to code, as well as advice about being a new programmer. Software development will always be in demand. Thus if you are interested in a fulfilling tech career in Software Development. Then look no further, at School of IT’s coding bootcamps or Software Development courses, which you can do in under 6 months and get internationally accredited and recognized. In turn kick-start you tech career!