Coding, otherwise known as programming, was at some point something that only the nerdiest of nerds knew about, the same nerds that established a solid foundation for what we call the Web today. The internet is much dependent on programming to serve people with websites -- such as Huffington Post -- and applications that we frequently engage in activity with.
Learning to code has never been more attractive than today, a set of skills in languages like HTML and JavaScript allows you to build your own interactive websites, not to mention save plenty of money when it comes to launching your own online business, and heck -- you can even get hired as a programmer to work at some of the leading companies today. Coders are of the most well-rewarded individuals in the current job market, as there is a high demand for computer scientists.
Late January, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, publicly endorsed Computer Science and published an announcement in which he talks about the increasing importance of technology in our lives, and how it is his plan to help every American Citizen earn the right to learn computer science at no cost whatsoever. A move that is already cherished by the scientific community already.
Sitting at your desk and blazing through boring programming books can definitely leave the impression that coding is only for the chosen ones, but when working in teams, or through dynamic and interactive online platforms -- learning to code can become a fun and enjoyable process, thoroughly rewarding. If you feel you would like to try to write some code, begin with the following five resources that have been designed with the idea to help others become coders.
Codementor
Starting out with programming on your own can be a tough cookie to crack, there's a lot of information out there, many examples to work with, and when it comes to stiching all that learning together, we can quickly run into walls that can decrease our productivity, even the willigness to continue.
Codementor helps ease your learning process by offering 1:1 mentorship sessions with experience programmers who are ready to help beginners understand their coding problems. However, Codementor is not limited to just beginners, as it offers an extensive skill category from which intermediate and advanced developers can quickly get help in.
edX
edX is famous for its CS50: Introduction to Computer Science course, within which those enrolled are able to learn more about vital computer science aspects and establish a solid foundation for a future career in computer science, engineering and web development. The public directory of available courses cover a range of different fields; data science, software programming, fundamentals, and web development.
Codecademy
Codecademy is a proud interactive coding platform that has helped some 25+ million people to get their feet wet with programming and its concepts. Codecademy enables for anyone to enroll in interactive learning courses that happen directly in your web browser. Each course covers the fundamentals of each language you are trying to learn, and there are quizzes and challenges scattered across the way to earning that final completion badge. It's a very straightforward way of introducing yourself to different programming languages, and perhaps understanding better what you would like to explore more.
For some it might be Python, while others enjoy JavaScript more.
CodeCombat
On topic of Python and JavaScript, CodeCombat is a dedicated interactive coding platform that offers people to learn how to code through an interactive browser game. You begin by entering this exciting dungeon-type game where you have to use code to navigate your character, and also to help it defeat any obstacles that come its way. It's a true challenge within each step, letting learners to see how their code directly interacts with the environment they are playing with.
Udemy
Udemy is one of the leading names in online courses, with tens of thousands of published courses, Udemy specializes in technology content such as data, computer science, programming, marketing and much more. On Udemy, anyone can quickly type in the content they are looking for, and usually, find a quick online course that's only a couple of hours long, but gives an extensive overview of what you are learning and how to become better at it.
Wrapping up
Developers who began writing computer software in the early days didn't have a much higher advantage than anyone else today, in many ways, those developers had to work extra hard to learn new concepts of programming and computer science, whereas today we find that there are plenty of well-established programming languages that have been documented thoroughly, and built so that the learning curve is natural, and progressive. With a few courses, some tutorials, and a mentorship program under your belt -- a steady flow of projects is to be expected.