Resources for Newbie Coders
Hello, World!
One of the most frequent questions I get asked by people interested in learning to code is “What resources should I use as a beginner coder?”
About two years ago, I made the huge leap to join a coding bootcamp, and I thought it was time to reflect on some of the resources I’ve found helpful both as I taught myself to code over the few years and now as a developer.
Below, you’ll find some of my favorite coding resources across the internet. I hope this will help you in your coding journey!
Coding Websites:
Freecodecamp
Free Code Camp is one of the most talked about resources for learning to code, and for good reason — it’s free!
The website provides tracks to learn different coding languages such as HTML, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and Python, as well as guided projects that you can build out to practice new skills. Certificates of completion are provided when completing tracks, and you can display them on your portfolio or LinkedIn page.
Codecademy
Codecademy is the first website I used when I was first learning how to code in 2020. I developed a solid base understanding for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using CodeCademy.
I really appreciate that CodeCademy has both a free option and a paid version that offers more organized “Career Tracks” and projects that you can build and add to your portfolio.
Treehouse
Treehouse is a great resource for people just starting out in their coding journey and seasoned software developers alike. They offer video tutorials on subjects ranging from Project Management and UX Design to Fullstack JavaScript and Python.
Treehouse offers a variety of memberships including Courses (which provides a specific videos to watch to learn new sets of skills and a certificate of completion once you’ve finished all the tasks) and TechDegree programs. The TechDegree is $199/month, and it provides a similar structure to Courses as well as access to the Treehouse online Slack Community an array of projects to assist in building a portfolio to show off your new development skills that are graded and given feedback by experienced developers working at Treehouse.
If you’re interested in the TechDegree, please use my referral link! I will get a small discount to my subscription cost for each TechDegree student I refer :)
Trailhead
Trailhead is a slightly more specific resource for Salesforce Cloud developers like myself. I completed several tracks on Trailhead while learning Salesforce development and in preparation for my Salesforce B2C Developer Certification exam.
Trailhead does a great job breaking down dense Salesforce material into approachable, bite size pieces, and I really enjoy using it! Plus it’s a great way to keep your certifications organized all in one place.
Podcasts:
LadyBug Podcast
I really recommend LadyBug Podcast to any of my fellow women in tech. It’s so great to hear women talking about their successes in coding and stem, and this podcast is hosted by a group of really successful women all in the tech world.
Learn to Code With Me
The Learn to Code With Me podcast is one of the main contributors to my decision to learn to code (and how I was able to stay motivated throughout my journey of learning to code). Laurence Bradford interviews a variety of developers and people in the tech community to hear how they learned to code and the journeys they went on while switching careers. It was so inspiring to hear other people’s stories, especially those with unconventional career paths like myself, and it helped me remember that if they can do it, so can I!
Community Networks:
As I began teaching myself to code, I learned about the amazing community on Twitter for both senior and beginner coders. It’s so inspiring to see what other coders are working on and to hear about their journeys.
I’m so often inspired to learn more complex coding approaches after reading threads that creators share on Twitter.
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow is one of the best resources I’ve come across while learning JavaScript, React, and Ruby. There are so many great solutions provided by contributors on Stack Overflow, and it’s a great resource for troubleshooting both common and extremely specific coding issues.
Another great feature of Stack Overflow is being able to submit questions if you can’t find a specific enough solution. Many developers are eager to help you out, and it creates a great sense of community, especially as remote work environments are becoming so much more common in tech.
Github
GitHub is an incredible resource, though it takes a bit of learning to really understand it. You can access other people’s work, contribute to open source projects, and get new ideas for your own projects. It’s also a great option for storing your projects, tracking how often you’re coding, and most importantly for version control.
I really hope this list is helpful to anyone just starting out on their coding journey or otherwise looking for a new learning source! If you have any other favorite coding resources, feel free to share them in the comments.
Thank you so much for reading! If you have any questions about this article, you can reach out to me here or on Twitter. Happy Coding! 😊 💻
