Developers who are starting to get the hang of their craft are always on the lookout for new things to learn and problems to solve. Thankfully, the web is full of amazing free tutorials and manuals that help them learn the foundational concepts behind programming, grasp programming languages, and hone their skills in specific areas like machine learning.
In this article, we lined up some really useful resources for those who just started their journey with programming. Read on to find the right resource that will help you boost your skillset and land your dream software development job.
Online programming courses
1. Codecademy
Link: https://www.codecademy.com/
This entirely free resource is one of the top places people go to get started in software development. What's interesting about this platform is that it's not based on video lectures. Instead, you get to benefit from interactive learning. You type in the lessons and problem solutions into your desktop and get results immediately. Plus, you can unlock more features with a paid plan.
2. Team Treehouse
Link: https://teamtreehouse.com/learn-to-code
This site is a fantastic resource that features instructive videos about... probably everything, from HTML and PHP to Ruby on Rails. The cool thing about Treehouse is that the platform provides you with regular quizzes and coding challenges throughout the lessons to spice things up. So, it's not only watching videos but also training your skills on solving practical coding problems in the technology of your choice. You can get it for free in a two-week trial and then pay $25 a month to keep going.
3. Udemy
Link: https://www.udemy.com/
This online learning platform is known for many other subjects beyond coding. The idea is that practically anyone can create and upload courses – and that goes for professional programmers willing to share their knowledge too. You can find coding resources for both beginners and more advanced developers. Some of the most popular coding classes are The Complete Web Developer Course or Learn and Understand AngularJS. Just type in your language or framework, and you're very likely to find a programming course about it. The pricing varies based on the course in question but is generally no more than $300 per course.
4. Coursera
Link: https://www.coursera.org/
Coursera is a popular online learning platform that offers courses taught by actual college and university professors. Consider a course like Programming for Everybody, which is a beginner's course that introduces you to the foundations of coding. The formats used depend on the class in question – many courses combine video lectures with regular quizzes and coding assignments to mix things up.
5. Udacity
Link: https://www.udacity.com/
This is a more academic platform out there offering courses in many different areas, not only programming. The interesting thing here is a nanodegree – a kind of credential program that allows you to learn skills that target specific careers and even develop a portfolio. Udacity partnered with tech giants like Google, Salesforce, AT&T, and many others to create their courses. You can be sure that the knowledge you're getting has been verified.
6. freeCodeCamp
Link: https://www.freecodecamp.org/
This self-paced coding course offers its users the opportunity to learn many technologies such as JavaScript, HTML 5, CSS3, and more. After completing 1200 hours of a course that spans from the very beginning until a more advanced level, learners can try their hand at coding by collaborating together to build a solution for nonprofit organizations. This is a really amazing opportunity to get real-life experience in coding. All you need is your email address to get started.
7. edX
Link: https://www.edx.org/
Another excellent online platform you should check out is edX. It offers university-level courses in a variety of computer science disciplines. You can probably tell that the level here is slightly higher. The courses include frontend, backend, full-stack development, popular programming languages like Python, but also cutting-edge technology areas like blockchain. edX also offers a variety of micro-master degrees, professional certificates, and courses spanning many areas.
8. Code with Mosh
Link: https://codewithmosh.com/
Code with Mosh is a platform that offers 14 coding courses covering topics like React, Python, SQL, NodeJS, data science, and some more. All of the courses are brought to you by Mosh Hamedani, a software engineer with more than two decades of professional experience. The courses are advertised as clear, concise, and practical training with no fluff – a perfect resource for someone looking to get started as quickly as possible.
9. MIT OpenCourseware
Link: https://openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mit-opencourseware
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a web-based publication of literally all of the MIT course content. It's available for free and to anyone. If you would like to get a verified certificate once you're finished with your course, you need to pay a fee. However, you can also take advantage of these coding resources to simply expand your skillset. You can choose from many different courses such as introduction to Java or Python, practical programming in C, or introduction to computer science. A great resource to build knowledge about fundamentals.
10. Khan Academy
Link: https://www.khanacademy.org/
This platform offers courses in many different areas. In computer science, you can choose from topics ranging from data encryption to information theory. But what's more interesting are the code tutorials. They transform lessons into compact one-hour sessions that can be incredibly useful for those of you who have a busy schedule and can't dedicate too much time to learning. You can also check out the section with programming classes for languages such as CSS, JavaScript, HTML, Python, or SQL.
Specific learning resources
11. Command-line crash course
Link: https://www.computervillage.org/articles/CommandLine.pdf
This guide from Zed Shaw helps you to understand the command line, which is a critical skill for any beginner programmer. In the crash course, Shaw covers all of the command line fundamentals in a way that actually helps you to remember them. By the end of the course, you can consider yourself familiarized with how to work within the command line.
12. GitHub Learning Lab
Link: https://lab.github.com/
This free class is actually a step-by-step tutorial that helps users get started with GitHub in less than an hour. The lessons are delivered through text, videos, and actual activities you need to carry out yourself, so it's a perfect combination. You can also take advantage of the community chat option, where GitHub trainers are ready to help you out if you have any questions or doubts.
13. Codementor
Link: https://www.codementor.io/
One-on-one coding assistance platforms are a great way for beginner programmers to hone their skills under the watchful eye of an experienced professional. Codementor focuses on long-term mentorship rather than instant help. It features a great number of mentor profiles displayed in a similar way to LinkedIn. You can schedule appointments in advance, get in touch with a mentor, and start learning.
14. Reddit Daily Programmer
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/dailyprogramming/
This is a great resource for getting some hands-on practice as a software developer. The Reddit channel posts programming challenges every week. As a participant, once you're done with your exercise, you can post code for peer review and get some helpful comments or feedback.
15. SQL Zoo
Link: https://sqlzoo.net/
This online resource is (as its title suggests) just perfect if you want to learn everything about SQL. You can expand your knowledge about SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and DB2. The tutorials are interactive and offer opportunities for testing your new skills with assessments – a great resource for those of you looking to expand your knowledge about databases.
Conclusion
We hope that these resources help you master new skills, learn coding fundamentals, and move towards more advanced stages of your career as a software developer. What's important about these resources is that they're not only video lectures where you get to listen to a professional explain problems to you. They also feature interactive activities where you can try your hand at different challenges yourself.
Do you know any other resources for beginners in software development? Did we miss something? Please share your top learning choices in the comments section to help newbie programmers to expand their skills with the best resources. Thanks!
