In 2020, the median pay for a computer programmer was close to $90,000. The field is constantly growing, and there are more than enough resources to help you get started.
Fortunately, due to the rising popularity of jobs in STEM, you’re likely to find a niche if you choose this as a new career path. In fact, it’s predicted that 3.5 million STEM jobs will need filling by 2025.
If you’ve always wanted to learn how to code, now is the time to start. Keep reading to find out how you can join the world of IT.
Coding Tips
The first question to ask is why you want to learn to code. To be clear, this isn’t a get-rich plan; it’s a career path. It will take effort but is extremely rewarding if you stick with it.
We’ll look at some general programming tips and then focus on ideas for beginner coders. Don’t be discouraged; millions of people have gone through these steps before.
Find a Problem
The easiest way to start programming is to identify a problem. Find something that you want to solve and use that as motivation.
Some of the most famous coders started with a small problem. Facebook started as a way to find potential dates. Twitter started as a way to keep track of your friends lives.
Critical Thinking
One of the hardest lessons while learning to code is rewiring your brain to think critically. Teaching yourself to evaluate a problem and rendering it down to a set of concepts.
Generally, the approach to learning critical thinking is the same. There are variations, of course, but these are a good start.
- Question your assumptions
- Reason through your logic
- Get different opinions
Always Comment
Something that every seasoned coder will tell you to do is comment on everything. It’s a great habit to get into from the very start.
When you look at your code again in six months, it will be almost unrecognizable. However, if you’ve commented properly, it should be clear what your intent was, and anyone else should be able to take over at any time.
Coding for Beginners
Don’t be put off by the possible complexities you’ve seen in your explorations so far. Everyone starts as a beginner.
The right programming software and challenging projects will go a long way to helping you along. Tools make all the difference.
Coding Software
Depending on which language you choose, you’ll find many recommendations on software choice. These vary in complexity and scope.
To Code in C#
Visual Studio is the defacto standard for C# development. Microsoft has poured billions into making this the best possible choice.
Don’t worry about licensing – the community version is more than capable for almost every scenario. There are also many great tools to enhance your experience.
To Code in Python
This is a more contentious subject. Visual Studio Code is one of the more popular choices. However, atom IDE, IDLE, and PyDev have been making serious inroads. You’ll need to evaluate carefully.
How to Code
Let’s dive right into some sample projects. Remember, these are just initial ideas and examples. Feel free to branch out and create your own when you’re confident in your abilities.
- Extract text from an image using C#, Tesseract and OCR
- Build a simple RPG using c# and Visual Studio
- Find your Amazon spend using simple python
- Analyze your Netflix Data using filtering and python
These projects will stretch your abilities while teaching you great lessons. Remember, don’t be intimidated; the easiest way to learn is to do.
Get Started
Now that you’ve got some tips under your belt and a good grasp of critical thinking, it’s time to get started. You can learn how to code and have a great deal of fun doing it.
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