Learn to Code

Recently, I’ve had some people approach me asking me what are some good online resources to learn how to code and program. As a strong advocate for self-learning, I think it’s important that students take full advantage of the fantastic education resources available on the Internet. Why not spend an hour or so a day enriching your mind about important 21st century skills instead of posting mundane Facebook status updates on a new haircut?

The resources below are all free and do not require paid membership.

Codecademy

If you’re completely new to coding and want a quick and fun way to learn the ins and out of web development, then Codecademy is perfect for you! They’ve got great mini-exercises on Python, Ruby, JavaScript, jQuery, and HTML/CSS. You are rewarded badges for completing exercise modules and your progress is tracked.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy has just recently launched its Computer Science courses and they are pretty amazing! Like Codecademy, the courses are targeted toward beginners. You will learn a broad range of topics from programming foundation courses to user interaction tutorials in JavaScript, a great beginner language that requires no additional software (unlike C++ or Java). And of course, in Khan Academy spirit, there are video tutorials!

Project Euler

If you are a more advanced programmer who is interested in solving Mathematical and logic problems, then Project Euler is the site to be on! The first 50 problems are doable in one sitting, while the newer ones are more complex and challenging. You can solve the problems in any language, as you are only required to submit the final answer. It’s a great way to dabble around in different languages! If you need help, there is plenty of support on the forums.

Whether you’re a beginner coder or an advanced programmer looking for something new to learn, there are plenty of well-written resources out there! What are some of your favourites?

To read more about my thoughts of learning programming, click here!

Be bold, take flight — tryangles!