What are the most effective ways to learn coding?

The most effective ways to learn coding involve a combination of hands-on practice, online tutorials, and project-based learning. Start with a beginner-friendly language, such as Python, and gradually tackle more complex concepts. Utilize interactive coding platforms, join coding communities, and seek feedback on your code. Consistent practice, problem-solving, and building real-world projects enhance comprehension. Additionally, reading code, participating in coding challenges, and staying updated with industry trends contribute to a well-rounded coding education.

The choice of programming language can shape your programming approach. When you use Java or C++, you're nudged into object-oriented thinking, declaring variables, and employing structured programming constructs and data structures. These practices can be beneficial when transitioning to other languages. On the flip side, I'd approach Python with caution for beginners; its 'run almost anything' nature might not instill the rigorous software discipline that's crucial in the long run.

Choosing a programming language to start with as a beginner is very fundamental for your software engineering journey. Clearly outlining your end goal is as important as choosing the language as these two are connected to some extent. However, with the basics of programming being the same no matter the language used, it is always advisable to pick up the basic concepts of programming with a beginner friendly language which is totally up to the person learning to choose. After grasping the basics of programming, one has a better chance of specializing into their desired field/goal with a language that most suits the field they desire to specialize in, if not already specialized.

Learning to code is a rewarding and empowering process that involves defining one's purpose, choosing a programming language, using online platforms, enrolling in courses, reading books, practicing regularly, building projects, joining coding communities, attending bootcamps, subscribing to channels, building a portfolio, using version control, staying informed about industry trends, attending events, seeking feedback, understanding algorithms and data structures, learning to read code, staying persistent, exploring advanced topics, participating in challenges, teaching others, cultivating a curious mindset, using online code editors, and taking breaks.

Remember, coding is a language. Like any language, the best way to learn is submersion into the culture of that language and the language itself. Taking a course is a great start, but you lose the skills or struggle with adapting the skills if you are not able to work/refine it daily. So, I found that joining online groups (ex. Facebook groups) where they do daily coding puzzles, networking with others who code and bouncing problems off of each other, reading articles, research, listening to podcasts or videos on coding, and using apps work great. When I first started learning, I leaned into all of these, including a cute little app called Mimo. Max out your resources & try a variety of sources so it stays fun, creative, and fresh!

There are thousands of resources available for learning, both free and paid. Books, guides, websites, videos, interactive courses, and platforms to clarify doubts abound. However, beyond the readily available material found with the help of Google, my recommendation is to learn by doing. When attempting to create something, you'll encounter obstacles constantly. It might be a bit frustrating, but it will push you to delve deeper into those subjects that hinder you, understand them, and ultimately overcome them.

Coding/programming is meant to be a skill that allows you to solve real world problems. However, no one rises from their slumber and becomes a very efficient and skilled programmer that is capable of solving any problem! That programmer who can solve every problem actually doesn't exist and probably will never exist :-) To become a better programmer, you need to tackle so many problems, make mistakes, learn from the mistakes and understand your tools/languages/frameworks by building projects, contributing to open source, participating in hackathons and many more other alternatives that can allow you to master the skill and understand how to tackle real world problems with your programming skills. This is easier said than done though!!

You'll want to ask for a "code review" if you're looking for feedback on an app or program you developed. There's a number of places you can go online to accomplish that, but some of the more popular ones sites like GitHub and Stack Overflow. I will also encourage creating accounts on those sites and perusing the repositories on what's out there, especially if you want to get familiar with coding first hand.

Just like world problems don't have an end, so does programming have no end to how much you can learn. Therefore, every software engineer must continue the discipline of continuously learning and improving their skills to ensure that they stay relevant with skills to help them contribute to solving the unending world problems.

While there are programming languages with different purposes and features, learning any of them will help strengthen your computational logic, view problems systematically, and think structurally to provide a coded solution. So, it doesn’t matter if you later switch your language or focus; all learning will be valuable.