How to learn coding at home
The demand for employees that are proficient in coding and programming continues to grow. In this article, we discuss why you should learn to code at home and explore potential careers in coding.
Across many industries and businesses, technology and computing is king. The sheer volume of electronic devices and machinery that involve computer coding and programming means that there are now a plethora of career opportunities available to you should you master this skill.
With the rise in remote working and studying, being able to learn coding at home has never been easier. However, before you get started there are some essentials that you should be aware of.
In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about how to learn coding at home, including why we should learn coding, the benefits of doing so, ways to do it, and possible careers in coding.
Why should you learn to code?
There has never been a better time to embark on your journey of learning how to code. The opportunities and benefits are vast, as it has the potential to develop your logical thinking, help you solve problems creatively, automate laborious tasks and improve your interpersonal skills.
Not to mention the fact that careers in coding can also offer lucrative salaries, opportunities across many sectors, and flexible working from anywhere in the world. This ability to work remotely extends to the studying phase of this process, meaning you can easily learn coding at home.
The benefits of learning to code at home
As we have already discussed, there are plenty of excellent reasons why learning how to code is advantageous. Some of these benefits include:
- Jobs are in demand and pay is competitive. It’s widely reported that over 750 new job postings for software developers go live every day in the UK, so the chances of securing a job and developing a career in the sector are in your favour. Salary expectations are also high when it comes to careers in coding, so you can earn considerably more than in other professions.
- Rewards creativity. Learning how to code from home can be very rewarding. If you’re a creative-minded individual who wants to develop skills in problem-solving, analytics, communication, and collaboration, then you’ll find the learning experience fun and enjoy every day (hopefully) of your working life.
- Encourages you to be adaptable and flexible. You’ll learn how to be more resourceful and efficient, using your newfound skills in problem-solving to come up with practical solutions. It will also open doors to many different sectors and businesses that you’d never considered, giving you the flexibility to work at diverse businesses all over the world.
- Develops your skill set significantly. Learning how to code isn’t easy, but once you’ve mastered it you’ll be rewarded with a whole host of skills. Careers in coding allow you to constantly develop as a professional, continually adding strings to your bow and making you highly employable.
What are the most popular coding languages?
When you start your coding journey, the number of languages to learn can be daunting. However, at the beginning of your career, you may only need to know one coding language. You can then broaden your knowledge as your career progresses.
To get started, here are some of the most popular coding languages:
- HTML
- CSS
- PHP
- Java
- JavaScript
- Python
- C#
- C/C++
- SQL
You can find out more information about coding languages and the different types of coding here.
How to learn coding at home
In this section, we’ll dig a little deeper into exactly how to learn coding at home, analysing the various methods of doing so.
1. Online coding courses
In our opinion, this is the best way to learn coding at home successfully. The days of needing a classroom setting for learning how to code are long gone, and there are now plenty of excellent online courses you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Whether you’re a beginner, at an intermediate level, or consider yourself an expert, there are hundreds of courses available to suit all needs.
Online courses facilitate a structured way of learning that lends itself really well to the complex world of coding and programming. The courses we recommend further down this article make the learning experience more digestible and keep everything organised for you.
Check out the final section of this article for information about specific remote learning courses.
2. Books and eBooks
To further your understanding and complement your online course, books and eBooks are great ways of supporting your learning activities. Here are a few titles to get you started:
- The Self-Taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally by Cory Althoff
- C Programming Absolute Beginner’s Guide by Greg Perry and Dean Miller
- The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas
- Learning JavaScript Design Patterns by Addy Osmani
- Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold.
3. Coding games
A fun and interactive way of developing your coding knowledge is by playing free coding games online. There are a whole host of games to choose from, whether it’s CodeMonkey, CodinGame, Flexbox Froggy, or Ruby Warrior.
While this method obviously won’t teach you everything you need to know, it’s a great way of continuing to learn during your downtime and isn’t as intense as other learning methods, ensuring you have plenty of fun along the way.
4. Video tutorials
The internet is full of coding tutorials that can help you to learn coding at home. There are plenty you have to pay for, but there are also some great free alternatives on platforms like YouTube. Some even award you certificates on completion, which can help to boost your CV alongside the courses you’ve completed.
5. Find a mentor or join a like-minded community
When learning how to code at home, or learning any new subject for that matter, it’s always good to have support from other people. That’s why we suggest having a mentor or online community on hand to offer further guidance and support as you take your course.
A mentor is especially valuable, as they have the experience and know-how to help you when you find certain aspects challenging. Quite often they’ll be able to offer solutions you hadn’t even thought about and also share their career history along with any tips and tricks.
Local groups and communities can serve a similar purpose, while networking events either online or in person give you the opportunity to meet with like-minded folk.
Careers in coding: What’s available?
When it comes to careers in coding, there are a wide range of paths available to you. As we’ve already mentioned, coding and programming are relevant to just about every sector and business that relies on technology and computing. Some of those careers include:
- Software developers. They develop and create applications and software across computer games, web or mobile applications, and network control systems. Best coding languages to learn include Python, Java, and C++.
- Web developers. They create and maintain the way a website looks and functions for the user side, database side, or both. Coding languages to target include HTML and JavaScript (front-end), and Python and Java (back-end).
- Data scientists. They leverage the use of big data to provide insight and analysis to help drive business decisions, and help to identify patterns and trends in data and build algorithms. SQL and Python are the best coding languages to learn.
- Cybersecurity analyst. They protect a company’s networks from unauthorised access and respond to security breaches. Good coding languages to know include JavaScript, Python, C#, and C++.
- IT technician. Coding experience isn’t always essential to get a job in IT, but it can certainly help and will put you ahead of the competition. Technicians are often required to automate solutions and administrative tasks. The coding language you’ll need for this is Python.
- System analysts. They analyse how a company’s hardware, software, and IT systems perform. Coding is ultimately needed to ensure computer systems are functional and efficient. Python is a good coding language to learn for this particular role.
How to learn coding at home: Remote learning courses
As we have already discussed in this article about how to learn coding at home, there are various methods you can use to become an expert in no time at all.
At FutureLearn, we believe that online courses are the best and easiest way to learn coding at home. They’re a fun, flexible and affordable way to master in-demand skills. That’s why we’ve included some of our top coding and programming courses below – start boosting your CV today!
Learn coding at home with these courses:
- Computer Programming for Everyone by The University of Leeds
- Introduction to Web Development by The Raspberry Pi Foundation
- Introduction to Databases and SQL by The Raspberry Pi Foundation
- Introduction to JavaScript by Packt
- A Beginner’s Guide to C# and .NET by Packt
- Prepare for a Software Development Career by FutureLearn
- Programming Essentials with Python by FutureLearn
- A Beginner’s Guide to Web Development with HTML5 by Packt
