You no longer need to be a cutting-edge groundbreaker or an opportunist to learn to program. With online programming courses, you also do not need the deepest pockets in town.
Programming specialists are always in high demand, and those who dare to step into this industry are usually highly rewarded. One of the options for mastering programming languages refers to the online programming courses that you can find on various platforms. In short, such courses are reachable anywhere, from any device, and students can improve at their own pace. It means that you can replay a specific portion of the lecture if the concepts get too confusing.
Traditionally, learning consisted of a classroom, a teacher, and a bunch of students. This concept has been revolutionized by digital evolution. Learning how to code is no exception and similarly breaks the standard setting. This tutorial aims to pinpoint the best online programming courses for those only starting to recognize distinctive features of coding.
Table of Contents
- 1. Recommendations for selecting the best online programming courses
- 2. Financial struggles? Apply for a scholarship!
- 3. The main learning path: programming for beginners
- 3.1. HTML and CSS
- 3.2. JavaScript and PHP
- 4. What’s next? Online programming courses for your every need
- 4.1. Courses for game development enthusiasts
- 4.2. Courses for data analysis rookies
- 4.3. Creating applications: machine learning, iPhone, and Android apps
- 5. Reference Guides
- 6. YouTube Videos
- 7. Online Forums
- 8. Conclusion
Recommendations for selecting the best online programming courses
Online programming courses can be life-changing and exciting if you learn to choose classes suitable for you. Yes, e-learning is not an adventure without risks. You should learn how to find the courses appropriate to your current skillset.
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- Evaluate your current knowledge and skills. Programming for beginners frequently seems impossible simply because they do not follow the recommended learning path. For instance, a gradual process of learning is best in this case, meaning that you start from the basic programming/coding languages and build your skillset towards low-level languages.
- The price is an essential factor when it comes to education. Going to college comes with various strings attached, programming schools also require a fee (including the part of following a class schedule). Online programming courses are excellent in that they are relevantly cheap, and do not force you to show up to a classroom physically. Instead, you can enjoy the studying process from the comfort of your own home, while your cat silently purrs on the bed.
- Students before you might have left some comments or rated the course you want. Reviews on courses can indicate whether the course was helpful or whether it lacked explanations in certain areas. Make sure to check them out.
- Watch the introductory video of the course. In these short videos, instructors might introduce themselves and talk about the curriculum of the course. There might also be some basic concepts of the topic explained, or some other additional information. Make sure to watch these videos before enrolling. This action will reveal whether the instructor is easy to understand, and the overall tone of the course.
- You should consider project-based learning. We learn by doing. Therefore, the best approach to acquiring new skills is using them. Project-based courses introduce you to the theoretical material, but also provide you with steps to build a specific project.
- Pick a course that teaches a topic that you are passionate about. Do not start programming just because these specialists earn a lot. The first problem is that if you don't feel passionate about programming, you are going to be mediocre at best. These specialists are dedicated to continually learning. Therefore, watching a couple of courses won’t be enough in the long-run.
Financial struggles? Apply for a scholarship!
We all have those crazy urges that we cannot afford. However, when your financial situation prevents you from getting the education you deserve, the world seems more unfair than ever. Therefore, we offer a solution in the form of a scholarship.
If you are passionate about learning how to code but lack the financial resources: apply for a scholarship on our platform. The process is simple: tell us your story, how would programming skills influence your life and career, provide some details for verification, and you are done!
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The main learning path: programming for beginners
So, you are new to programming but would like to become a specialist in this field. What do you need? Which online programming courses are the best for you? This list includes a learning path that you might follow if you are struggling to figure out which courses to take.
HTML and CSS
- HTML is the language that introduces you to the structure of websites. You will find out how to construct different parts of your page. For instance, you will be able to add headings, bullet lists, simple styling attributes (bold or italics), etc. This course is a practice-based approach to HTML. Throughout the lectures, you will learn everything there is about HTML and practice various elements.
- CSS should be the next target on your hitlist. While HTML covers the structural aspect of websites, CSS is the magic wand you use to make your sites beautiful to the public. In this course, you will get the idea of how to style websites and impress your target audience. For a short test, look at this tutorial of FAQ on CSS: it will help you determine just how much you have learned and which topics require some revision.
- As you master HTML and CSS, you are preparing for the third step: frameworks. Of course, you can skip this step if libraries seem unnecessary for you, but they can help you work more efficiently. For instance, this course on Bootstrap introduces you to the main CSS framework, allowing developers to style their pages quickly. For more information on CSS frameworks, check out this tutorial: it discusses the most popular and useful libraries that can take your stylesheets to the next level.
- To change things up, you can also try this course on HTML, CSS, and web development. It is an interactive course, meaning that it will give you a completely different learning experience.
JavaScript and PHP
- Ready for some harder topics to conquer? We have just the thing for you. JavaScript is the language for making websites more dynamic. It is also the power behind various forms that you find on sites. JavaScript lets you produce the logic for validation of forms and making sure that this operation runs smoothly. This course is an excellent option for beginners, as it follows the project-based approach. If you enjoyed the interactive experience from one of the previous courses, you would love this one just as much.
- When you are making a front-end developer, the three main ingredients are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, it is not enough to combine these ingredients together. You need to add some extra elements to the mix. For instance, learn how to work with various frameworks and libraries.
- Learning how to code does not end here, of course. You can dive into the back-end development. It is becoming increasingly popular to use JavaScript for server-side logic, and you can start learning this craft in this course.
- You can also use PHP for dealing with the server logic of websites and applications. This is a highly-detailed course, covering the PHP basics of connecting to a database and dealing with other server-related tasks.
What’s next? Online programming courses for your every need
If the front-end developer route is not necessarily for you, consider other programming languages. The best online programming courses are those that allow you to start pursuing your dream. If you dream of becoming a reputable data scientist, you might need to consider going in a different direction. This section is going to discuss the courses that are perfect for building a strong skill set for game development, data analysis, and app development. Try these killer courses to become a sharper specialist.
Courses for game development enthusiasts
Since most of these courses involve the use of Unity, we suggest that you take a look at this course, discussing the fundamentals of C# programming.
- Course title: Beginner Guide to How to Make a Game with Unity
First-time game makers will struggle to find the resources for creating games. Therefore, this course will introduce you to the concept of using the Unity framework. Throughout the tutorial, you will learn the essentials of using Unity, adding 2D or 3D elements, manipulating physics, and building the graphic user interfaces.
This is a project-based course, meaning that while learning the features of Unity, you will be putting them in action. Therefore, at the end of this course, you will have created your first game with pixel art! To be more specific, you will build a side-scrolling shooter and learn the ropes of producing such games.
Since project-based courses are the best way to put your skills to the test, here is another one. More specifically, this course will show you the step-by-step process of producing a three-dimensional game featuring the star of your game, a ball. You will learn how to write the logic behind controlling the ball, make the camera follow the ball, and create various other components of the game.
The last course on this list is the guide for creating an RPG game. For this course, once again, we will be using Unity, but combine it with Blender. The good news is that this course slowly introduces designing and 3D modeling. Therefore, beginners should be able to follow the path without any frustration. Learn how to capture your audience with an impressive RPG game!
Courses for data analysis rookies
Data analysts usually go for Python when it comes to handling large volumes of data and making data-based decisions. Therefore, this course on Python will help you prepare for the learning experience to come. You should not be surprised that online programming courses are not only for programmers. In this case, they are for business owners, data analysts, or anyone who deals with a lot of information and wants to find a better way to manage and visualize it.
This course offers you a comprehensive learning experience, leaving no stone unturned. It is the best way to start your journey in data science, exploring various Python libraries, and realizing that there are many resources designed for simplifying the data analysis. Here is the juicy part: this course will not only cover the theoretical material but will include a how-to tutorial on building a project.
This course is highly beneficial to those who need more information on data science, data analysis techniques, and visualization. The instructor will cover bits and pieces of machine learning, giving you the chance to explore some of the powerful machine algorithms currently applied in the industry. This course will also cover the use, operations, data frames, and other principles related to Matplotlib, Pandas, and NumPy libraries.
- Easy to use with a learn-by-doing approach
- Offers quality content
- Gamified in-browser coding experience
- Free certificates of completion
- Focused on data science skills
- Flexible learning timetable
- High-quality courses
- Nanodegree programs
- Student Career services
- Nanodegree programs
- Suitable for enterprises
- Paid certificates of completion
- A wide range of learning programs
- University-level courses
- Easy to navigate
- University-level courses
- Suitable for enterprises
- Verified certificates of completion
Creating applications: machine learning, iPhone, and Android apps
You might have heard that machine learning is one of the trendiest technological innovations right now. Naturally, people want to experiment with their possibilities, but they need to grasp the fundamentals of ML. In this course, you will get the right dose of information about ML, starting with the necessary tools and the setup process. Once again, this course is project-based, meaning that the theoretical concepts will be used to build a recognition app.
If you have dreamed of creating Android apps, this course provides the hammer and the nails to do it. In this course, you will be using Java, and figuring out the best way of using Android Studio both on Mac and Windows devices. Upon completing this course, you will know the basics of Android app development and can start pursuing your dream. Maybe someday, your app will end up in the Google Play Store!
- Course title: The Rockstars Guide on How to Make a Bot With Python
Bots are popular these days, and you might have wondered whether you would be able to build one. This course will teach you how to use Python for creating a Telegram bot. After that, you might be hooked and start producing various bots! Siri and Cortana are one of the good voice-activated bots, but the circumstances might not always be fit for a loud voice command. Instead, this course will teach you how to build a text-based bot on Telegram.
- Course title: PHP Facebook Messenger Bot
While we are still on the subject of online programming courses that help you build bots, let's take a look at another step-by-step tutorial. In this course, you will be taking a look at how to create a Facebook Messenger bot, especially useful for companies. If you have a Facebook page dedicated to contacting and responding to potential/current clients, you will need a bot. Bots make business management easier and improve the user experience by a mile.
Reference Guides
If you’re serious about getting the most out of your online programming courses and putting your knowledge to use in the future, then you need to get familiar with reference guides and how to use them. A reference guide is a document or set of documents that outline syntax, essential concepts, and a range of other things related to the language it covers. When you’re stuck with a piece of code, complicated syntax rules, you can head over to the reference guide for help. In my experience, you will almost always find the answers you’re looking for without too much effort.
You can find BitDegree’s reference guides here.
YouTube Videos
However, if your reference guide doesn’t solve your problem or help you understand things better, you can always head over to YouTube for some more help. I have always found a huge range of videos that explain pretty much any coding subject or concept that you can imagine. Many of my biggest problems have been solved by spending an hour or two watching videos about the topic.
Online Forums
Online forums are great for when you don’t know what the problem is or when you want to discuss something. Simply take the code you're working on, post it in a forum with an explanation of the issues you’re having, and wait for someone to come to your aid. While you’re waiting, consider helping someone else with their problems. Sharing is caring!
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Have you ever wondered which online learning platforms are the best for your career?
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Conclusion
Programming is becoming a sought-after skill by employers throughout the world. Programming and coding skills are needed in almost every industry in the modern world. It means that you could benefit significantly from learning how to code.
In my opinion, the best way to learn to code is by taking online programming courses. Online courses are flexible, and they allow you to work at your own pace, and to go over the content as many times as you want. However, you do need to be very self-motivated if you want to learn how to code through an online course. Otherwise, you will probably end up giving up when it gets too hard.
In this article, I’ve introduced you to online courses and outlined how to choose the best course for your needs. I’ve shown you some of my favorite courses for a few of the most popular languages. Finally, I’ve given you an introduction into a few of my favorite resources to help you learn how to program like a pro.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start coding with your first online programming course!
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