Learning how to code — a simple guide
I am a future Data Scientist. That’s my career goal. I have been passionate about coding since I was 16 and I have self-taught a lot of what I know. I have had great mentors who guided me towards the resources I could use or how could I improve.
I still remember my first approach to coding; I was learning HTML using the notepad at that time! How much things have changed with all the text editors that we have nowadays. Now, I have learned different programming languages and computational tools such as HTML, CSS, JQuery, SQL, MatLab, Python (Flask, Scikit-Learn, Matplotlib, Pandas), cloud computing (Azure, Compute Canada). And there is so much more I would love to learn and improve! I warn you; this is an addictive path.
Some friends and people I know, who are starting to learn how to code have asked me about which resources I would recommend. I always ask them why they want to learn coding, what objective they have in mind, because that may change the strategy. For example, for web development, you may want to start with HTML, CSS, Javascript but for Android development, Java would be the way to go. And if you want to become a Data Scientist, as I would love to, then Python or R would be your starting point (personally, I prefer Python).
I am writing this blog for those friends and for people who are just starting to learn how to code. I am located in London (Ontario, Canada) so you may find many of the resources I share are available in this area. Let’s get to the list:
1. Freecodecamp: I really like this platform, it does not only teach you but also guides you in developing different projects and even gives you a certificate. It is divided into different certifications and includes programming languages and tools such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Python.
2. Codebuddies: It is a community for people that help each other to learn and practice different programming tools. You can join one of the study groups or hangouts. They have everything you can imagine: Java, Github, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, etc. And if what you are looking for is not there, you can create a group yourself!!! During Summer 2019 I joined a study group where we were reading “Python Data Science Handbook” and I got to meet amazing people there.
3. Meetup: This is a platform to meet people. Before the pandemic, the events were mainly in person, but now they have online events, so you can join from everywhere in Canada (or the world). I have attended very interesting groups, both in-person and online such as: London ML, AI and Everything Data Meetup (I definitely love this one, Pavani, the organizer has guided me a lot! And they always had free snacks, thanks to Mobials who sponsored the events), Ladies that UX (I am not a UX designer but I just love the people in that group and I always learn new things), GDG Cloud — London ON (they are really open to teach and help), Dev London (here you will find so many interesting people and they have a very supportive slack channel!). But if you don’t live in London, don’t worry, Meetups has a lot of different events around the world.
4. MOOCSs: I personally have completed courses in EdX and Coursera. I like both platforms, but Coursera has won my heart this year. They partner with different universities and offered their courses for free during the COVID pandemic. What a benefit to those of us who are students! I really loved that. I have been advancing my skills a lot and keep my mind busy during the pandemic. Thank you so much, Coursera.
5. Agorize: I have participated in two of their challenges sponsored by Microsoft Canada. This has helped me to upgrade my skills and I like a lot that you have a great chance to be creative and meet other people. I always love to meet people and learn from their stories. And I had the chance to compete and win prizes!
6. Apps.co: For those who are in Colombia, this is a platform from the Colombian government with a lot of free courses and opportunities.
As a woman in tech, I am attentive to those communities where women support each other. So I became part of Canada Learning Code, which is an inclusive organization which teaches beginner-friendly workshops. If you are learning code this is your place! You will definitely want to take a look at the different events that are available in Canada, both in English or French. I am volunteering for the London Chapter so we are hoping to see you there!
Finally, do not forget that the most important thing here is TO HAVE FUN!!!!
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Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
