The world is changing at a rapid pace. More and more robots and automations are being developed to take over tasks from humans. For this reason, learning programming is a skill you want to master.
Do you have an innovative idea for an app, game or website? Start learning programming. This will help you make sure your idea comes to life. And hey, the creator of Google also once started with a simple idea. As long as you put enough time and energy into learning programming, anything is possible.
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Back to step 1: how to start programming?
Learning programming as a beginner can be quite overwhelming. There is a lot of information about programming both online and offline. On top of that, we humans are super impatient. Ideally, we want to be able to do something yesterday rather than today. Are you planning to work out your idea within a week? You'd better put that out of your mind. Start at the first step and work on the basics of programming. You will notice that if you master this knowledge well, you will benefit greatly in the future.
Start well and get started learning a programming language. This is because the language of programming is different from the language we speak to each other. By using certain codes one after the other, you give instructions to a computer. All these instructions together form a software programme. Which programming language is best for you to learn depends on your goal. A programming language you can start with as a beginner is JavaScript, for example. After this, you can move on to more complicated programming languages.
Where to start? If programmer Namanh had to start over, he tackles it as follows
The benefits of learning to program
To give you an idea of what benefits learning programming has for you, we list some of them for you:
- With the huge demand for programmers, there is plenty of work and you can start earning a lot of money.
- Become an independent programmer and enjoy great flexibility in working hours and location. You can do this work anywhere in the world.
- Good programmers are indispensable in the future.
- You can build or make things without needing any artistic talent.
- Programming is also a valuable skill outside the IT world. Think, for example, of various marketing functions. How handy is it if you can solve a data problem yourself?
- You can work on cool projects and develop them into a super cool end result!
How long does it take to learn programming?
Programming in code language can be learned by anyone. Of course, only if you put a lot of thought and energy into it. As with any other skill you want to learn, it takes time. Learning the basics, if you have enough motivation, can be learned in about two weeks. What takes the most time is the in-depth knowledge. It is difficult to say in advance how long it will take before you can program. It depends on the type of programming language, how many of them you want to learn and how much time you put in.
On which sites can I learn to program for free?
Enthusiastic about learning to program? Great! You can start for free on these websites:
W3Schools
On the website of W3Schools you can get started with a programming language of your choice for free. Get started with, for example, HTML to build web pages or CSS to provide web pages with a nice design. The possibilities on this website are enormous. Choose a programming language that suits your end goal and get started.
Code Academy
With more than 25 million users Codeacademy the go-to when it comes to learning HTML, CSS, Python, PHP, Java and more. You will learn the intricacies of programming here. A super nice platform for novice programmers where you can get started right away. And it is free!
Khan Academy
Do you enjoy learning a programming language via videos? Then Khan Academy maybe something for you. Through clear videos, you can learn all the ins and outs of programming at a quick pace. What's nice about this platform is that they work from a community. You can ask your questions directly to other novice or more experienced programmers below the videos. Handy right!
Coursera
Is your goal to design robots or get started with Python? Then take a look at the website of Coursera. Here you can learn programming from the best universities in the world: free. The website features more than 1,770 programming courses. When you complete a course, you can choose to buy a certificate. That looks great on your CV, of course!
Code.org
Want to start programming in a playful and simple way? Code.org is a low-threshold platform that introduces you to code language by building alien worlds. The website is aimed at primary school children, but it can also be a nice way for you to get acquainted with programming. Especially if you don't want to start with intensive material. Give it a try, it's free after all!
Another low-threshold platform to learn programming is Scratch. This platform is also designed to introduce children to programming. You learn the language of code in a playful way.
There are plenty of other websites where you can learn to program for free. Type 'learn programming for free' into the Google search bar and choose a website that offers the programming language you want to learn. We believe that anyone can learn programming. The right dose of perseverance and motivation will get you a long way.
The next step
Did you find out while taking free programming courses that you want to specialise in this field? Then take a look at the wide range of courses on offer. In this article At Programmeerplaats, you will find an overview of various mbo, hbo and online courses to become a programmer.
Do you already have some basic knowledge of programming but would like to develop yourself further in practice? Then come internship At Monkey Vision. Send us your motivation and possibly a portfolio. Then one of our colleagues will swing your way.
