Learning to Code

posted Feb 24, 2021, by Andrew Biedron

In today’s increasingly tech based world, being able to code is a very useful skill to have. Some people were way ahead of the curve and learned to make websites in second grade. Most people, though, never found the time or motivation to tackle learning the ever confusing language of computers. Later in life, many people find that they want to learn how to code, but it’s way harder to do once you have actual responsibilities to worry about. If you know where to look though, the process can become significantly easier.

When most people say they want to start learning how to code, they usually mean HTML and CSS, which are the languages of the internet. When I was learning to code, one of the most helpful websites was w3schools. They have pages and pages of information and practice on HTML and CSS, from the most simple stuff to the most complex. It’s all very accessible too, so you can learn as much or as little as you want whenever you feel like it, making it the perfect place to get into HTML and CSS.

Another good website to help learn code is CodeHS. It’s a very structured website with many more lessons and practice problems to do than w3schools, so if you’re looking for a more in depth learning environment, this is a good place to start. They also have a much wider variety of coding languages including HTML and CSS, Python, and Javascript. Unfortunately, though, there is a monthly fee of $25 dollars.

After learning some basic coding skills, it’s also good to have a place to just fool around and see what you can do. While both w3schools and CodeHS have very good structured practice, there are other programs that are better suited for this. One of them is Twine. Twine is a free, online program that allows you to freely code in HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It’s meant to be used to make text based games, which can be very fun (I’ve made a couple), but you can just practice your coding there too. The only downside is that it has slightly modified HTML, CSS, and Javascript by adding functions specific to Twine, which can make the program confusing without proper knowledge of how to use it.

Another website for coding practice is Repl.it. Repl.it is also a free to use program that allows you to freely code in various languages. Obviously, you can practice HMTL, but you can also practice Python, C++, Ruby, Go, and many others if you decide to go down that path. Repl.it also doesn’t modify the languages at all, so you can learn a language somewhere else and practice it in Repl.it without having to learn anything new.

So if you’re interested in learning to code, but just don’t know where or how to start, these places should help give you the jumpstart you need to dive into the wonderful world of coding. Don’t get the idea that these places are going to make coding less confusing, though. Nothing can do that. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn how to code, even at a basic level, it opens up some fantastic opportunities for you to have some fun, and potentially make some money too.