Do you want to learn to code so that you can beautiful websites from scratch?
If the answer to this question is a big old “YES!” then keep on reading because I have some incredible resources to share with you.
A lot of people don’t realise this, but I don’t have any formal qualifications in web development or computer science. I actually have a degree in Geography!
I started teaching myself to code when I was about 14 years old, and I learned by taking other people’s code (I know, I was terrible!), making small tweaks to the CSS, like changing colours and fonts, and then seeing what the results were.
When I started my development journey I wasn’t aware of any website that would help me to learn to code, even though there must be some lurking around the internet. But nowadays the internet is full of incredible resources.
In this post, I’m going to share with you some of my favourite online resources to help you to learn to code. And best of all? They’re all free!
This post was last updated on 11th October 2018.
Codecademy
Codecademy was one of the first interactive websites for learning how to code that I discovered. They have courses on HTML and CSS which cover the very basics of web development, as well as courses that show how to apply these skills to actually build and deploy responsive websites. And then if you’re ready to take on more of a challenge, you can learn JavaScript, jQuery, AngularJS and ReactJS.
Each course is made up of a number of exercises that introduce you to some code and explains how it works and what it’s used for. And then it challenges you to test out what you have just learned and will let you know if you’ve got it right or wrong.
And if you get it wrong then don’t worry! It’s not an exam! There are helpful community forums if you need some more support.
As well as web development, they also have courses on programming and data science.
In addition, Codecademy offers two paid premium memberships; Pro and Pro Intensive. These premium versions come with benefits such as live support, project challenges, quizzes, and even the option to have your code reviewed by real developers. But if you aren’t interested in upgrading then don’t worry because the free version is pretty amazing on its own.
freeCodeCamp
freeCodeCamp is another interactive resource similar Codecademy. While it may not look quite as sleek as the other two websites, I think the quality of the courses and range of skills you can learn is incredible.
As well as teaching you languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery, freeCodeCamp also teaches you skills other than coding languages that you will require as a developer, such as how to use the Chrome Developer tools. It even has a section on computer basics which I have found particularly useful as someone without any formal education in computing!
Once you have completed your certifications in Front End, Data Visualization, Back End, and Full Stack, you will gain access over 80 hours of interview training to help you prepare for a career in web development.
I feel like freeCodeCamp is so much more than just a resource for learning how to code. It’s clearly created by people who want you to make a career from developing websites, and this is such a wonderful thing!
Scrimba
Scrimba is a relatively new website, and I think it’s pretty amazing!
Scimba features “interactive coding screencasts” which basically means they are videos of someone coding, with voice-overs explaining and describing what is going on, but (and here’s the most amazing thing about it) you can actually interact with the code that’s on the screen.
Mind = Blown!
I don’t know how it works but it’s incredible, and I think it has a lot of potential.
Scrimba isn’t organised like the websites I have mentioned above. There isn’t a course that start with the very basics of web development and that guide you through step by step to build up your knowledge. It’s currently just a collection of screencasts and courses that focus on specific areas of web development, like CSS Grid or Flexbox.
But as I say, Scrimba is fairly new and I think that it has a lot of potential to create more systematic courses like Codecademy and freeCodeCamp. I really hope it does!
W3Schools
W3Schools has some of the most comprehensive guides to HTML, CSS and JavaScript, as well as many other coding languages. Even after 10 years of coding, it’s still my go-to place for coding information.
While W3Schools isn’t as interactive as other websites I have mentioned in this post, it’s definitely more detailed and it will really help you to gain a thorough understanding of coding. You might find it best to use the W3Schools website alongside the courses of Codecademy and freeCodeCamp so you can delve deeper into a certain topic.
My favourite section of their website is the How To section which shows you how to build more technical features, like slideshows, menus and forms, and provides the HTML, CSS and JavaScript for you to replicate these.
Do you want to learn to code? Do you think these resources will help you out?
What are your favourite websites for learning how to code?
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