Why learn to code? There are so many reasons why you should learn to code. I could go on for hours about them but in this article, I’m just going to give you the best reasons why you should learn to code.
Number 1: Independence
Many people these days are looking to set up businesses online or blogs. This is a great thing to do but can be expensive. Even having just a few basic coding skills can save you a fortune and help you to feel more confident.
Number 2: Career Opportunities
Having coding skills on your CV can really help you to stand out from the crowd. It can open up a lot of doors for you when you are looking for a new role or promotion.
Number 3: Freedom with your Time
Many people who code professionally are freelancers or have flexible contracts. Working this way can give you a lot more freedom to choose how you spend your time.
Number 4: Learning improves well-being
The benefits of lifelong learning on mental health and well-being are well known. Learning to code is no different and I can personally say that I have really enjoyed learning something new.
Number 5: Improve your logical reasoning skills
Coding is a very practical and logical activity. By learning to code you can help to improve your own logical reasoning skills. This makes you better at breaking down problems. Problem-solving is a transferable skill that you can use in the future whether or not you decide to become a developer.
How to choose between a paid or free programming course
The world of online learning courses and teaching yourself to code can be somewhat daunting. With so much on offer, how was I possibly supposed to find the right path for me?
Given my predicament I did what any self-respecting millennial would do and turned to god, I mean Google, for help.
This is what I found.
- Teach yourself: Some ways you can teach yourself to code
I did some research and found it boiled down to whether I wanted to do a free or a paid class. From here it was then a case of choosing a course provider.
In the past, I have taken some fantastic free online courses.
However, I wanted to have more hands-on support to help me with the new concepts. This kind of support required a paid program.
Best free online coding courses and paid programs
Despite this, I have several friends who have taught themselves to code using free options. For example, several of my friends rave about Code Academy.
In addition to this, below is a link to an article I found summarizing the best free courses to learn to code
- Free courses: Online courses where you can learn to code for free
Having decided to go for a paid program my first port of call was the below article. In it the different types of providers are described and rated:
- 16 online coding courses: Summary of paid-for courses for people learning to code
Where to learn to code: finding Udacity nanodegree
A few carefully constructed Google searches later I came across the below article reviewing the Udacity course – Introduction to Programming Nanodegree.
- Udacity review: The article I found that reviews the Udacity Intro to programming nanodegree in detail
This was looking promising.
I did some work cross-referencing with few follow up searches which this would indeed be an excellent place to start learning to code. It was time to get my programming journey kicked off.
The Number One Reason Why You Should Learn to Code
So what is the number one reason why you should learn to code?
It’s fun!
Learning to code is fun! You will get a great feeling of achievement whenever one of your projects comes to life. Also, there is a great community of other learners out there you can join which helps make it a great experience.
Once I had come to my decision about where to train about 30 minutes later, I was signed up. I was assigned a mentor and am now ready to go. Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
Now you know why you should learn to code are you ready to join me and get started?
Was that a yes??
1 Comment