Programming can be overwhelming as one thinks about it amidst myriads of resources. Luckily, most of them come with quality material and no cost, which will let you get running without blowing a budget. Whether you want to learn Python, JavaScript, or any other popular language, these free online resources will take you through comprehensive courses down to hands-on coding challenges. Here is a guide to some of the best websites, YouTube channels, applications, and communities that will make your journey even smoother.
1. Codecademy
What it Offers: Codecademy is well-known for its interactive approach-trying out to code directly in your browser. It covers a range of languages, including Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS, with step-by-step guidance for absolute beginners.
Why It’s Great for Beginners: The setup at Codecademy is really geared toward beginners because you can literally just jump into coding without much extra setup or information.
Cost: Free courses available, though Codecademy has a Pro version also which includes extra projects and quizzes.
2. freeCodeCamp
– What it offers: FreeCodeCamp offers tons of free hours of coding and certification courses. From web development to machine learning, they cover it all.
– Why it is great for beginners: The website offers a structured curriculum for self-learning, and it also provides one with real-world projects for the building of your portfolio.
– Cost: Completely free! And you also receive certificates upon completion of certain courses.
3. Harvard’s CS50 on edX
– What it Offers: You get to take Harvard’s CS50, a highly respected introduction to computer science, on edX. You will go over the basics of programming with problem-solving skills using languages such as C and Python.
– Why It’s Great for Beginners: The course is challenging yet lays a very good foundation of programming and computer science principles.
– Price: Free to audit, nominal fee for official certificate of completion.
4. Khan Academy
– What it Offers: Khan Academy courses include those on JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL. The platform includes interactive tutorials, quizzes, and projects.
Why It’s Great for Beginners: The casual tone of Khan Academy, in addition to their emphasis on in-browser coding through interactive means, makes it very easy for beginners to jump right into web development.
Cost: Free, with no hidden fees.
5. YouTube Channels
– Traversy Media: Brad Traversy does tutorials on popular programming languages to frameworks, including HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Python, and even React. Very beginner-friendly, he can make learning fun with his project-based approach.
– Programming with Mosh: This channel belongs to Mosh Hamedani and focuses on detailed Python, JavaScript, and many others. Explains things very well, and in an easy-to-follow manner for beginners.
Academind: Everything from web development to React and Node.js, it provides courses for a wide range of learners, from absolute beginners to more advanced learners. Cost: Free! Just hit the play button and go.
6. SoloLearn What it Offers: It is an app-based learning platform with courses on Python, Java, and JavaScript among other languages. The app in itself is interactive with quizzes and coding challenges.
Why It’s Great for Beginners: It’s available mobile, so you can learn on the go. Furthermore, there is a community available in which one can ask questions and share progress.
Cost: Free, although there is a Pro version with additional features available.
7. LeetCode
– What it Offers: LeetCode is a platform for coding challenges and practicing algorithms. While it may be renowned for its preparation of users for technical interviews, it is equally adept at trying to help improve problem-solving skills.
– Why It’s Great for Beginners: The challenges ranging from easy to medium difficulty are available to beginners, especially those who want to advance their skills in coding.
– Cost: Free challenges are available, but there’s a premium subscription that will give access to all the problems, as well as some more features.
8. Codewars
* What it Offers: Codewars offers coding challenges, known as “kata”, in various programming languages. It is designed to help improve your skills incrementally.
– Why It’s Great for Beginners: You start off with beginner-friendly challenges and do increasingly harder ones as you gain more confidence and experience.
– Cost: Free to use.
9. MIT OpenCourseWare
– What it Offers: MIT’s OpenCourseWare gives hundreds of MIT courses for free. Access to computer science curriculum also covers lectures, assignments, and exams to guide your learning.
Why It’s Great for Beginners: That is an awesome resource to delve into very significant areas of computer science and programming basics if one is seriously interested in academic-level education.
Cost: Free, though there could be suggestions to buy some textbooks.
10. Coursera and Udemy Free Courses
– What it Offers: Courses on basic programming languages, software engineering, and more from Coursera and Udemy are free, created by universities and people in the industry.
– Why It is Great for Beginners: You will have access to structured content with downloadable materials and real-life examples. Look for highly rated courses by verified instructors.
Pricing: Most of the courses are absolutely free of cost, but one can pay for certification or to access more advanced content.
Honorable Mentions
Stack Overflow: Not an orthodox learning resource, yet immensely helpful with coding questions.
HackerRank: The website is good for coding practice and challenges, and some tutorials.
GitHub Learning Lab: Free Git and GitHub tutorials to learn the very basics of version control.
Programming should not be scary, and it really does not have to be prohibitively expensive. With these resources, you can build a solid foundation in coding skills, problem-solving skills, and even have a portfolio of your work. Stick with it, and with the right resources, you will confidently be coding in no time. So go ahead and choose any one that you like; let yourself into the world of programming right now! —
Happy Learning!
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