Learning coding from scratch
Posted by SnositYT@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 35 comments
So I decided to learn coding as I have very much interest in technical hardwares and softwares. But I am so confused rn. My true goal is Full stack developer , ik it's sounding a lil too dreamy as I don't know any languages rn. I am planning to start from html now. I need some guidance, like which platform is best, many people suggested youtube but there are plenty of videos , and I don't wanna be wrong and waste my time. So I need some guidance.
zaleen@reddit
When I wanted a refresher I really liked this udemy course, she’s easy to follow
https://www.udemy.com/share/1013gG3@6VX_YMduF55PBIGSdgjUovGzvO3N8e1Lh9GhzCdTpUzHY9o1VF3kZkKC7SgfTfq0/
Sirico@reddit
DR Yu is such a great tutor her Python course is still top tier
matrixunplugged1@reddit
I've heard great things about the Odin Project, it a free online full stack bootcamp https://www.theodinproject.com/
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
From where did you learnt from ?
MoonQube@reddit
I personally learned from doing a complete computer science education.
We started with Java, and learned a lot of various ways to "solve" problems (mini puzzles, basically) like printing some specific patterns in the terminal. things like that.
Then we moved on to classes, and how to create and combine them, etc.
then data structures (arraylists, trees, linkedlists and all that jazz)
then algorithms, like search algorithms, sorting algorithms, and so on.
And in between we were taught very basic GUI-stuff, and had assignments for somewhat larger projects that combined stuff we had learned.
Poopidyscoopp@reddit
trust him.
matrixunplugged1@reddit
I am not really learning full stack web dev, I am a data analyst so more focused on python.
Prazzwal_69@reddit
I am also trying to start a career in Data analyst field,what do you suggest for a beginner to learn from scratch?
Imperial_Squid@reddit
Also a data analyst here.
That answer depends on your background and how much experience you have. Unlike regular coding, data analysis/data science/etc is a crossover between statistics and programming, so some people transition into it from one or other of those, or come in completely fresh. So what resources to point you towards depends a lot on what you already know and what you need to learn.
For a general/covering everything approach though, this roadmap covers a lot of the topics you might come across. Additionally places like codecademy have courses on data analytics.
You can also look at the stickied "entering and transitioning" thread or search for topics on r/datascience if you need really specific advice (but if you're super new to all this, just focus on learning programming and statistics from beginner friendly subs like this one).
FanAccomplished2399@reddit
It might be counterproductive to dive right into the odin project if you're end goal is to get a software engineer job.
I would recommend learning the fundamentals with CS50. Those skill will transfer to any position regarding coding.
xtra_kazhiv@reddit
Fastrack some HTML from YouTube(there's some tutorials that teach you to use basic HTMl in less than 10 minutes).Kevin Powell has a course on HTML and CSS it'll teach you the basics. Stick to it. Practice daily. Do some challenges. Build some websites. You can learn JavaScript from (http://javascript.info). Then go onto learn React from the Documentation. That's pretty much I know.
I used to try The Odin Project, but it wasn't my type so I switched to YouTube.
Devamsup@reddit
Can someone suggest how to start data structure and algorithm from beginner level to advance
vfhd@reddit
You need a book for algorithms, it's called Algorithms.
Serenak2023@reddit
Dave Grey on YouTube has a 4 hour course you can follow along with and he has all the project files on GITHUB. I learned so much from him! He then has a 3 page website project you build after the course. I highly suggest watching his videos. In additional I’m also doing a course on Udemy. I wanted to be sure I had a very strong understanding of html before moving to CSS and I’m really glad I’ve watched both. I’m basically where you are. Starting with HTML and with both of these courses so far I have retained everything really well.
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
Yeah but some of my web dev friends and youtubers say that don't give too much time to html or css. They say javascript is the main factor to invest more and more time in. Is that true ?
Serenak2023@reddit
I’ve only spent about a full week on html. Not like a month. I’m finishing up learning forms tomorrow and finishing the website practice from Dave grey then will head into CSS this weekend..so when I say I’m starting out…I’m literally a week in lol But I wanted to make sure I really under stood html and all the semantic markups correctly because I read that is pretty important. I think just go at your own pace. I just want to make sure I’m fully understanding each section I’m learning before moving on to the next…which I’ve read a lot of people say css is a bitch 😅 so we will see how long I actually send on it lol
wantedfury@reddit
I spent a month on just css it was the best decision I ever made I never struggle like a lot of ppl do just because of that so I say take your time if you need help on like practice and stuff for your journey dm me
Proper_Bottle_6958@reddit
Watching YouTube and doing courses is okay, but don't stop there. You need to do more than just passively consume content. Get your hands dirty with real projects, dig into the docs, and think through how you'll build stuff. Try solving problems on your own that's where the real learning happens. People who only watch videos often struggle when they have to code by themselves.
If you want to really get how things work, read some books. They're packed with solid info. Don't skip the basics. For web dev, make sure you understand how V8 works, get familiar with the call stack, and know what's going on when CSS recalculates layouts. Be curious and dig deeper into things. Tutorials can make you think you get it, but often you don't. The key is to actively engage with what you're learning, not just follow along.
Proper_Bottle_6958@reddit
fix grammar: I see a lot of suggestions to watch YouTube and follow courses, which is one but they should be complimented with other learnjng methods. Just watch a bunch of YouTube videos are not going to help you. Instead compliment it with doing actual projects yourself, dive into the documentation, and think through each step on how you're going to build it. Try to solve problems yourself, the problems I see when people just depend on videos is it's a very passive way to learn, as soon they actual have to do it themselves they struggle. If you want really want a deeper understanding how things work. you should read books you probably get the most information from there, Do not skip fundamentals, if your focus is web understand how the Nodejs runtimes work, understand the callstack, how does CSS calculates grid on the screen. be curious and try to get a deeper understanding of things. Don't just do some tutorials, which will give you the idea you understand something
I see a lot of suggestions to watch YouTube and follow courses, which is fine but they should be complemented with other learning methods. Just watching a bunch of YouTube videos is not going to help you. Instead, complement them with doing actual projects yourself, dive into the documentation, and think through each step on how you're going to build it. Try to solve problems yourself; the issue with people just depending on videos is that it's a very passive way to learn. As soon as they actually have to do it themselves, they struggle.
If you really want a deeper understanding of how things work, you should read books as you'll probably get the most information from there. Do not skip fundamentals. If your focus is web development, understand how the v8 runtime works, understand the call stack, Know exactly what happens when your CSS grid calculations trigger layout recalculation and repaints. Be curious and try to get a deeper understanding of things. Don't just do some tutorials, which will give you the illusion that you understand something.
I see a lot of suggestions to watch YouTube and follow courses, which is fine but they should be complemented with other learning methods. Just watching a bunch of YouTube videos is not going to help you. Instead, complement them with doing actual projects yourself, dive into the documentation, and think through each step on how you're going to build it. Try to solve problems yourself; the issue with people just depending on videos is that it's a very passive way to learn. As soon as they actually have to do it themselves, they struggle.
If you really want a deeper understanding of how things work, you should read books as you'll probably get the most information from there. Do not skip fundamentals. If your focus is web development, understand how the V8 runtime works, understand the call stack, know exactly what happens when your CSS grid calculations trigger layout recalculation and repaints. Be curious and try to get a deeper understanding of things. Don't just do some tutorials, which will give you the illusion that you understand something.
Bugolg1@reddit
Ah man I got a guy for you, this guy Leon has been a teacher for years, and more specifically for programming. I’ve taken the course and at least for me it was an actual worthwhile one. He also doesn’t just teach the skills but also interview/ networking skills for the industry as well. https://youtube.com/@learnwithleon?si=WJnzNsj4qUGAY17k here’s the link to his channel which is “learnwithleon” he also runs an amazing welcoming community on discord that love to help people out especially new people who are learning from scratch.
Bugolg1@reddit
And also one of the courses/playlist on his channel is specifically for gaining the skills to become a full stack developer.
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
Why he stopped making videos ?
Bugolg1@reddit
I would suggest joining the discord as they have been really helpful. There aren’t just new people but also people who have been in the industry for a long time. And hell they even help with getting jobs, internships, networking etc.
Bugolg1@reddit
The videos he posted were from live streams during Covid. And so he would have cohort of people tuning in to learn. He’s still active just more on twitch and discord teaching people there. The videos/playlist you see are from old cohorts but are still good to use to catchup to whatever his current cohort is doing or you can just stick to the videos and learn on your own pace.
TechBeamers@reddit
First of all a good decision you made. Since you mentioned learning from scratch, the first step should be to develop problem-solving and logical thinking rather than jumping straight into coding tutorials or videos. A strong foundation makes coding much easier. If you like or can read:
-'How to Solve It' by George Pólya to practice structured problem-solving. -'Thinking Mathematically' by John Mason to sharpen logical reasoning and analytical thinking. -Project Euler to solve math-based coding challenges and build problem-solving skills.
Following these will make learning to code much more effective. Try to complete within a timeline.
biskitpagla@reddit
you have a guts dp, you'll figure it out dont worry
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
Btw the dp have guts only. I don't have enough guts like guts fr😂 xD
OldRasputin77@reddit
https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2025/
Hot_Purpose_5562@reddit
I would start with trying some coding videos that are showing you how to code a simple project like todo app etc… From there you can try to make clones of popular apps/website, you will see that you can go pretty deep with each features and that would make a small portfolio to show.
Would recommend to also use coding platforms to learn and practice: Codingame is good for small interactive projects, Leetcode if you want to get a job in the future and Codenquest if for small lessons and exercises on mobile
Whatever801@reddit
If you want to learn from scratch you can use scratch! https://scratch.mit.edu/
ragedawolff@reddit
I'll give you two options that I have some experience with/have heard of. The first is watching YouTube videos: I watched a couple-hour-long video for HTML and another for CSS. The downside was that I didn't retain much information from it, although I did already have some background knowledge before. The second, which I have started but am not quite far into yet is the Odin Project. It is a completely free website that takes you through tutorials/a course to go from zero to full-stack web development. I stumbled across the website, and since then I have heard many good things about people who have gone through it. Another downside is that it won't take you to a perfect full-stack web developer. You might be able to get/squeeze into an entry-level job, but to have advanced or professional skills, you will need to go through other resources (most likely paid). Some of these resources could be online intermediate/advanced classes, books targeted to your level, college/community college classes, etc. It never hurts to supplement your learning with books or other resources. Good luck on your journey!
TLDR:
Options:
Youtube Videos or Tutorials (Pros: Quick and easy to follow, free; Cons: Hard to retain much info, not all you will need)
The Odin Project (Pros: Zero to Fullstack, lots of info, free; Cons: Not all you will need)
After you get advanced: Books, College Courses, Online Courses
You can always supplement your learning with books or other resources.
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
Thankyou for the suggestion. Really appreciated 😊. Gonna work on it
Life_Bother_4717@reddit
Personally, when I first started programming I learnt html, css and js, I built a few simple projects just with the three. When learning js I recommend to go as in depth as possible, learn about how the javascript engine works, scoping, hoisting, closures, primitive types vs reference types and so on, as this will help you later. Then I started learning and using express to build some backend applications (mostly APIs and server rendered websites), because honestly I couldn't be bothered to learn a more 'proper' language for backend development + I used mongo db as my choice for a database (you can too, but use it only while learning the basis of backend dev, because its not really used in the wild so to speak, only in very particular cases). Only after I learnt backend development I got an actual grip on how the web works and how do the frontend, backend and databases interact with each other, I tried learning more about networking (stuff like the TCP/IP model) and that gave me a higher level of understanding on how everything is connected. After this, I chose to learn React for a frontend framework and honestly it was better to learn it later in my journey compared to earlier because it does provide a pretty high level of abstraction. After all this, I built multiple full stack projects (just personal projects for learning and to be able to add something to my resume), and currently I am learning PHP with Laravel, and to be honest it is pretty easy, but it wouldn't have been if I didn't have an in-depth understanding of javascript. The first language you learn will be the hardest, the next languages should be way easier (as long as they have the same general purpose and are similar in complexity, if you first learn javascript then you want to learn c++ you are in for a rough one obviously). But that is just my personal experience as someone who wanted to learn full stack web development, if you want to go towards a different area in programming this dont really mean anything for you lol. But good luck man ! Wish you all the best !
SnositYT@reddit (OP)
Well that's pretty much inspiring. Can you also tell where should I start learning html from ?
EyesOfTheConcord@reddit
The Odin Project focuses specifically on web development and starts with HTML, it’s free and open source as well.
The introduction will get you up to speed quickly on setting up git, GitHub, environments, and how your OS plays a key role in writing software