Hey Coders, I don’t have any prior coding knowledge and I do not have any computer science background. There are plenty of resources online but the problem is, I don’t know from where to start. And also don’t know which language should I choose. Looking for help. 
cheers!!!
This is a community built around freeCodeCamp.org, so we’re probably all going to recommend starting there.
2 Likes
Hey, @ArielLeslie Thanks for commenting. I genuinely love the community freeCodeCamp .org, but sometimes I confuse myself like from which language should I start. Someone says to start with C or C++, someone says to start with HTML and CSS, someone says go for PYTHON. It really confuses me.
Hi @souvikbasak !
Welcome to the forum!
Everyone will have an opinion on which language is the best to start with.
In my opinion, learn the basics of programming and learn the fundamentals.
Once you understand that, then you will be able to learn other languages well.
If you want to learn web development, then you follow the FCC curriculum.
The first section focuses on html and css which are markup languages (languages dealing with content and style)
Then your first programming language will be javascript.
You will have a few certifications that deal with javascript and it’s frameworks and libraries (jquery, react, node, etc)
The last 4 certifications deal with python.
I would just dive right in and learn the core fundamentals because that can be applied to any programming language.
Hope that helps!
2 Likes
this post may help you.
https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/choosing-your-first-programming-language-mistakes-beginners-make/466841
1 Like
Thank you for this information…Helped me a lot
If you have a specific goal that is tied to a language and you can find good resources for that language, go for it. If you want to get started on learning about programming and how it works, then my advice is to choose your start based on what resources are available to you. Web development is a good entry into programming in general, but the real reason I often suggest it is because that’s what freeCodeCamp teaches and freeCodeCamp is one of the best resources that I have ever seen.
1 Like
Hi,
I started with zero background. I had no idea what language I needed to get what I wanted, I didn’t know what I wanted or what questions I should ask. I had no idea.
3 questions : which language, what do you want to do with it, where to learn everything?
Language:
I accidentally chose javascript and I don’t regret the choice. Whatever you choose is good. Programming is programming, you will get to know the computer, the machine, that’s what you really learn. Each language focuses on specific aspects of a computer but they also have a lot in common.
If you choose javascript you don’t have to download or install anything and it’s easier to learn at first. All you need is a text editor, there are lots of those around. I use Atom and notepad++ in the past (free download) and there’s Visual Studio Code of course (everyone raves about that). C, for example, is much harder to start with than JS, there’s more to know and understand at first and you need to install stuff. That doesn’t mean it’s better than JS, JS is built on C and both languages share conditions, loops, variables… Python uses all these structures as well, if you learn javascript first, python and C will be an easier ride later. There’s a lot of overlap.
Then there’s the question: what do you want to use it for. JS for applications on the internet, python for artificial intelligence and mathematical stuff, C for the software in other hardware, C++ for desktop applications, SQL for databases, Java I have no idea… I would just begin somewhere and figure out what you (don’t) enjoy. Once you have some knowledge your questions will be more specific and you will get useful answers.
Where to learn? FCC explains everything very clearly and very well. It offers fantastic projects. I do mind that they give lots and lots of theory at first, this huge list and when you begin on the projects with so much information, you don’t know where to start.
When I began, I liked codecademy a lot and codeschool. Codecademy works with little projects, the theory is more integrated with the practice but it is not for free. Codeschool was sold to prism and I didn’t like what they did with the courses, all the interactive exercises were gone, but maybe they have been put back, I don’t know (codeschool I miss you still). There’s a free javascript course on MDN, for free, for absolute beginners, with exercises. (they also offer html and css) It’s a bit tedious in compared to codeschool and fcc but they work with projects and MDN is the absolute authority on javascript documentation. What you learn there will be complete and correct. JavaScript — Dynamic client-side scripting - Learn web development | MDN
I built a few projects on FCC first and when I got a decent working knowledge of JS
I followed CS50 on EDX. It’s an introduction into computer science for ordinary people by Harvard University. It’s created for complete beginners and it’s so good. I was able to follow everything for free and pay for a certificate later. This course was absolutely necessary. If you mean business, follow this course. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/harvard-cs50-guide/It took me more than a year to complete (you can do it at your own pace) but it was worth it.
A free course on coursera about the internet was excellent as well. (by Chuck Severance). https://www.coursera.org/learn/internet-history Since I started a lot of other websites have sprung up and I don’t know much about them.
You don’t learn a computer language the way you learn french. A chosen language will interact with other languages at some point. If you choose javascript, there’s also html and css to consider and these are just a start. So you don’t just learn a language, you learn about the machine and the ecosystem it lives in. Sounds like a lot? It’s more. Be aware, you don’t learn this the way you take take a first aid course.
So, start, the real questions will come once you’re actually learning .
Greets,
Karin
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 182 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.