Where to start?

Hi there. I am totally new to coding with no technical knowledges at all but highly motivated. I was recommended freecodecamp and I signed up today. And now my question: which curriculum should I pick up first? My idea is to learn JavaScript and Python in the next months. Can I take the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures curriculum without knowledge?
Thanks in advance for your answers.

You can try. If it will be super confusing there will be options:

  • temporarily stop with this course, and try to find more beginner-friendly JS introduction course on the web
  • Use this this forum to ask questions. There nice little ā€˜ask for helpā€™ button in every course step, it will help you to create thread here.

You may wanna wait for more replies: when I took JScourse I knew a bunch of Python already and some more code-related stuff.

Itā€™s usually recommended to start at the top and work down from there.

I do not suggest starting with JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures if you do not have experience with programming/coding/JavaScript.

These problems usually require you to focus more on the underlying problem and donā€™t hold your hands in regards to correctly using the language. The earlier curriculum will slowly introduce the syntax of JavaScript and help you get into general coding practices before challenging you with problems that require you to solve problems using these ā€œtoolsā€ you learn.

I usually make the analogy of learning the tools (the languageā€™s syntax) and using those tools to solve problems (algorithms).

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Depends on which industry you want to tap in :slight_smile:

Iā€™m sure experts here have their own viewpoints about prospecting tech industry in the latest trends and I am no expert.

However I can recommend you a website that can give you roadmaps to guide you in your learning.

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Thanks for taking time to reply. I had a look at JS curriculum and indeed, this is too much for me. So I started from the top and it seems to be the good call. Itā€™s really step-by-step and I think itā€™s perfect to understand the logic and adopt coderā€™s mindset.
@alfonsusac my long term call is to work in Blockchain area. I know itā€™s a long and many things can change but thatā€™s the direction I heading for now. Iā€™ll see once I have learnt the basics of coding. Thanks for the link with roadmaps, it is absolutely awesome. A huge resource for me.

Disclaimer: This is based on my own experience, very biased.

Without a doubt, I would recommend the CS50x course by Harvard University. It starts with some very basics concepts and works its way through C language, Python and JavaScript, finishing with a project of your own choice as long as it is related. Thereā€™s a huge Discord community and always someone to help. Plenty of lab exercises if youā€™re feeling you want to go the extra mile.
Once youā€™re done with that, you should have a basic idea of what is possible and that your are just at the beginning of your journey. You may feel overwhelmed, naturally, but thatā€™s okay, I guess everyone wasā€¦
If you feel like you want to continue with web development, you can continue the Harvard path and work through the CS50ā€™s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript. If you want to learn Python more in depth, try the CS50ā€™s Introduction to Programming with Python.
If you are more interested with designing the User Interface(UI), come back to freeCodeCamp(FCC) and start learning more about HTML, CSS and JavaScript, or you can do it in addition to the CS50x course.

But I donā€™t know how old you are, this start may be too much for someone under 16, If thatā€™s the case, Iā€™d still recommend starting the CS50x course, take it easy, and work on the New Responsive Design Course here on FCC.

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Yeah, it will be a more gentle introduction.

Also keep in mind that FCC moves kind of quickly, so donā€™t be afraid to check out other resources.

my long term call is to work in Blockchain area.

JavaScript isnā€™t one of the most common BC languages (C++, Python, Java), but it can and does get used for that. But even if not, itā€™s a way to get your feet wet programming. On some level, programming is really about learning and applying concepts - the choice of language is just learning some vocabulary and syntax.

Thanks for the links. I like the CS50 course, that is something I was looking for. I think I am going to take it.
I am not sure if itā€™s a good point or not but I am 44 years old. Perhaps not the best time to start a career in programming but I am highly motivated and my actual job offers me a lot of flexibility.

I started at 48. I mean, Iā€™d done a little coding a long time ago, but no web dev and none of these languages. Iā€™m now a professional programmer. Itā€™s harder at a later age, but by no means impossible.

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Do you have anything in life you could solve or improve by programming?
If you do, thatā€™s the best thing to start with in my humble opinion.
No trying to learn programming solely for being able to programme but be able to solve some problems, thatā€™s where your drive can come from.
Do you have someone who would appreciate their own website to propagate their business or whatever? Do you have kids and want to build stuff together( e.g. RaspberryPiā€¦) Do you think you could make your work easier with some automation?
Start with that and use the courses as a tool to achieve your goals.

I agree that that is a good goal. But of course, if you donā€™t have the fundamental tools down, that can be discouraging. But I agree that it is good to have that in the back of your head and those can make a great side project once you are ready.

Great tip. I am sure I can find something to work on. There are plenty of frustrating things around me as inspiration. This is why I was looking for a course with project and exercises. As @kevinSmith mentioned, I would appreciate basics knowledge to allow can do something on my own. I come from Learning & Development area and we say that 70% of learning is by experience, when you face problems and challenges.

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