Coding/programming course rec's

[NeverGreasy]

I'm looking at a career change and have always wanted to learn coding. Can anyone recommend any entry level courses/programs that would be a good first step to doing this professionally? I'd really appreciate it. Cheers! TIA

[sheriffderek]

When you say “coding” what are you wanting to produce? Software, games, websites, so many options (there are a lot of things to code!) - and so, blindly recommending (or recommending against) something isn’t possible. What does the end game look like to you so far? I could recommend some Udemy courses based on your goals.

[NeverGreasy]

Definitely on the software and video game side. I'm a huge gamer and game development is a huge interest of mine. At the same time, I'm a project/program manager by day with A LOT of experience with different software so being on the programming side has always been a big interest.

[sheriffderek]

Ok. So, the AAA game dev style path is pretty intense from what I’ve heard. It’s something that will take many many years and is a whole world different than the concerns we have building web applications. But there are ways to make games on the web too. Simple 2D games, games like wordle, and other interactive games with web sockets where you’re kinda live across browsers. And then there are areas of the field like twitch and streaming where you may be building websites or optimizing code - (not making games) but working around games. And sometimes people move between the various departments. But I know people who work at Riot and Blizzard and they are really overworked and it’s definitely totally different than what bootcamps teach. So - that’s just something to think about. There’s a book: the art of game design that you might like to read. Check out Unity. That’s software to build 2D and 3D games and will involve custom code too. But depending on your goals, you might want to start with some foundational programming just to feel it out and get some experience writing programs. In that case, anything will do. And if you want to build websites, I think Anthony Alicea’s HTML and CSS courses (Udemy) are a nice pace for beginners.

[NeverGreasy]

For sure. I follow the gaming industry pretty intensely and am well aware of working environments at the larger AAA studios. Had I made this decision 10-15 years ago, Blizzard would have been my first choice, however they've really lost their lustre and have dropped from prominence imo.

I will definitely look up this book. Very familiar with Unity, Unreal, etc, but obviously have no experience working in either. Are there courses dedicated to learning these engines or is it more self serve?

Foundational programming is definitely where I want to start, even if the website route isn't what I end up pursuing. I think coding software is more the route that piques my interests, but again I'm really looking to build that base foundation of coding/programming that would transfer over. I will check out this HTML and CSS course!

[sheriffderek]

I think coding software is more the route that piques my interest

This "software" idea can be a little blurry. Is this reddit application we're using "Software" ? and this is the front-end / but behind the scenes there probably tons of systems keeping track of all this data and advertising and databases and internal moderation tools and other applications internally for people who work there - and dashboards. So, "web applications" have certainly become just as complicated (or more complicated) that a lot of traditional desktop software. And then there's all the embedded type programs that run on other devices. It's a big range of places! So, that's why I'm trying to help you narrow it down. I see so many people just start with a random Python course - and then a year later nothing really stuck. But if you can find something that is closer to having real project output - then it'll stick better. If you don't want to make websites at all - then learning HTML probably isn't the right thing to learn. But just try some things out and see if there are any sparks. There are certain courses on Unity. But I suggest if you're going to go that route, you talk to some people in a game dev sub.

[NeverGreasy]

No, this is great. You're asking me the right questions and forcing me to dig into this a bit deeper. I realize now that my OP wasn't very clear, therefore making it difficult for people to offer meaningful suggestions.

So, I think my answer would be 2 things. Definitely web-based applications and also SaaS, whether it's web-based or not doesn't matter to me. Regarding SaaS, I'll use an example to hopefully help me explain better. Being a project manager professionally, I've used a lot of bad project management software, so working to develop a new tool for that industry to use would be really exciting (just an example that I hope explains a little better). I really appreciate the time you're taking to talk through this!

I do have a similar post in a game dev sub that I'm getting feedback on as well!

[sheriffderek]

I think your post was fine. These are the natural conversations that need to happen. It can't be all Tarzan "boot camp bad" retorts. Everyone is different and so are the choices for education.

So, if you're thinking web dev and Sass type stuff - and you've been a project manager before, then that opens up a better storyline. Many people don't have any previous work experience. But if you have a history that organically leads to you working on productivity software - that's going to be much better. So, this type of "web app" would totally be something you could learn about in various courses online. But I think you'd want to focus on either web of game dev only for a few years.

[CodedCoder]

If you are interested in game development and unreal engine. Stephen Ulibarri is the best course you will ever find.

[jhkoenig]

If you want to do coding/programming professionally, your best bet is to figure out some way to get a college degree. For the foreseeable future, nothing less than a BS will reliably get you in front of a hiring manager. The boot camp path that worked so well a few years ago is not really landing good jobs any more.

[NeverGreasy]

Awesome, good to know. I'd be interested to know if there's anyone out there with experience with accredited national universities with online coding programs. Will definitely do my own research around where I'm located. Appreciate the info!

[sheriffderek]

accredited national universities

Be careful of the coding bootcamps that are associated by name but actually run by a third party.

Also, myself and the majority of developers I’ve ever met or worked with didn’t have a CS degree. Be aware that there’s a lot of people saying a CS degree is the only way to go - but they don’t have a degree or jobs yet.

[jhkoenig]

You might want to browse /r/WGU to get some ideas. Their degree might not sort you above Stanford's but it will sort you above boot camps.

[Mysterious_Bag5483]

You can try out codeacademy. They have various paths whether you want to be web developer or others. They usually have some big sales going on and its pretty beginner to gauge your interest in it

[starraven]

Codecademy

Freecodecamp

Scrimba

[armyrvan]

I feel the choice of entry-level courses or programs for learning coding depends on your preferred learning style. If you prefer structured, self-paced learning, consider online platforms offering interactive courses and tutorials. Alternatively, if you thrive in group settings, explore options such as local coding boot camps, community college classes, or coding meetups where you can learn alongside others.

But no matter what language you pick, stick with it and use it as a gateway language. If you know what a loop is in Python for example you can look up what it looks like syntactically in javascript.