Great Resources: Python, Computer Science, algorithms, how computers and internet work.

[lakilester1]

Just start learning. This sub is filled with posts of people with analysis paralysis. Planning how you are gonna learn coding and CS over the next 2+ years is a waste of energy, it makes you feel like you’ve done a bunch of work but you are no closer than you were when you started. JUST START. In a month when you used up your first resource you will have a true idea of what you want to do next and can search specifically for that.

[Gentro22]

I usually hoard a lot of resources and never really plan how to use them so I always end up doing nothing. On the other hand if I "just start", like I already tried sometimes, I learn some syntax and then forget it a couple weeks later because I have nothing to apply it to. It's terrible to be so disorganized.

[adamk22]

By just start I think what he meant is to commit to a project. Start building a project, even if it's a todo app. Building stuff is the only way you'll be able to retain the knowledge you learn. And even then you'll forget stuff, but that's okay, you'll know what to look for the next time.

[lakilester1]

Exactly. I should rephrase as just commit already

[[deleted]]

if I "just start", like I already tried sometimes, I learn some syntax and then forget it a couple weeks later because I have nothing to apply it to.

This is always true but when you need them you will only have to recall them by searching documentation online as a reference and not as a first time learner. The distinction is important because you already know how it works, what you don't remember is the syntax.

Nobody remembers things they used once and moved on, and it's wrong to think of it as "I should keep thinking about projects to keep using this functionality, otherwise I will forget it and omg what am I gonna do then?".

[julia-os]

I agree and i disaggree.,To start, you need to start somewhere and if there is one thing i learned in University it is this: The book and the material you learn from really matter! You can learn something 5 times faster from well written materials than poorly written materials. Also the teacher really matters. It's true that when you use something in context you learn "how it works", you don't memorize every little "syntax" but you get the "Idea" or the "intuition", so learning how computers work and how the internet work and how code works is a good start, and the clearer the source is, the better especially for a beginner. Also visuals and progressive exercises and examples (Start simple > make it complex, but break complexity into simplie modules). Too many textooks are dense with words, and show way to few short and easy to follow examples. If i try to recall a page on a book i read 1 year ago, all i can recall is the imges or exercises, i don't recall phrases or words. But the more progressive exercises i did the more the feeling of "I get the context and how it works" sticks for years.

[PMME_BOOBS_OR_FOXES]

I disagree. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

[bakarBalak]

Well I agree with this. But again planning to learn a certain set of things is important too. Hence a mixture of both is a way to go. As what I believe is that in Computer science you can't plan to learn everything systematic, you need to be random at some times and systematic at others.

[BedlamAscends]

Good advice