How Difficult is it to Learn Coding?

“Easy” and “difficult” are subjective since it will depend on who is approaching the topic and how they approach it. A self-learner may struggle to absorb the basics, while the student that takes a course may have an easier time. Anything can be easy or hard to learn based on the amount of time, effort, and attention the person puts into learning.

When it comes to coding, it’s undoubtedly one of those topics that you should learn from an expert. You can learn the basics through self-paced classes, but you'll need guidance to ensure that simple coding errors don’t slow down the learning process. Coding requires attention to detail that needs to be developed over time, and it’s easier to learn that skill from an instructor since they know the proper steps to take and when to take them. No matter your current schedule or comfort level with coding, plenty of tools are available to help make learning more manageable than you might think.

What is Coding?

Coding is one of the most in-demand skills dominating today’s job market. In simple terms, coding is the language that tech professionals use to tell devices how they should operate. There are several coding languages that are used for different purposes; some of the more common languages include Java, Python, and JavaScript.

Coding skills are required in many positions, including Software Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Cybersecurity Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, and many others. The main upside of coding is that it’s also adaptable to nearly any industry, including education, fashion, finance, medicine, entertainment, and marketing. While it may seem complicated to break into a coding career, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nowadays, anyone can become a coder and obtain an entry-level position after taking a coding bootcamp or two.

Read more about what coding is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Coding?

Coding is an incredibly versatile field that covers a wide selection of topics. You’ll be able to create websites, algorithms, and programs that have uses in every industry on the market. Even if your chosen career operates primarily in-person, you’ll be able to take creative approaches to coding that will make everyone’s lives easier.

You can make your own video game, build an online presence for your small business, or code simple programs that automate your mundane tasks. There’s no limit to what you can do with coding. This impressive skill will always serve you well if you have an imaginative mind and a willingness to learn more.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Coding?

To become a successful coder, you’ll need to develop a plan that you can sustain. Many people set unrealistic expectations for themselves, and burnout can occur. If you tackle too many programming languages at once, you may become overwhelmed with everything they can do.

Start with one subject at a time, and make sure your goals are measurable—try to learn to code for a specific purpose and set milestones along the way. For example, if you want to work as a coder for Netflix, you can start by taking a class in Python and then enroll in a Python Machine Learning Bootcamp to learn how to write algorithms. The more concrete and specific the goal, the more measurable you can make it.

As you plan your goals, setting aside time to practice is essential. Look at your calendar and identify your most optimal times for studying. You’ll significantly improve your coding abilities if you can practice outside class. While you practice, you may make mistakes—and that’s expected! They say that the expert fails more often than the novice even tries. When you’re truly stuck, it’s okay to ask for help. Your instructors will guide you through your coding journey and point to resources and tools to make your life easier.

How Does Learning Coding Apply to Other Skills?

Coding is one of the most diverse fields in the modern world. You can code games, teaching tools, and simple-use programs such as algorithms for elevators. You can even program games that teach you how to code elevators.

Even learning simple programming languages such as those that build websites (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) can go a long way in earning you a promotion or helping you stand out in your field. JavaScript is also commonly used for databases and servers, and Python can automate tasks through machine learning and algorithm development. Coding often overlaps with other digital skills such as graphic design, web design, user interface (UI) design, and user experience (UX) design. You’re sure to find more uses for them as you continue to learn.

The Best Way to Learn Coding

The best method to learn to code will depend on the individual. People with prior experience will be able to progress faster than those who have never coded before. While that may seem obvious, the subtle differences between the methods of coders and non-coders methods will showcase how effectively they can complete their work.

Coding requires attention to detail that is gained through practice and guidance from those who are well-versed in best coding practices. Even those who have taken free, pre-recorded classes can pick up the nuances and step-by-step approaches needed to construct a simple program.

When learning to code, no matter how much experience a person has, several factors will affect how easily they can progress from one topic to the next. These factors include how much time they can commit to learning coding, how much effort they display during the learning process, and how easily they can focus on their studies without distractions or disruptions.

In any case, progress is possible as long as the person in question is dedicated. A person with more outside obligations will progress slower than those with no other commitments, but they’ll still be able to progress all the same.

Time Commitment

The amount of time spent learning to code is easily measured by the length of classes and the time it takes to commute to them. It’s a good idea to build your schedule around these classes and other obligations to ensure that your learning process isn’t interrupted.

Look over the next month and see if any commitments would interfere with classes. It’s understandable if there are because that’s a part of life. Check to see if you can move any of these commitments to another time or if you can delegate them to another person. If these commitments are less flexible, try looking into online coding classes that can be conducted anywhere. That way, even if work or home life prevents travel, it’s still possible to take classes without worrying about those precious minutes.

Shorter classes are an excellent way to start small, but after everything stabilizes and routines are set, it’s a good idea to try an immersive coding bootcamp. Bootcamps are often cheaper than individual classes in the long run and come with a certificate that can propel new programmers into their new careers quickly.

Level of Effort

The first question that might come to mind is, “What’s the difference between ‘time commitment’ and ‘level of effort’?” In this case, the time commitment is the amount of time needed to take the class and work with instructors, classmates, and in-class assignments. In contrast, the level of effort is the amount of practice done outside the classroom.

Practicing for an equal or greater amount of time spent in the classroom is recommended to accelerate your progress. For example, if a class is two hours, practicing for two or more hours outside of class will reap more benefits than only an hour of practice.

Of course, life happens, and it’s perfectly okay to spend more time on classes than practice if kids, pets, and work beckon. When it comes to coding’s difficulty, this factor usually has more impact than time commitment and focus because it’s usually the hardest to control. But like anything else in life, there are still ways to control it if enough groundwork is laid down.

Here are some suggestions:

• Order take-out on class days to reduce the time needed to cook. It doesn’t need to be a lavish dinner, and your health goals don’t need to be sacrificed either. It must only be enough to fuel the family and ensure everyone is still well-fed. If possible, ask your partner to cook during class days.
• Save the class log-in tab as one of the browser’s default sites. When opening a browser with this setting, a tab with your class log-in will automatically appear and reduce the time needed to open the website. In Google Chrome, you can find this option under Settings → On Start Up → Open a specific page or set of pages, and similar options are available on other browsers.
• Set up your workspace the night before studying. That simple action will save time and give you the chance to gather materials—including laptops, passwords, and supplemental packets—before you need them. And you can use the extra time you get to practice coding!

Improve your Focus and Attention

Productivity is essential when it comes to learning a new skill, and for coding, it can be especially notable. It’s well-known that having phones and other distractions can affect your focus, but it’s equally as easy to get sucked into them. Regarding mobile devices, social media, televisions, stream services, and gaming equipment, try to keep them in a separate room altogether.

On a similar note, choose the work environment most conducive to focus. What that means will depend on the individual. Some people prefer to work in their office, while others can focus in their bedroom with soft music playing in the background. Some people prefer cafes, libraries, or outdoor locations such as parks.

Reduce the small, decision-making tasks throughout the day. That can include meal prepping food, laying out clothing choices, and setting up workspace necessities before class days. These small decisions might seem insignificant, but productivity will surely increase when they’re removed from the equation.

Key Insights

• How “easy” or “difficult” coding is will depend on the individual’s time, effort, and focus.
• Careful planning can smooth out or remove any obstacles that may interfere
• Online classes can remove commute time and create an individualized environment
• Practice makes perfect
• Reducing the number of small decisions leaves more time for coding

Learn Coding with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop has a robust collection of coding classes and bootcamps that fit various learning needs. They offer in-person classes in Manhattan as well as live online classes internationally. All classes have relatively small class sizes and are taught by coding experts who have practical knowledge in the field. After completing your classes, you’ll have the option to retake those courses at no cost for up to one year, allowing you to practice, review subjects, and receive insights from instructors for free.

If you’re eager to learn a collection of coding languages and applications, the Software Engineering Certificate will give you a taste of three notable ones. You’ll start with Front End Web Development, allowing you to create websites through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Once you understand these subjects, you’ll shift focus to JavaScript’s various frameworks and databases, including React, Node.js, and Express.js. Finally, you’ll learn Python Development with Django, which is helpful for server-side programming, among other topics.

The Full-Stack Web Development Certificate provides a comprehensive education in coding designed to take you from coding novice to career-ready. You’ll first learn to develop the front ends of websites with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress. After that, you’ll dive into a JavaScript back end stack known as MERN: MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.

Anyone interested in algorithms and data collection should look into the Python for Data Science Bootcamp. It’ll show you the fundamentals of Python and everything that it entails. The possibilities of uses with Python are vast. Companies such as Netflix and Amazon use Python, and this bootcamp will teach you how to start writing your own Python programs.