Can I Learn Coding For Free?

It is definitely possible to learn some basic coding skills for free. Many different websites offer a variety of free coding resources like tutorials and games. However, if you want to go beyond the basics and gain more advanced skills, or if you’re planning to use your coding skills professionally, then free resources are unlikely to be enough. Instead, you’ll probably need to enroll in a paid coding class where you can follow a comprehensive curriculum under the guidance of an expert.

What Free Resources Are Available for Learning Coding?

A number of different websites offer free coding tutorials. For instance, YouTube has short free tutorials focused on a wide range of different coding topics. Free tutorials cover many different aspects of coding, introducing a variety of different topics and showing different coding methods. Coding is a complex topic and a tutorial can make learning easier because it allows you to pause or rewind whenever you need to. This means you can spend as much time as you need reviewing new concepts and skills.

In addition to sites like YouTube, you’ll also find tutorials and other free resources offered by many coding schools. These schools offer this free information to help prospective students get a better understanding of this field before they commit to a formal class. For instance, Noble Desktop offers a number of free coding seminars that cover introductory information. Intro to Front End Web Development is a seminar that covers front end tools like HTML, CSS, flexbox, grid, Bootstrap, and JavaScript. Intro to Python Fundamentals is another free Noble Desktop seminar and is intended for anyone who is new to coding and wants to get a better understanding of what Python is all about. In addition to its free seminars, Noble Desktop also has a coding blog where you can find more information about coding.

Coding games can also be a fun and effective way to strengthen your coding skills. There are many free coding games online. In most games, you’ll focus on a specific coding language. An example of a game is Codewars, which is a ninja-themed game where you solve a variety of different puzzles and coding challenges. In this game, you can choose from many different languages including Python, SQL, C++, and JavaScript. This is just one of a vast number of coding game options that you’ll find online.

How to Make Use of Free Coding Resources

If you don’t know much about coding, free coding resources can be a great way to get a better understanding of this field before committing to a paid class. You can use free resources to get an overview of what coding actually involves and to learn some fundamentals, and you can even start working on a few basic coding exercises. By doing this, you can decide whether or not you’re ready to commit to a formal coding class.

Since free resources don’t cost you anything, you can use them to practice your coding skills as much as you want. Practice is an important part of mastering coding. It reinforces the concepts you have learned, helps you master them, and teaches you to apply them in real-world situations. In a January 21, 2023 LinkedIn article, Software Developer Umair T. explains, “Practice is the key to mastering any skill, including software development. It allows developers to become familiar with different tools, technologies, and programming languages, and to learn how to use them effectively. As developers practice, they become more efficient and are able to solve problems more quickly and effectively.” In fact, most coding experts would argue that it is impossible to truly learn how to code without actually putting your skills to the test by practicing them. 

You can also use free coding resources for troubleshooting. Solving problems is a fundamental part of coding, so if you’re learning coding you can expect to find yourself troubleshooting often. In a LinkedIn article titled, “Why Are Problem Solving Skills Essential for Programming?” the author explains, “Coding is fundamentally about addressing challenges and creating efficient solutions. Programmers must analyse complex problems, break them into manageable parts, and devise logical solutions.” You’ll find many short free tutorials on sites like YouTube that can help you with specific coding problems. You’ll also find online forums where more experienced coders are often happy to share their expertise for free.

Limitations of Free Resources

While free coding resources can be valuable, they do have limitations. Most are not comprehensive coding classes; instead, they focus on only a few aspects of coding. In addition, some free resources are inaccurate or out-of-date. Another downside to free resources is that, unlike formal classes, they don’t include guidance from an instructor. In an October 2020 post on the Stack Overflow blog, programmer Daniel Chae comments that learning to code means absorbing a lot of new information, which can be challenging. He says, “Learning to program can be brutal. You don’t know if you’re learning the right things and there just seems to be so much content to learn.” Tackling this challenge alone, with only free resources to support you, is not generally the best way to set yourself up for success. Instead, if you’re serious about learning to code, you’ll probably need to enroll in a paid, live coding class where you’ll follow a comprehensive curriculum under the guidance of an expert and get regular feedback on your progress. 

What to Do After Utilizing Free Coding Resources

If you’ve used free coding resources to learn more about this field and maybe even to gain some basic skills, you may find yourself ready to take the next step and enroll in a paid, live coding class. With a live class, you can follow a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything you need to learn in order to work in a coding job. An instructor will lecture in real time, and be available to answer your questions and provide regular feedback on your progress. You’ll learn along with a group of other students, which can also lead to additional learning opportunities and can connect you with valuable networking connections.

Learn Coding with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a number of live coding classes. You can learn in person at Noble’s Manhattan facility, or live online from any location that you choose. Classes are immersive and hands-on, and are designed to leave you ready to work in a professional coding role. Noble Desktop is licensed by the New York State Education Department and all of its classes come with the option of a free retake within one year in case you want to refresh your skills.

If you’re looking for a short coding class, Noble offers a beginner class called Web Development with HTML & CSS, where you can learn to create webpages by coding with HTML and CSS. In this class, you’ll learn to use HTML to create webpages that have text and images. You’ll also learn to use CSS for styling content, creating centered page layouts, adding background images, style navigation, and for making responsive pages that adapt to various screen sizes. If you already know the basics of HTML and CSS, you might be more interested in Noble’s Advanced HTML and CSS class. This class covers a variety of advanced topics including SVG, CSS variables, gradients, shadows, positioning, transitions, transforms, and responsive images.

Noble Desktop also offers many bootcamps. The Python for Data Science Bootcamp is a multi-day course that starts with Python basics and takes you to the start of machine learning with Python. You’ll begin by covering fundamentals like writing statements and expressions, creating variables, and working with different data types. After that, you’ll learn about structuring programs, which includes using conditional statements and control flow tools. The next part of the bootcamp is focused on arrays and dataframes and covers importing and cleaning data using NumPy and Pandas. Finally, you’ll learn to analyze and visualize data. This includes working with key data science libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib. This class also comes with a one-on-one bonus training session.

Finally, this school also runs a number of certificate courses that will cover a broad range of coding skills over a number of weeks. The Software Engineering Certificate is popular. This comprehensive, multi-week course is designed for students who want to become a Software Engineer or a Full Stack Developer. It covers front end development, React Development, and Django (Python) Development. You’ll learn a variety of front end tools including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You’ll learn how to use Flexbox and Grid for layout and adapting to different screen sizes, and Git for version control. In addition, you’ll learn about JavaScript, including data types, loops, and variables. Instructors will also cover the JavaScript library, React. As part of the course, you’ll create a working desktop application with React and deploy it using AWS. In this course, you’ll also learn about Python, including syntax, dictionaries, sorting algorithms, and custom functions. Finally, you’ll learn to use Django and Django Rest. Twelve one-on-one mentoring sessions are included, and you’ll also create a portfolio.

Another popular certificate program is the Full-Stack Web Development Certificate. This course covers everything you need to know to create a website from scratch. You’ll learn both front end and back end skills. Some of the specific skills covered include HTML and CSS, JavaScript, MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js. You’ll also learn about databases, APIS, databases, server environments, and interactivity. Ten one-on-one mentoring sessions are included. As part of the course, you can also choose to attend Noble’s SQL Bootcamp or WordPress Bootcamp for free. Finally, this hands-on program includes working on real projects that can be used for a portfolio.