Can I Learn Coding in 3 Months?

If you’re interested in learning coding, you’re probably wondering how long the learning process will take. Can you learn to code in just three months? While it will vary from person to person, in general, three months is not long enough to master coding. However, it is probably long enough to learn the fundamentals and get a fairly good understanding of many coding concepts. From there, you can keep practicing and adding to your skillset, maybe even taking a coding class to help you more quickly master this skill.

How Much Coding Can I Learn in 3 Months?

For most people, three months is enough time to pick up some basic coding skills and start working on simple projects. However, if you’re learning to code, three months is unlikely to be enough time to become fluent. In general, experts say that you can become relatively comfortable with coding in about six months. Graining the skill to code at a professional level can take a year or more. Students who have good attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and strong memorization skills often learn faster. If you enroll in a paid, live class and receive guidance from an experienced instructor, you’re likely to learn more quickly than if you teach yourself, and if you learn full-time, you’ll learn more quickly than part-time. 

While most beginning coders are anxious to learn as quickly as possible, many experts caution against trying to progress too quickly. In an October 2020 post on the Stack Overflow blog, programmer Daniel Chae emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals when you’re learning to code, and not being in too much of a rush to get to more advanced skills. He says, “If you want to make real, lasting progress in your programming journey, you should embrace a ‘long game’ mentality as you learn how to code.” He explains, “The best programmers . . . aren’t in a rush to memorize every bit of syntax, but instead, focus on real, sustainable progress. They know each programming concept builds off of another one and they don’t move on to another concept until they’ve understood the current one.”

How Can I Learn Coding More Quickly?

If you want to learn coding more quickly, one of your best options is to enroll in a paid, live coding class. Some live coding classes take place in person in a classroom, however, another popular option is to take a live online class. With this format, you attend via Zoom or a similar platform. You won’t have to commute to a classroom, and you can learn from the comfort of your home, or from any other location that you choose. One of the biggest benefits of learning coding in a live class is that you’ll follow a comprehensive coding curriculum under the guidance of an experienced instructor. You’ll know that the content you’re covering is up-to-date and that you’re not missing any important concepts. In addition, you’ll be able to ask questions whenever you want to and get regular feedback on your progress. Further, you’ll learn as part of a group of students, which can also enhance the learning process and can lead to valuable networking opportunities. 

A bootcamp is one popular type of live online class that is specifically designed to help you learn coding quickly. Bootcamps run in an accelerated format, covering a lot of material in a relatively short amount of time. Most are designed for beginners and are intended to provide a comprehensive coding education that will get you ready to work in a coding-related career as quickly as possible. Many bootcamps also include career support like help building your resume and portfolio, interview practice, and even networking or internship opportunities.

Another way to learn coding more quickly is to practice coding as much as you can. Tech journalist Clive Thompson interviewed more than 200 programmers and also learned to code himself, in order to get a better understanding of the learning process. In a March 21, 2019 guest post on the Tim Ferriss blog, he explains the importance of practice. He says, “You should try to do some coding every day—at least, say, a half hour. Why? Because this is just like learning Spanish or French: Fluency comes from constant use.” He explains that if you don’t practice consistently, you’re likely to set yourself back. He says, “When I was doing a bit of coding every day, I found I could much more quickly grasp key concepts. But if I stopped for a few days or, every so often, a few weeks . . . it was like wiping the slate clean. I’d come back to work on a coding project and I’d have forgotten a shocking amount of basic stuff.”

What Coding Skills Will I Need to Learn After 3 Months?

At the three-month mark, you may have mastered a number of coding skills, but you’re still likely to have a lot left to learn. You can build on your skills by taking a more advanced class or a career-focused course like a certificate program. Many schools offer a variety of coding classes, both short and long. For instance, you could take a short class focused on a specific coding skill like JavaScript or React. Another option is to invest in a certificate program, which will cover a broad range of coding skills and prepare you for a career in a field like software engineering or web development.

In addition to coding skills, if you plan to work in this field, there are other types of skills that you may need to work on. For instance, people who code also need to have strong communication skills. In a July 21, 2021, Ascend article by journalist Kelsey Alpaio, Software Engineer Lindsey Redd--who has coded for Slack, Lyft, and Stripe--talks about this aspect of coding. She explains that coding is actually a very collaborative job. She says, “I think people have this vision of software engineers that we’re in a dark room coding by ourselves all the time, which is the vibe sometimes. I’m not going to lie. Sometimes there’s a problem you need to hammer out with code. But a lot of the job is very collaborative and not solo work at all — a lot of planning, being a team player, communicating what you’re doing, and asking questions you might have so that people can help you.” 

Another important skill that you’ll need in a coding-related career is the ability to solve problems. This is a fundamental part of coding and is something you can always work on, no matter how much experience you have. In an article titled “Why Are Problem Solving Skills Essential for Programming?” LinkedIn explains that there are many ways to improve your problem-solving skills. For example, it says, “You can . . . solve coding challenges and puzzles on platforms like Codecademy, HackerRank, or LeetCode. Additionally, reading and analyzing code from other programmers can help you learn from their solutions.” Other suggested ideas are to work on collaborative or personal projects that involve coding, and to look for feedback and advice from experts. 

Finally, most experienced coders will tell you that for people who work in this field, the learning process is never over. Coding is constantly evolving and you’ll need to keep learning throughout your career if you want to keep up with new languages and technology.

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.