Coding Prerequisites

Coding involves nearly anything that goes into writing and executing digital programs, whether they’re machines with one function or computers that connect to the internet. It has diverse applications that can fall under several different fields of study. Most coding careers have high-earning positions, even at the entry level. That means coding beginners can start in a new developer position and earn six figures early in their career with plenty of growth potential.

You might worry that coding will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning how to code and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. With this information in mind, you’ll be successful no matter how you choose to apply your new skills.

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.

Is Coding Easy to Learn?

Coding has many moving parts that are hard to master on your own. However, with knowledgeable teachers, any subject becomes easier to learn. Coding is no exception. That’s why it’s crucial to work with quality instructors that are experts in their field. While learning to code, you might come across an overwhelming amount of information.

Plenty of coding classes and even more resources are available, but which ones are best when it comes to starting? Take a step back and look at the essentials. What do you need to know before jumping into your first coding course?

What to Know Before Learning Coding

Planning your coding journey might be tricky if you don’t know where to look. But the surest way to progress is to take the first step forward. Which direction should you go, and what do you need to do before you begin? That question may have been hard to answer before, but luckily, here are a handful of insights that will help guide your thoughts:

The Basics Are All You Need to Start

People might see companies such as Apple and Microsoft and feel that coding can only be done by experts who spent their whole lives mastering their craft. That’s not true at all. In reality, the three simplest coding languages—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—are all you need to apply to your first job in the tech industry. Did you know that these languages are all you need to become a Front End Web Developer?

It doesn’t hurt to have multiple programming languages under your belt, but that doesn’t mean you need to stall your career. Many coding industries will encourage you to learn more languages to assist you on the job and in future positions.

Coding bootcamps often offer career coaching and one-on-one mentoring that can prepare you for job interviews. New coders can comfortably find a role as a Front End Web Developer or Full Stack Developer while they pursue other coding languages such as Python.

What Format is Best for Learning to Code?

There are multiple ways to approach your coding education, and more paths appear daily. Some people might prefer taking college classes and obtaining a computer science degree, while others might prefer taking bootcamps and receiving certificates. This type of decision should be based on your overall goals for your education. Both choices are valuable in their own right. Sometimes it might be hard to tell which one is worthwhile for you since there are pros and cons to college classes and certificate bootcamps.

Bootcamps take place over a shorter time and cost less than computer science degrees. At the same time, college courses are accredited, which means the computer science industry officially recognizes them. Most companies believe college degrees and bootcamp certificates qualify equally for employment opportunities. That means you can take either option for your education and still end up at your ideal job.

You could always choose to do both if you have the time and resources. Even if you have a college degree, you can augment your earning potential by taking a certificate in another coding discipline. Choose the path that intrigues you the most and see where it goes.

Coding is Accessible to Everyone Now

In the distant past, coding would only be seen in purely computer science-based professions. Now, nearly every profession has a place for coding, including professions that were previously never online. More importantly, coding bootcamps give everyone access to coding classes that would’ve been otherwise restricted to colleges and universities. Even if someone has no coding experience because they never took the opportunity to learn to code, they can always start today and find themselves in a developer position within a year.

No one is too old or too young to learn to code. There are classes aimed at high school students who aspire to become programmers and online coding courses in the evening for those already in the professional world. Anyone that wants to become a coder can become one. Plenty of free online coding tutorials can teach the basics of coding, which can help you decide which classes are worth pursuing. Once you’ve explored a few of them and have a sense of each subject, try finding another class from either a bootcamp or college to take the next step forward.

The best part is that many classes are now fully remote, thanks to the recent changes to the work and educational environments. The world has adapted to online learning and is embracing its flexibility. Now it won’t be uncommon for people to take classes from their living room, local cafe, or vacation house. Location is no longer a restriction that prevents people from learning. Even if the person in question has no learning centers that teach coding in their local area, they can still learn everything needed to succeed from where they are without needing to leave their home.

Key Insights

The most important points to remember when starting as a new coder include:

• Coding becomes more accessible with the help of an instructor.
• Taking classes will help prevent information overload because of their directed focus.
• Even the simplest coding languages can yield a high-earning job.
• Classes are available in various formats that can fit anyone’s needs.
• Location is no longer a factor when it comes to education.
• Anyone can become a coder. There are no limits to the coding profession now!
• Take the first step. That’s the surest way forward.

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.