Can I Learn Computer Science On My Own?

People can teach themselves computer science, but becoming proficient may take more time than if they had guidance from an instructor. However, some people have a knack for learning things by tinkering around. For example, when learning how to play a musical instrument or how to repair a car, some people can pick up on techniques here and there for adding skills like adding patches on a quilt. As with many skills, some aspects of computer science like coding may be much easier for some people to teach themselves than other areas such as programming languages or disciplines like data science or artificial intelligence.

There are several ways that people can teach themselves coding. The best way may be to find simple websites to break down for replicating the HTML source code to mimic the structure as a model for building their own web pages. People can also find free video tutorials on YouTube or online courses for tips on building websites using HTML and CSS. People interested in teaching themselves computer science can do the same with the more complicated programming languages like JavaScript and Python or data analytics and artificial intelligence. By practicing coding on their own, new learners can get comfortable with different aspects of computer science.

Advantages to Self-Teaching Computer Science

Many talented and successful musicians, including former Beatle Paul McCartney, are self-taught, honing their skills through practice and mimicry before finding their musical talent and identity. Similarly, many Computer Programmers have learned their skills by breaking down websites and duplicating how those sites have been built as models in developing their own websites. The advantage of people teaching themselves coding and other computer science-related skills is that they can focus on strictly exploring the areas of computing that interest them. Self-training allows individuals to decide when and how often to train, and, best of all, they won’t have to pay for a class until they’re ready.

Many successful Computer Programmers and Software Developers started as people tinkering around to simply see how something worked before deciding to create something on their own once they had gotten the hang of a coding language, programming language, or computing-related concept. Of course, teaching themselves computer science does not mean ignoring free training resources like online videos or free classes. There are plenty of online resources from education providers available to use as learning tools for computer science at no cost.

Computer Science Self-Teaching Tools

People who take the route of teaching themselves computer science have various tools that can help them with training, including free on-demand courses, video tutorials, and other online resources.

Free Online Tutorials from Educational Providers for Self-Teaching Computer Science

For people teaching themselves skills in computer science, there are free options available from a variety of education providers that they can take advantage of. This includes Coursesity, which offers access to the free Introduction to Computer Science course that teaches students fundamental concepts related to computer technology. New learners may also want to take advantage of Udemy’s free Comprehensive Course on Computer Science or Alison’s Introduction to HTML and CSS course.

Skillshare, for example, is an online learning community that provides non-accredited educational classes through videos that offer a variety of free on-demand computer science-related courses for self-paced training to learn about coding, programming languages, applications, and software. This includes the Coding 101: Python for Beginners course, which is designed for people who have no experience with coding.

LinkedIn Learning offers the Become a Programmer: Foundations free video tutorial that trains new learners in fundamental skills with computer science in tools for becoming Computer Programmers or Software Engineers. Lessons include learning concepts and practices for coding. 

YouTube and Other Online Free Video Tutorials

While some people would love the opportunity to learn skills in computer science, there are many options available through platforms like YouTube as well as with education providers offering information on coding, programming languages, and related procedures. These free computer science-related videos provide visual training for people who are new to coding but would like to learn the fundamentals of programming languages. Several online providers, including Noble Desktop, offer free video tutorials focused on training in the fundamentals of computer technology.

For people who are teaching themselves skills in computer science, there are plenty of free resources available through convenient platforms like YouTube as well as from online education providers like Simplilearn with its free Cybersecurity Full Course for Beginners video tutorial.

Open Source Society University

For people learning computer science skills on their own, Open Source Society University (OSSU) offers new learners a comprehensive tool for teaching themselves various concepts for learning about computer technology. OSSU comprises a community of students who help themselves and others by sharing knowledge in technology, including coding through GitHub. OSSU offers those who are curious about learning computer science with options for training on their own.

Tutorials Point

Tutorials Point offers options for self-learners with learning coding, programming languages, and other concepts related to computer science for people new to working with computer technology as well as those with deep knowledge who are looking to expand their skill set. Tutorials Point offers Coding Ground, which is an immersive platform that helps individuals train themselves through hands-on experience with coding.

MIT OpenCourseWare

MIT OpenCourseWare offers online material from MIT courses that provide knowledge related to computer science from what many believe is the best university on the planet for learning about technology. Through the OpenCourseWare platform, MIT publishes all of its educational materials from undergraduate and graduate classes online for everyone from anywhere to take advantage of. People teaching themselves computer science can use MIT’s web platform and its growing content as a resource for helping them develop skills and an understanding of technology on their own.

Free Seminars from Noble Desktop

People interested in teaching themselves skills related to computer science can find free video seminars for getting initial knowledge on the fundamentals of coding and programming languages for eventually becoming Web Developers and Computer Programmers. Noble Desktop offers free seminars on coding, building websites, and data science. Noble Desktop offers video seminars for computer science-related topics, including the free Intro to Front End Web Development seminar, the Get Started in Data Science seminar, the Intro to Python Fundamentals seminar, and the Intro to JavaScript seminar. These videos can provide a solid introduction for further training in computer science.

Drawbacks to Learning Computer Science on Your Own

As with nearly every part of life, there are drawbacks for people teaching themselves skills related to computer science. Of course, anyone teaching themselves about coding, programming languages, or techniques with computing will usually go into their endeavor with enthusiasm. However, the main problem may be with remaining enthusiastic. Other drawbacks to people teaching themselves computer science would be with maintaining focus on what they want out of learning and not spreading themselves thin. There may also be uncertainty about where to begin as well as which area to focus on.

Another problem for people teaching themselves is not getting feedback due to no instructor to learn from or consult. While a person may be learning coding or other tech skills related to computing, that individual may not have any idea about whether those skills show any promise. A solution to that issue could be finding an online forum or establishing a correspondence with an experienced computer professional to get constructive advice. A final drawback might also be with sticking to a training schedule to avoid procrastination.

Alternatives to Learning Computer Science on Your Own

While people teaching themselves computer science may gain skills in computer technology, that approach can only take an ambitious person so far. The next step after establishing a foundation in computer science would be with enrolling in formal training to hone those new skills. Among the advantages with taking computer science-related courses would be for improving on the skills that you have taught yourself, getting feedback from expert instructors, and gaining expertise through advanced training and certificate programs. Formal training in computer science can lead to working in business, science, media, healthcare, engineering, education, or retail as Full Stack Developers, Software Engineers, Data Analysts, and IT Security Specialists.

A logical option for taking self-teaching to the next level would be with enrolling in certificate programs that can help with passing certification exams to authenticate technical expertise. Enrolling with Noble Desktop for certificate training in computer science-related disciplines like web development, data science, or cybersecurity can help with turning self-training into a career. For instance, the Noble Desktop Data Science Certificate program can train you for working as a Data Scientist or IT Security Analysts from learning Python and SQL along with lessons on machine learning algorithms. For training in skills to protect computer users and online networks, Noble Desktop offers the Cybersecurity Bootcamps for getting started with learning Python, computer networking, Linux protocol, and cloud computing for working as an IT security professional. Noble Desktop also offers the Full Stack Web Development Certificate and the Software Engineering Certificate programs for taking the computer science skills that you have taught yourself to a higher level of training on a path to careers related to computing.