Which Git Training Format Is Right for Me?

Git is the most commonly used distributed version control application in web development and software engineering. Git allows users to document and archive their work and store information on the source code version history they are collaborating on with other developers. Anyone hoping to work in computer programming will want to learn how to use Git. When comparing types of Git training, there are many factors to consider. Everyone learns differently, and choosing the proper training is critical to your experience.

Keep reading to learn more about the different formats of Git training, how they compare, and determine which is best for you.

What is Git?

Git is an open-source programming tool that allows users to effortlessly track the changes made during the early stages of software development. It allows individual programs to keep a record of the changes that they have made to easily restore or back-up earlier versions of their code and it allows teams of developers to record the changes that individual members make to a file or program. Designed to support distributed non-linear workflow, Git allows programmers to create non-linear histories and branched records of how a program has been developed over its time in Git.

Developed in 2005 for Linux, Git has since become one of the most commonly used distributed version control software. In 2022, nearly 94% of computer programmers report using Git as a vital part of their regular programming activities. This means that learning Git is an important skill for anyone hoping to undertake collaborative development projects, particularly in open-source communities where it is expected that many development histories will be documented using Git.

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

What Can You Do with Git?

Git can be used to ensure that you have a detailed record of all the changes being made to a file of code. Individual users can take advantage of this documentation to quickly restore or reconstruct prior versions of code or to see where specific changes were made if those changes came with unintended consequences. Groups of developers can use Git to collaborate more effectively on a shared file as the system will keep track of all the changes made independently, providing a stable record of how each developer impacted the file over time.

In addition, thanks to the prevalence of GitHub, learning Git will significantly expand a developer's ability to store and share their software. Since each instance of Git on a computer stores its own directory and history, the documentation on your programs is not operating at the whims of an external source or mainframe, making the histories far more stable. In addition, GitHub lets users publish and share code effortlessly, making community-driven collaboration all the more productive. Git and GitHub help fuel community-driven software development, and learning how to use these tools will ensure that you, too, can participate in these projects.

Training Formats for Git

While there are many different formats for learning Git, the real concern will be whether you need to pair that Git training with other instruction in other programming languages. Students who know how to code will need minimal Git training. Students wanting to expand their knowledge, improve their career options, or just pick up new skills will want to learn Git alongside other programming languages.

In-Person Git Training

Students looking to learn to code, and by extension Git, often find that in-person training options are preferable to online courses. These courses allow students to work directly with instructors and like-minded colleagues at dedicated training facilities. Students benefit from being in a classroom and working alongside other students, particularly when learning a tool that is often leveraged for collaborative purposes like Git. The issue to consider for in-person instruction is that these classes tend to be the least accessible for students, since they will need to commute to a training location, primarily in major cities. Some students may find that this simply isn’t possible for several reasons.

Noble Desktop offers in-person training courses at its main training campus in Manhattan. At a world-class training center, students can learn web development skills, including Git, from Noble’s expert instructors. Students who cannot regularly commute to New York City should consider exploring the options available near their homes. For example, students in the Pacific Northwest can explore the options through Epicodus, while Ironhack services students in Miami.

Live Online Git Training

Students not located near a major city or training center but still want to learn Git and web development will want to consider online learning options. These classes are taught by live instructors who can interface directly with students. Students can ask questions, receive instructor feedback, and get direct assistance when troubles arise. The drawback to these classes is that some students miss the directed focus of the classroom space, and these classes will require students to maintain and acquire their own tech.

Noble Desktop offers all of its in-person classes through live online Git classes. These classes are taught by the same expert instructors who provide in-person instruction and they offer all of the benefits of Noble classes, including small class sizes and free retakes within a year. Many students find that the ability to learn from their homes is a tangible advantage when they aren’t losing out on the advantages of live instruction. Students may also wish to consider the options available through online service providers such as Thinkful and DevMountain.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

In a professional training environment, Git is rarely learned on its own. Rather, students taking web development or programming courses will learn the basic principles of Git during their lessons. students looking to learn more about Git without committing to a development course will want to consider the free options available. Noble Desktop provides a brief tutorial in the What is Git & What is GitHub video offered on their official YouTube page. This short course gives an overview of the basic features and functions of Git, making it an ideal place for students to learn how to use the software application.

Students may also want to explore the free introductory options available through other service providers such as Udemy and Coursera. These providers offer asynchronous, on-demand learning options for students who want to learn Git without investing in a full web development or software engineering course.

Read about more free Git videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Classes

Students who need more flexibility in their training may find on-demand classes to be a desirable alternative. These courses let students learn at their own pace, picking up their studies when possible. In addition, since these classes aren’t taught by live instructors, students are freer to pick and choose the lessons they will learn. On-demand classes may also be an ideal place to learn Git in particular, because it is far more likely that a small on-demand class would teach Git on its own, making them an ideal place to look for students comfortable with their coding skills but need to master Git quickly.

Comparison of Git Training Formats

There are a lot of different ways that students can go about learning Git, since it is such a ubiquitous program and is utilized in so many fields. However, since it is a workflow and documentation tool, students won’t have a lot of options for learning Git on its own. Git is often taught as part of a core curriculum in a web development class. The main concern regarding different training formats will depend on how much programming training you want to pair with your Git instruction.

Students seeking programming instruction will want to look at their options for live instruction seminars, which are available in person and online. These courses are taught by experienced instructors in private physical or digital classrooms, ensuring that class sizes are small and that students can work directly with their instructors. These courses are ideally suited for students who want to learn how to code while learning Git, given that these classes tend to be the most immersive training options available. These are the most expensive classes and require students to attend regularly scheduled courses.

The primary difference between them is logistical. Recent advances in online teaching have made it so that live online learning isn’t inherently inferior to in-person learning. Instead, it will depend on what the student prioritizes in their training. Students who feel they need to be in a classroom with other students will want to prioritize in-person options. Students who find it less difficult to learn independently will benefit from online classes. In-person classes come with the added cost of a commute, while online students will need to supply their tech, which is less of an immediate cost concern when learning Git, but still worth considering.

Students with enough prior coding experience that they don’t feel a web design education is necessary, but who still want to learn Git, may want to look towards on-demand classes. These classes are shorter, self-paced lessons that let students control the direction that their learning takes. One element of this direction is that students can focus on specific skills, such as Git, that would typically only be taught as part of a more extensive live training program. This makes them an ideal option for students who want to learn Git quickly. The drawback is that these courses don’t offer the benefits of live instruction, such as assistance from an instructor or dynamic lessons. This means that students who run into trouble in their Git training will need to find other sources of assistance, and they may have difficulty ensuring that the lessons and assistance they receive are up to date.

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself Git?

Since Git is such an accessible lightweight program, students may wonder if they can self-teach Git using free training resources and online guides. If the only goal of your training is to learn Git, then a dedicated learner can become proficient in Git through trial and error and self-teaching, though they may find that it takes them longer than they would otherwise like.

This is only recommended for dedicated students with significant prior coding experience. Even students with some coding training may find it hard to learn Git, and it will be borderline impossible (and also near useless) for students without coding experience to learn Git. If you are planning on working with Git professionally, you’ll need a solid understanding of computer programming, which isn’t something that you can easily self-teach. On the plus side, almost all professional web development training courses, like those offered by Noble Desktop, include some measure of Git training to ensure that new programmers leave their coursework prepared to use Git in a professional setting.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Git

Unlike many skills, the best way to learn Git will be less dependent on what you want to get out of your Git training as much as it will depend on how much complementary training you wish to receive. There aren’t many immersive, hands-on Git programs available because it is an efficiency and documentation tool, meaning that it doesn’t do anything for a person to learn if they aren’t also learning how to code. Thus, the best way to learn Git is almost certain to depend on how much coding you want to learn while learning Git.

Students with significant prior coding knowledge who want to learn Git to help streamline the work they are currently doing will want to consider purchasing on-demand courses that quickly cover Git. These students may also seek free learning options since the Git-using community is large enough that free resources are readily available.

Students who need to learn how to code but aren’t aiming to become professional programmers will want to enroll in a web development bootcamp to train in skills like HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and Git. These courses will give students foundational programming knowledge, ensuring they are prepared to learn more complex coding skills. Some courses that teach more advanced coding languages, like SQL or Python, may offer Git training, but this will vary from bootcamp to bootcamp.

Students looking to build a professional career out of coding must learn Git. They can learn how to utilize Git alongside other professional coding development seminars in a certificate-granting career program. These career-focused programs will take students from novice coders to expert programmers throughout their lessons. Most of these programs will emphasize web and software development skills, such as learning to code with HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and React. However, some providers may offer Git training in their data science or back-end development programs.

Learn Git with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Since Git is an open-source efficiency tool, you’ll rarely find a course that strictly teaches students how to use it. Instead, students will learn Git as an essential complementary skill in more formal web development or programming course. This means that students looking to learn are aspiring to be programmers or developers, meaning that web development training will likely be a part of their future. To assist with this, Noble offers a wide variety of web development courses designed to fit your needs as a student.

At Noble, students can learn Git as part of their front end development training curriculum. In these training courses, students will learn the techniques required to program the client-facing, interactive web application elements, such as a webpage. In these classes, students will primarily focus on learning how to program using HTML/CSS and JavaScript, though advanced courses will also teach languages like React. In Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate program, students will receive hands-on training in several important web development skills, including tracking and managing file changes using Git. With this training, students will be able to see how their programs develop over time, documenting a history of their work, and they will be able to see how Git is used to assist them in collaborative development projects. Since this is a career-focused course, the class assumes no prior coding experience, making this a good place to start for students hoping to enter the field of web development.

Noble also offers a more immersive Full Stack Web Development Certificate program that will teach students all the skills needed to work as Full Stack Web Developers (developers who handle both the client- and server-side elements of a webpage). While a part of this will be learning how to use Git to track and document changes to code, the vast majority of the course is comprised of intensive web development training courses in which students will learn HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Node, Express, MongoDB, React, and SQL. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn all the essential aspects of web development. Since this is a career-focused course, students will receive professionalization assistance, including one-on-one career mentorship and portfolio-building seminars.