How Difficult is it to Learn HTML & CSS?

Are you curious about learning HTML & CSS but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning HTML & CSS depend on factors like one’s level of comfort with coding and programming practices, career aspirations in computer science, and desire to build elaborate web pages using only HTML & CSS. 

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with HTML & CSS, plenty of tools are available to help make learning more manageable than you might think.

What is HTML & CSS?

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are the two primary programming languages upon which all modern web infrastructure is built. These two programming languages tell your computer how to display a web page and distinguish one web element from another. HTML uses a system of tags and breaks to communicate to web browsers how a given web page should be displayed for users. It is what tells the web page you are looking at right now what the difference between a header and a paragraph is so that the web page knows when to separate the two blocks of text. CSS informs the web browser how it should display some aspects of content, assigning fonts, sizes, colors, and other visual data to web page elements. It tells the web page to display these words in a specific font, size, and color. Together, these two languages help build simple web pages composed of text, images, and hyperlinks.

Since their adoption in the mid-90s, HTML & CSS have become the most commonly used programming languages for web development, as virtually all web pages run on a skeleton built using these two languages. While the output of HTML & CSS is rather unimpressive by modern standards since it only deals with the production of visual elements, text, images, and links. However, modern web pages would be impossible to design for all their complexity without HTML & CSS. This means that anyone aspiring to work in web development must learn how to code in HTML & CSS before they can begin to learn more complex languages. 

Read more about what HTML & CSS is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with HTML & CSS?

Using HTML & CSS, you can design rudimentary web pages and begin the process of learning how to create dynamic and evocative web pages. While most modern web page design programs like WordPress allow novice users to construct more elaborate web pages than with HTML & CSS training alone, learning how to work with HTML & CSS prepares students for complex coding processes using programming languages such as JavaScript, React, or Python.

Learning HTML & CSS is also an essential first step in learning how to code web pages professionally. As more and more businesses, companies, organizations, and groups seek to establish an online presence, skilled Web Developers are in high demand. While any professional Web Developer will also need additional training, learning the fundamentals of front end web development will ensure that students have the foundation to build into a profitable future career.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning HTML & CSS?

The most challenging part of learning HTML & CSS is twofold. At the beginning of the process, new coders will need to know the complicated process of using a language’s grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to construct valid statements that a web browser can understand. This can be a slow and laborious process for new users. Once a student is proficient in this process, the difficulty lies in constructing more complex web pages using HTML & CSS, such as multimedia content or animations.

A student’s first web page will likely be simple, error-ridden, and time-consuming to produce. They will be building single-color, text-only web pages that look incredibly simple and dated, but this is a crucial step to learning to develop more complex web pages. Like learning a language, the best way to overcome these difficulties is through rigorous practice and an understanding that these are skills one builds up over time.

How Does Learning HTML & CSS Compare to Other Applications/Languages/Fields?

Students who want to design their web pages from scratch will have no choice but to learn HTML & CSS. As the skeleton of modern front end web development, these skills are necessary for aspiring Web Developers. However, the shift to Web 2.0 has brought many services built to make launching web pages more manageable and less time-consuming. WordPress, whose infrastructure undergirds approximately 40% of all web pages, has become a go-to tool for individuals who want to build their websites without needing to learn how to code.

While knowing HTML & CSS will significantly expand the scope of what one can do with a WordPress site, the platform's main selling point is its accessibility and ease of use. Since no one builds web pages using only HTML & CSS, using WordPress allows users to create complex, functional web pages without learning HTML & CSS, let alone more complicated languages like JavaScript or React. The flip side of this is that without knowledge of the coding languages that support these WordPress templates, users will be far more limited in the kinds of things that they can add to their web pages. They will almost find themselves wanting to add elements to their designs that they simply lack the tools to build.

Since the skills have complementary functionalities, learning HTML & CSS and WordPress is also an option for students. This pairing will help novice Web Developers ease themselves into more complicated designs and streamline their workflow as they can bring in WordPress assets without having to build them from scratch. Ultimately, the choice of what to learn will come down to how much additional training an aspiring developer seeks and how much of a stomach they have for coding.

To learn more about WordPress and the course options available through Noble for students with and without HTML & CSS knowledge, visit the WordPress page on Noble’s website.

Future Aspirations

Another challenge that students face learning HTML & CSS is that they are learning them at the beginning of their computer science education, only knowing that they vaguely want to learn how to code. There are a great many programming languages that students can learn, each with its own functions, grammar, syntaxes, strengths, and weaknesses. Students who hope to avoid the difficulties of learning HTML & CSS should consider what they want to do with their HTML & CSS training before undertaking it. They will find it easier to learn future skills if they are not spending needless energy learning HTML & CSS tags and properties that they will not require in the future.

Learn HTML & CSS with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn HTML & CSS can find several specialized training courses through Noble Desktop. These courses, available both in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and through live online instruction, will provide students with in-depth training in HTML & CSS and many programming languages built off of HTML & CSS. Regardless of the course they enroll in, students will benefit from being able to work directly with Noble’s experienced instructors. Even online, class sizes remain small to ensure that students aren’t competing for their instructor’s attention. As a bonus, all of Noble’s courses have an option to retake the class for free within a year of enrolling, giving students extra opportunities to get hands-on HTML & CSS instruction and experience.

Noble offers an introduction to web development bootcamp through their Web Development with HTML & CSS and Advanced HTML & CSS courses. These courses are designed to give students a taste of front end web development by teaching them the essential practices of coding web pages using HTML & CSS. These courses are ideal for students with no coding experience who are interested in learning the fundamental processes of learning the syntax of a programming language and translating that knowledge into the construction of a practical project. Students will learn the basic principles of using HTML tags to differentiate between elements of a web page and how to use CSS tags to apply fonts and styles to text. In the more advanced courses, students will learn how to build multi-page websites that link to one another.

Most students with aspirations of learning web development aren’t going to be content learning how to design web pages that look like they were last updated in 1997. These students may wish to enroll in Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate program. This course will teach students the vital HTML & CSS skills they need to know to build web pages. After mastering those skills, students will learn how to use programs and languages built on top of HTML & CSS to design more complex, interactive web pages. This course will teach students how to use JavaScript, one of the most popular front end programming languages, to add interactive elements and seamless animations to their web designs. Students will also receive training on how to utilize and build WordPress templates. Nearly 40% of all modern web pages use WordPress in some capacity, so learning these skills is an ideal way to start down the path of a career in web development.

Students interested in learning more about the HTML & CSS classes and bootcamps available should consult the web development section of Noble’s website (which they can easily view and navigate thanks to developers with HTML & CSS training).