Can I Learn IT For Free?

Yes, you can learn IT for free online. Especially in today’s online world, there are endless resources available right at your fingertips. With the right resources and mindset, you can master the basics of IT on your own, but it’s recommended that you use free resources as a way of exploring the fundamentals of IT or as a supplemental resource for more in-depth learning. This article will explore what free resources are available to you and how best to use them to your advantage. 

What Free Resources are Available for Learning IT?

There are quite a few free resources available for learning IT, you just need to know where to look. YouTube boasts a wide range of tutorials and informative videos on all kinds of IT and computer science subjects: from short five-minute episodes on the fundamentals to more in-depth breakdowns of advanced topics. YouTube is a great way to explore your initial interest or get answers to specific questions on IT. 

Other websites like Google and LinkedIn offer short free tutorials and trainings designed to help you grasp the history and basic principles of IT. Free resources are often your fastest option and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Their brevity is one reason they are so popular for beginners, but the drawback of these courses is that they will lack the in-depth knowledge and real-time interaction with an expert instructor that more immersive programs offer. With that in mind, it’s best to use these resources as a brief introduction to make sure you’re interested in the subject (or as supplemental learning materials) instead of the sole source of your education. 

How to Make Use of Free IT Resources

With the above in mind, it’s best to use these resources as a brief introduction to make sure you’re interested in the subject, as opposed to the sole source of your education. You can also use them as supplemental training materials while you attend a more structured course either in-person, live online, or on-demand. You can consult your free resources when you find yourself stuck on a specific concept and can’t wait for a time to discuss it with your course instructor. Or, if you find you learn at a faster pace than the course allows, you can use free resources to skip ahead to the lessons and subjects that will challenge and engage you more. 

You can also use free resources to test out skills and techniques, practicing your hand at IT while simultaneously learning through a structured course. If you feel anxious about making mistakes in your course or are worried about embarrassing yourself in front of others, you can work through your projects with the help of free resources, testing out various options so that your final submitted course project meets your personal standards. 

Limitations of Free Resources

While great as bonus learning materials, free resources aren’t recommended as your primary source of education, as they’ll lack the immersive experience that a structured course offers. Plus, using this method as your sole source of education can take the most time. You’ll be responsible for sourcing all your learning materials and ensuring that you’ve covered all the important subjects of IT, and this process can take a substantial amount of time.You also won’t be able to ask questions and receive feedback in real time, like you would in a live class. Additionally, like on-demand courses, it’s easy to lose motivation and fall behind with free resources, so they’re best for independent, self-motivated learners. 

There is another disadvantage to consider: It’s possible that your free resources could be outdated. IT is a constantly evolving tool, so topics and training materials will need constant refreshing to stay relevant. It can be time consuming to check that your resources are the most up-to-date and accurate. Plus, if you’re not familiar with IT, you may not be able to tell when a resource is no longer relevant. 

What to Do After Utilizing Free IT Resources

If you thrive in a collaborative classroom environment, look into in-person classes. You’ll be able to work with other students, make new friends, and receive feedback and input from your instructor in the moment. These classes also provide a higher level of accountability and are a superb choice for those who struggle to keep themselves motivated or on task. They are, of course, less flexible than an online class, but often their advantages outweigh this one disadvantage. 

Live classes, whether attended virtually or on location, offer the structure, accountability, and discourse that can help you master IT (from basics to advanced skills) as efficiently as possible. 

Noble Desktop’s Data Science Certificate prepares you for entry-level data science and Python engineering roles. You’ll learn how to manipulate databases and perform data analysis, read and write complex database queries, prepare and clean data for analysis, and use Python to automate everyday tasks such as aggregating, updating, and formatting data. This course also covers how to clean and balance your data with Pandas, apply machine learning algorithms with the scikit-learn library to solve real-world problems, and analyze the results to detect areas for improvement. Finally, you’ll build and present dynamic dashboards and other data visualizations and deploy your projects online with GitHub to demonstrate your analytical abilities to employers.

Their Software Engineering Certificate is another option for aspiring IT students. Divided into front end development, React Development, and Django (Python) Development, you will learn HTML to mark up web pages and CSS for styling; the fundamentals of JavaScript and Git; and how to use Flexbox and Grid to layout, align, reorder, and adapt web page content to different size screens. You’ll then move on to the fundamental JavaScript programming concepts, including variables, data types, loops, and DOM. Plus, you’ll cover topics like React, a powerful JavaScript library for web development, and master Node.js, MongoDB, and Express.js to round out your JavaScript development skills.

By creating a portfolio of projects, preparing for common interview questions, and polishing your resume and LinkedIn profile, this course will have you ready to pursue a new job in software engineering in as little as 20 weeks (on a full-time schedule). One-on-one mentoring and a free one-year retake are included in the cost of this course. Payment plans and tuition assistance are available, and this training requires no previous experience, making it great for beginners.

Or, you could try your hand at Noble’s Python Developer Bootcamp. This three-week online course teaches Python for software development with Django, Django REST, and other developer tools like Git and SQL. You’ll start by learning the basics of Python, including its lexical syntax, then move to more advanced topics like dictionaries, custom functions, and sorting algorithms. In week two, you'll learn object-oriented programming, how to work with APIs, and get an introduction to web databases using SQL. By creating projects that can be added to your portfolio, you’ll master URL dispatchers, querying models, and automating tasks with Django, as well as how to work with images, authentication, and use API endpoints with Django REST. 

It’s recommended that you are comfortable coding HTML and basic CSS. You should possess equivalent knowledge of Noble Desktop’s Web Development with HTML & CSS class, and mastery of another programming language is helpful, but not required. Payment plans and financing are available, in addition to extra perks like one-on-one mentoring, a free one-year retake, and a verified digital certificate are included with your purchase.

Their Web Development with HTML & CSS will teach you how to develop websites with HTML and CSS, the coding languages used to create web pages. Using HTML, you’ll learn how to create webpages with text, images, and more. Then you’ll use CSS to style the content, create centered page layouts, add background images, style navigation, and make the page responsive so it adapts to various screen sizes using media queries. Finally, you’ll upload files to FTP to make your site go live.

Finally, there’s Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate. You’ll learn HTML to mark up web pages, CSS for styling, JavaScript to add interactivity and animation, and Git to track code changes and collaborate with other developers. Ideal for those new to coding, you’ll develop the skills to create responsive websites optimized for any size screen (mobile, tablet, and desktop). Additionally, you’ll learn how to use WordPress, the world's leading content management system, to create customizable websites and edit content without the need to be a programming expert.