Information technology is a vast and ever changing field, so it will take substantial time and commitment to learn. How quickly you can learn depends on the type of IT skill you want to learn, but it may be possible to become proficient in some areas in three months. This article will walk you through what you can expect to learn in three months and what you will still have left to study going forward.
How Much IT Can I Learn in 3 Months
IT learning can be split into three main categories: basic computer literacy, programming, and coding. Simple computer skills are essential for laying a concrete foundation for coding which, in turn, is essential to IT. Digital information and its key components such as bits & bytes and binary information are the small helping hands in coding, and you need to know how they contribute to the whole system. Which programming languages you learn can be dependent on your chosen career field (if you already have that in mind) but by the three-month mark, you may have mastered the basics of JavaScript, Python, HTML, and CSS, but you’re still likely to have a lot left to learn. It’s best if you use each month to focus on different concepts, like the below:
- Month 1: Focus on the fundamentals of programming languages and basic problem-solving techniques.
- Month 2: Explore intermediate concepts and work on real projects.
- Month 3: Delve into advanced coding concepts and build a project portfolio.
While this process may vary, you should be able to master at least the basics of IT and, potentially, start to explore intermediate and advanced level skills within three months. There are factors that can affect how quickly you learn and the way you choose to learn will be chief among them. Free resources, on-demand classes, and bootcamps or certificates all offer different benefits and timeframes for mastery. See below for more information.
How Can I Learn IT More Quickly?
There are a lot of educational resources out there to read and watch that will help you build your understanding of IT. From free trainings, courses, and webinars to video tutorials and books, knowledge is truly at your fingertips. But, if you’re looking for the options that can help you learn at a faster pace, certain options may be better for you than others.
Fastest Options: Online or In-Person Training and Bootcamps
Live training and bootcamps, whether attended virtually or in-person, tend to be the fastest way to learn IT. Live online classes offer instant feedback from your teacher and interactions with other students, creating the opportunity for a deeper understanding of the coursework. These classes are ideal for students that thrive in a structured learning environment with routine accountability check-ins. If you encounter any challenging material, you can ask questions in real time instead of spending unnecessary time figuring it out on your own. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability, two things that can help you succeed. You’ll master IT the quickest in a full-time course but any class with scheduled times will help you learn faster than trying to learn IT entirely on your own or in an on-demand program.
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly course that teaches the basics of HTML, check out Noble Desktop. Their HTML Email Bootcamp will help you gain skills to create responsive emails with personality. Boasting small class sizes led by expert instructors, you’ll learn HTML and CSS coding, including how to code effective and cross-mail-client compatible emails and optimize emails for desktop, webmail, and mobile users. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to code emails that display properly in various email apps for your business or clients.
Or, you could try out their Web Development with HTML & CSS that 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.
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.
Slow & Steady: On-Demand Classes
Also known as self-paced, on-demand classes offer the most flexibility of any class option but don’t win any awards for speed. They do have quite a few benefits for busy professionals, though. Not only can you learn from wherever you want, you can also learn whenever you want. There are no due dates or scheduled class times, so you can take your time on challenging topics or skip over ones you’ve already mastered. These classes are ideal for learners with complicated schedules who need to squeeze their studying in around their work and other obligations. You’ll need to be an independent and self-motivated student to succeed in an on-demand class. It’s very easy to lose momentum or fall behind when you don’t have any outside accountability, so these courses tend to take longer than a structured live course.
Time May Vary: Free Resources
You could take advantage of free resources like YouTube making the most of the insights, tools, and short tutorials made available by industry experts. Code Academy offers some free intro courses in HTML & CSS that are ideal for beginners and freeCodeCamp offers an 11-hour course that will teach you HTML and CSS from scratch for free. Coursera is another option, with various training sessions and videos lasting from just a few minutes to a few days. While free resources are financially helpful, they 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 HTML & CSS, and this process can take a substantial amount of time. Additionally, like on-demand courses, it’s easy to lose motivation and fall behind with free resources.
What IT Skills Will I Need to Learn After 3 Months?
If you’re looking for more advanced or comprehensive courses, Noble Desktop has those, too. Their 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.
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.
How to Learn Coding
Master coding with hands-on training. Learning how to code in JavaScript, Python, and other popular languages can pave the way to a job in tech, such as web development, data science & analytics, or software engineering.
- Full-Stack Web Development Certificate at Noble Desktop: live, instructor-led course available in NYC or live online
- Find Coding Classes Near You: Search & compare dozens of available courses in-person
- Attend a coding class live online (remote/virtual training) from anywhere
- Find & compare the best online coding classes (on-demand) from the top providers and platforms
- Train your staff with corporate and onsite coding training