How to Learn to Code
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Thanks to / nerdyandquirky for the question! Shares appreciated!
Twitters: / cheerskevin
There you go. Here’s the code that will get you past your first technical interview.
By the way, don’t ever write things like that.
So today, I got a question on Twitter, from Sabrina, widely known as the Nerdiest and Quirkiest person on TH-cam
And I got really excited, because this is a question I should be qualified to answer! I’ve been coding since I was a little kid; I’ve been working as a developer for the past eight years. I completed a computer science major (though I didn’t wrap up the degree), and I’ve given talks, tech reviewed many books, read and written tutorials.
This is a question I should be qualified to answer.
Surprisingly though, this is a really difficult question. And it’s one that developers get asked a lot by people who are looking to break into the field. "How on earth do I get started?"
And there are two sort of stock replies, that I don’t think work very well. I want to talk quickly about both of them.
The first one is: get a degree! Study the fundamentals of computer science. If you want to develop game engines, you have to learn vector calculus. If you want to work on systems engineering, you have to learn boolean algebra. Study your algorithms!
The problem with this approach is that most developers are inherently lazy. That’s why they program computers to do things for them. It’s very hard to get invested in software when you’re not actually making something you’re excited about.
A lot of people will say "Learn C" or "Learn JavaScript", or learn some other language or toolset. And usually that’s because it’s a tool that they use, to solve problems that they are excited about.
Programming languages are a lot like human languages. Just because you can read and write in French doesn’t make you a French novelist. And in the same way, just because you know the syntax of a programming language does’t mean you can solve problems with it.
There are a lot of languages out there, and they’re all designed around solving particular problems. But unlike human languages, most of them are designed to be somewhat friendly to people who don’t already speak the language.
Let’s use "Hello, World!" as an example. "Hello, World!" is usually the first program you’re going to write when you look at a new language. All you want is for the program to output "Hello, World!", and that’s kindof the basic test to know you’ve got something that runs. So let’s pull up some examples.
What I want you to notice is that even if you don’t know anything about programming, you can tell that these are all pretty darned similar.
And what I think a lot of developers forget to tell you is that eighty to ninety percent of what you learn programming in one language, is going to be transferrable to another language.
We all tend to have our favorites - I tend to like Ruby, JavaScript, and Elixir - but don’t listen to people who say "You have to learn this or that", because those preferences are based on personal preference, and the problems those people are trying to solve.
So I’ve argued that it’s not a great idea to try and force people into studying a particular academic field, or prodding them toward our favorite languages. But then where do we start? There’s a lot of information out there, and it can be very overwhelming.
I’m here to tell you that you don’t actually want to learn to program. What you want to do is solve a problem. Maybe there’s an app on your phone that you don’t like, and you want to come up with a better solution. Maybe you’ve decided that you want to have a website. Or maybe you want to build a game.
Learning "programming" is like practicing scales. It’s going to make you a very strong musician, but if you do that for years without ever playing a song, you’re going to get very frustrated. It’s a lot easier to learn something when you have a reason to want to know it.
For me, the first problem was high school math tests. I’d be using my TI calculator; I’d show my work; I’d make a little tiny mistake, and I’d get the wrong answer. That was a problem I wanted to solve. So I learned TI-BASIC, and I wrote some programs that would factor and foil and all that stuff. That way, when I found my answer, I could go ahead and check that it was right.
It was so much easier to learn that language, because I was using these tools to solve an actual problem that I had. I was excited to figure out ways to make it better and faster.
So before you look at programming at all, figure out a problem that you’re excited about. Something that’s going to motivate you to learn about the languages and tools available. And once you’ve built that really cool thing, you’re going to discover that you accidentally picked up a lot of skills along the way.
I just wanna know what my computer is saying about me behind my back
+Brian Dawkins It's saying 01000100 01001001 01000101
+mn0p lol
+Brian Dawkins hahahahah this is great
"I have seen *waaaay* too much porn"
JadenJFilms Lmao
I'd like to solve my unemployment problem lol
+Ravi Kumar develop an app for that and you'd make bank ; )
+Ravi Kumar 5 months later... are you employed yet?
+Ryan McLaughlin - He's too employed to even respond.
Ravi Kumar dude are you still unemployed?
Kumar can u hear me out?
This video is awesome. I am 40 years old History professor who is enthusiast about coding and your video really made me excited. I know, I am lagging behind all the nerdy youngsters, but I am planning to start learning to code and catch them.
Edward how things go, its been 5 years, did you finally get around to learning?
@@rodactyl6807 I hope he's still living
@@doomshot7324 He's like, 45, I doubt he died.
@@marvinlin5907 Damn that got morbid real quick wtf
All you guys in this comment section are crazy... Can't stop laughing..
I think you just taught me how to learn.
I've spent my whole life telling myself "I would really like to learn to code"; and this video is precisely why I never went ahead with it.
Nothing sparks my interest, even if there's a problem that I want to solve, I'll just abandon it and forget about it.
And now at 28, unemployed for years and with no intention of stepping outside the house and dealing with other people, I may need to fix that.
exactly like me, i feel that i have potential, but lack interest, and we almost the same age haha.
i have the exact same problem since this is a 2-year-old comment, if you've ever figured it out or have any advice for me it'd be much appreciated.
i've been stuck in the same mindset for a few years now.
@@eihab01 trust me im feeling the same but i reccomend you go learn some coding languages shtart with python learn html and some other stuff and how shit works to get some understanding start making open source projects and so on develop ur skill and continue till you find yourself at a level to proceed and start making your own ideas into stuff you like im starting today im 14 and no intention to stop till i become a full time software at google or microsoft some day :)
here here, just turned 29, same position as you.
@@Tepes55 31, the lack of interest and 0 goals
As someone who's been trying to figure out how to make a career change into tech, I can't begin to tell you how this was exactly the advice I was looking for. I've started and stopped so many self-led coding courses out of boredom and frustration and this has put me on the right path. THANK YOU!!
What was that path? ☺️
This was brilliant! Thank you so much! August will be my first semester for computer science. What seemed to be so frustrating was the lack of "what do I want to do with this knowledge?" It's clear to me that I what I want to learn is game development. Thank you for this great video.
Jordan Sherman Good luck with the coursework! From my experience, you're going to get the best bang for your buck if you have some side projects where you can apply some of the tools you learn :)
Cheers, Kevin What is great is I'm apart of a sport and two of the guys on the team are CS. What is even better is I've talked to them and we are going to be working on a 2d rpg game. So, we'll be incorporating and learning through class and free time!
Jordan Sherman Oh man, that sounds like a crazy amount of fun! Please keep me in mind if you need beta testers! :D
Cheers, Kevin Will do! I definitely will. Thank you for all the help!
Jordan Sherman Same, sick to death of solving shit like GCF or square root appoximation etc. Sure it introduces all the concepts you need to learn but god damn is it boring. I want to use my bisection search for something more interesting that finding square roots.
7 years later and you're still inspiring others! Thank you so much for this!
I remember my first semester CS class. All of the assignments were fun, normally game related. Learn how to use recursive functions by making a simple grid based lighting algorithm, learn how to use keyboard inputs by making a top down pointless game, learn threads by adding enemies to the game. It was all super fun
3:28 to 3:39 -- That explanation is why I never learned how to code. If I can't see an instant cool result in what I was interested in, I give up. If it's not engaging, it's no fun to learn. This guy told the absolute truth on that.
4 years later and this is still a great video. You really should do some more like this!
As someone with ADHD this is the exact mentality that got me to learn how to draw, learn how to sculpt, learn how to embroider, learn how to play the guitar, and learn how to write... in the end, I just wanted to make one (1) cool thing, and I learned the steps to do it! It's wild how I am just suddenly realising that coding is the only thing I wasn't trying to learn from that angle, but now I have a cool objective: I wanna make a website about my cats. Thanks, Kevin! ☺
You are extremely well spoken.
probably the best advice I've heard in a long time. you'll get burnt out and want to quit if you just learn how to program first....tackle your desire head on while also learning the tools needed to do so along the way
Finally, TH-cam is actually promoting something half way intellectual
Chrisander1606 What about the vlogbrothers and all of the things they've created?
***** This video was on the "popular" feed. Usually the videos on that feed are garbage... Just glad to see something like this being promoted.
***** You're assuming that everyone clicking on the video will end up being a programmer for their job.
***** Prank? Are you sure you know what a prank is?
***** Worst prank 2015.
As a musician, his comparison of Programming to Scales made me go "Ooooooo that makes a lot of sense."
right?? that helped me a lot actually
This is phenomenal advice for so many disciplines. Well said.
TheSurfingViolinist's India Adventures this is really a motivational video.
Now go ahead and make one more Hollybolly video for Us :p
"The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem"
Capt'n Jack.
Get excited about the problem, and it's not a problem, well said and well presented Kevin.
What a fantastic video. This is how I started to learn programming. I simply wanted to make a game in Unity. Well, that requires programming knowledge. I started with a book about Unity, which does teach basic programming, and it wrote the practice code in both C# and UnityScript (which they call JavaScript for some reason). Just by looking at the code, no prior experience, C# just "looked better" to me, so I chose to learn that. A year later, I love programming when I thought I'd dread it and I've been able to figure out most of the problems I encounter on the way and I'm well into my first commercial product
If I just started out learning C# just to learn C# I would've quit a lonnggggg time ago. I shudder just thinking about the prospect. It's best to view programming as a tool, like the video says. Chose the "problem" you want to dedicate your time to, game making, web development, apps, software engineering, and then learn how to use the tools those "problems" require.
+leftyfourguns which book did you use?
Oddly enough, I am in college and just finished a course called C# part 1. It's really geared more toward making Windows applications and yeah it's dull learning from my teacher's boring Power Point lectures. I'm interested in tools I can use myself to reinforce my programming knowledge and be more proficient with it. I don't want to just rely on my over priced degree paper.
leftyfourguns can I get that UNIT programming book.
leftyfourguns give us the book pls
leftyfourguns I
You perfectly put into words the frustration of the basics of any skill. IT'S SO BORING but when you have a problem you're trying to solve you feel like every single thing you're learning is like putting a piece of the puzzle in place. Also, I'm stealing your scales analogy.
Excellent approach! I'm a software developer and if I'm not excited about building a function or solving a problem, I have zero drive to do anything. You have to WANT to do something before actually learning how to do it. We truly are a bunch of lazy bastards.
Jake A That isn't gonna work out very well with most people. It's a bit like
saying to a person that wants to be a writer but can't write "What book
do you want to write? Just learn the words for that book". Once you know
most of the basics and can figure out what you need to learn in order
to achieve your goal or solve a problem, then it's great. But that
doesn't happen until you've had significant progress through traditional
learning.
markototev Jake do you have any advice on how to start
learning how to code because I would like to learn and volunteer more in the technology
field. I don't see going back to school as a option because of the prices and
because most of learning is done in the outside in the real world.
Martin Patino Back in high school, there weren't any programming classes, so I bought a "teach yourself" programming tutorial book/CD for Java. Today, I would try some W3School pages. They have some excellent tutorials starting with the basics. I used it during college to get me started with SQL. If you need more help on a specific topic, Stack Overflow is your best friend. It can be daunting learning from the ground up, but if you have the desire to learn how to use it, you can do anything. There have never been more tools to learn a new programming language than there are now. The internet is packed with awesome tutorials and videos explaining it in all kinds of ways. Find the one you can understand the best (for me personally, someone who has a more "big picture" perspective) and pursue that.
I went to school to teach, graduated college, spent a year teaching 8th grade and feeling like it was definitely not what I was meant to be doing and recently decided to learn coding. I'm having so much fun with Python. I think it's love.
This video it's a great motivator. Thanks!
I remember you from YTTalk a couple years ago and you just showed up in my twitter feed. :) Great advice here, probably the best I've heard on the subject.
iTwe4kz Thanks, I appreciate it! Man, that feels like ages ago :)
I worked for the U during my CS degree, handling the technical library for sysadmins. I wrote a library management system as my first real thing, solving my own problem. So, _this_. If you want to learn to code, solve a problem.
Excellent insight on this. I don't see a lot of advice like this, and I'm glad it now exists. I dove into Python a while ago, but I didn't stick with it because I didn't feel like writing any programs. I'm going to try your approach when it comes time!
Max Wallace Speaking at least for myself, the need to have a *reason* to learn software never really goes away. I can force my way through a tutorial, or read a book on technology that sounds really cool. But unless I figure out something I want to build with it, it's just too easy to forget.
Max Wallace Grab yourself a RaspberryPi starter kit and start looking at some of the projects available. It's a great platform for learning Python plus you can do some pretty cool stuff with it!
Cheers, Kevin The most boring thing you can do is read a bunch of books while studying for a certification :)
Hey Max Wallace! I'm a fan of your videos and think you're a cool cat. Like a cat the wears a tasteful pair of penny loafers and listens to a lot of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Just really cool. I thought you should know that.
As a student in my last year of high-school, looking toward furthering education in this field, I found this to be great. I had been for a while uncertain about where to go, but now I know.
So thank-you.
This guy needs to go on TED talks! Inspire more people into coding :D
Thank you for this. As a general purpose programmer I get asked this question all the time, and while I don't usually recommend a single language and I do point out that lots of languages have similar syntax, I hadn't thought of explaining is as learning to solve a problem over learning to use the code. Bravo!
thank you for the insight and for being a humble person the world needs more teachers like you
+manmal mega I agree, he is so friendly and open great person.
exactly
He is a dog shit teacher, moron.
Best video about programming explanation i have ever seen, im serious you explained something in 5 minutes that 4 teachers couldnt teach to me within 6 years
I've been on and off programming for a while, and I think it's because of the exact reasons you cover in this video! I don't really have a clear goal, or aim. It's always "Hey guys, lets make a game!", "Sure! ..Now what?". But you clearly state the problem I have, and now I'm gonna go and try to fix it, Cheers Kevin!
massive respect man. you dont ask for subscribing either you ask to share if we like.. probably the best TH-camr I have ever seen.
Filmmaker and tech junky learning to code. Thank you for this video!
Way to break the mold of the common advice we devs give by habit. People don't want to learn how to program, people want to make programs. Anyways, subscribed!
I wanted to learn, so I bought a raspberry pi and 4 temperature sensors, and wrote a program to log the temperatures for the in feed, the out feed, and the top and the bottom of my hot water tank.
Not for any reason, I just thought it would be interesting to compare them.
Am I nerdy enough yet? :-)
Its always easier to learn something for a reason than abstract learning.
The Cat Behaviour Channel Thats pretty cool if you want to program small stuff make a simple game the simplest you can then do it over and over making it better and better it helps you learn a lot of code
I totally agree. The answer I give when asked "What's the best language? is "Is a hammer a better tool than a screw driver?"
I always learn more when I working on a task compared to reading a book. The favorite program I wrote in college was a 12 bit FAT system using assembly and C for my "File Systems" class in 1988. The assignment was to write a file system using any language I wanted. That's how I taught myself C and x86 assembly.
Ha! TI Basic was my first coding language too. But I made Video Games with it.
I loved the carpentry analogy! I went from being a highly awarded finish carpenter (high school Skills Ontario) and broke into web design and development in much the same way. Set goals and build solutions, the learning just happens along the way.
This is great!
sanjaycomedy Oh look who we have here :) Scouring ideas for your next IT Guy video? Haha, JK.
Kaustubh Padegaonkar lol this guy is much smarter than me and speaks from the heart :)
sanjaycomedy True that. It made so much sense to me even after having 4 years of experience now.
+Kaustubh Padegaonkar if i want to start learning programming (just on a hobby level) just for experimenting and trying stuff really, where do i start? i heard python is a great language for beginners but is there any programs u code in that is free to use? i dont have a clue where to start or what i can do with it so pls help :D
+sanjaycomedy what a pleasant surprise! great to see you here! You are an IT guy for sure!
As a fellow software dev in industry, I agree 100%. At first just trying to "learn it" is fun, but then it's repetitive and pointless. Do what you want to do and the learning is a consolation prize.
is it possible to learn coding without coffee?
I managed it with mostly Red Bull, but man, the calories! Definitely recommend coffee :D
i try it. Is bad way
*sugar free*
thanks... i found my mistake!!! I now know why my code sucks!
HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is way cool who could have guessed this 4 minute video has taught me how to learn how to code and in 2 short days after watching this I am now writing script for a major data and programing company and will work my way up to 2.3 % owner of the company in only a short week because my higher ups are so pleased with my accomplishments and for real I dropped out of jr.high in the 6 th grade! Thank you thank you thank you I recomend this to everyone who is within shouting distance!!!!!!!!?
I want to learn to code just to know how to do so. I spend most of my day on a computer and i am tired of not being able to do much on it. I want o learn how to do more things on a computer i want to learn more tech savvy stuff rather then the traditional boring stuff. A 5 year old can use the internet as well as most people can, but i want to learn how to use it better and how to use my computer for other things then just the internet. I want to learn to create things on my computer. So my question is does anyone know how i can learn python? That is the one i have been wanting to learn.
+Kaden Lancaster search up the pdf of "learn python the hard way". Don't let the title trick you - it is hard, but only because it makes you think. It's great.
Did you learn python? What are you doing now? I know this was 2 years ago, but i'm wondering what you did.
5 years ago now, still wondering
@@kite4804 well. I justbsaw this and it's been years, but I actually sid give it a go. I ended up getting to busy and didn't have the time. Now I'm a plumber actually... Maybe I should have spent more time trying to code. Lol
@@lowqualitymemes234 Nah. Got to busy. Now I'm a plumber. Should have dedicated more time to learning how to code...
Can I just say thank you for recapping the topic of this video in your caption? As a mama holding a sleeping baby, I really appreciate it! Now to figure out the problem that I need to solve...
Agreed 100%. Most of the ways i've learned was through experimentation and small projects for fun.
Short and straightforward.I hope that more peope will find this in the future.I know that you will probably never seen this comment man,it has been 9 years but thank you!
I'm watching and about to start learning soon.
who is here from hypixel skyblock?
broc how do u know
and y do u know?
@@CSchwan58273 i know all things
and if ur actually wondering how i got this here the day the rift came out it is because i was one of the first people with vampiric time charm and i wanted to be first with all 8, i thought maybe the 8th was a puzzle and since it said "Requires [ADMIN]" to enter and not something else like "currently unavalible" i looked throught the rift for clues and i found the page from the hacking module thing and thought it would have smthn for the puzzle and i found this vid attached and just kinda wondered how many people would find this vid from hypixel skyblock!
TLDR: thought the hacking module thing in rift was a clue to how to get the 8th time charm and found this vid while looking through the thread!
Thank you! Focusing on solving problems vs "learning programming" makes things so much more clear now. I used to be heavily into video editing and liked making videos. But while studying compsci I just couldn't come up with what I should be making, what the point is in learning all these concepts. I'll now focus on finding problems that interest me.
Dear Kevin,
I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am of you that your most popular video is no longer a dick joke in song format.
Cheers,
Katrina.
lol
I used to think programming means building a computer, inventing a new language, do some abracdabra to make computer learn that language and what not!
this guy gives me life.
Excellent explanation. Cheers mate :)
I agree that wanting to learn how to problem solve with code is important, but learning first what you can do with programming is a must for beginners. You are right with the analogy you made about coding and playing an instrument, but it is also true that learning scales on an instrument is a good place to start much like learning the fundamentals of programming is a good starting point for coders starting out.
HYPIXEL, I've been reading for hours
Took me half of year to slowly realized this. Great advice.
Ahhhhh fizzbuzz. Almost as infamous as hello world
ladybickster A true software connoisseur I see
ladybickster HEY BABY WATSUP XOXO?
I'm so confused by these comments Kawaii Usagi ZombiEBenoiT
ladybickster "foo" and "bar" are my go-to placeholders personally
***** same! I love trying to confuse students by using foo/bar/bax and combinations thereof. They're faces are hilarios
And the journey begins. Thanks for the knowledge.
Great video and good outlook! You have earned my like & sub
Worrun I nerdgasmed so hard I accidentally clicked the subscribe button but I was going to anyway so its ok.
***** I get that a lot
Ok, this is the best thing ever... I literally zoned out right when you snored and brought me back .That is talent, my fellow ADHD dude.
Start by learning Brainfuck, then any other language will seem trivial.
Rocknoob49 Dude, i don't even know Brainfuck :D
Slithereenn So you didnt know it exists? XD
Rocknoob49 Of course i know about it. I just don't know it :)
Slithereenn Brainfuck programs are long and tedious, but relatively easy. Try functional language as your first one, that is sure to make you bend your brains like you never knew you could.
Slithereenn Since brainfuck interpreters are so easy to make. I wonder if anyone ever thought of writing a language that complied to brainfuck.
i love this guy... (y) he is absolutely right! programming is more than just learning syntax programming is solving problems,creating future,fighting problems,introducing this world to something new!
i meant to type "how to learn to cook"..
meth
LOL
Ray Obando u
Meth .math.english.technology.history
I have been in I.T. for close to 15 years now and I am trying to transition into either Developing or DevOps and I wasn’t sure it would be a good fit for me. I love problem solving and I love coming up with creative way to do so. You totally reaffirmed why I’m wanting to transition into a new profession with your TI Calc story because that is exactly what I used to do. I would memorize the programs i had written for math tests and then input them in when the teacher said i had cleared the device. Thank you for that story and the guidance. Learning by doing is going to be what gets me to the next level!
Do you think I could career change to the IT world at age 34 with no prior experience?
I'm a bored Electrical engineer.
Ivan Drago Nope, you're overqualified.
Yes.
Where to start...
I'm considering an Open University degree in Computing & IT.
It means I could learn and earn at the same time. I live in UK. Northern Ireland.
3 years minimum and £7000 would be the cost.
I can't earn over £30k in my current career and that's my ultimate goal. More money and better lifestyle as I frequently work weekends, nightshift late evenings. etc with no benefits as a self-employed worker.
Ivan Drago My honest opinion to you is to work through a few programming tutorials. Programming can seem daunting at first however once you get started you cannot be stopped. My personal recommendation would be to start with something simple like HTML and Javascript and then move over to SQL(databases) and eventually C#(With ASP.NET) or PHP or Python or Java. (You would most likely have the most chance of freelance work going with PHP , and you would probably be able to write applications in it for people prior to completing your degree , however languages like C#, Java and Python could teach you better coding principles that would be more applicable to college into your degree. I would personally recommend C# and then ASP.NET).
However I would still recommend HTML -> Javascript -> SQL -> C# + ASP.NET (Or PHP if you want to try doing freelance jobs before you complete your degree for extra money).
You can learn coding for free at www.codecademy.com/ as well as www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming
You can also find numerous video tutorials on different languages on TH-cam. (This is mainly how I taught myself PHP)
The thing to keep in mind with programming is not to limit yourself to just one language , but to try multiple languages and find one that works best for you. In my case C# worked best for me. Also always keep setting goals for yourself and to always have an active project to work on.
This is just a guideline from me and what I would advice someone else to do. I hope you found this helpful.
Francois Blom Im just starting out with learning and my cousin who is big in programming pretty much told me the same thing you mentioned here. But one question i still had was do you learn HTML or HTML 5 first?
Thanks for your time and advice Francois. I have copied and saved your comment. It will come in handy later when I know more about the stuff you mentioned.
I've done it now.
Signed up to the OU Degree and paid my first deposit.
I will report back in 3 years time...
Many thanks good sir, I am a pre nursing/C.I.T. Student who is also a musician...I found your take on coding refreshing and thought provoking. As a noob just trying to point my I.T. Ship in the right direction, you definitely helped shine some light on how I will look to achieve my goals. All the best and take care👍🏻
I was in the kind of hobbyist class where they teach C++ and they started right from the Hello World.. Okay.. Simple enough and I did know something about coding. But what bug me that teachers - cause they had done coding since stone age - didn't tell what those "order" what makes things happen actually were.. Yeah I can try to learn some of them but I will never learn the language if I just memorize the letters without meaning. So I had to pull out after long talk the information about libraries etc. from them.
Also.. With me there was a person who had never done anything with coding. And just the Hello World didn't open anything to him. Like you would give long math to first grade student. Orders what made things happen wasn't showing clear enough how those happen. So I had to ask them that we would start from HTML where you can see more clearly "the math problem and results". (I know I know.. HTML is really simple stuff and not real coding..)
After everything.. I didn't stay there too long. I just knew that they were just too deep into their language. And I couldn't focus on much anyway..
*****
I admit that I didn't proof read it - like I usually try to do.. It was 3AM at the morning and I didn't have time because I had to wake up early. And I do know that I suck at English. I suck a lot. Anything else?
I guess he deleted his original comment or someone else did.. Oh well.. I saw it on the bell thingy and answered anyway..
Nagarath16 Unfortunately, just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're good at teaching it to other people. It seems to be the case with programming that a lot of teachers are great at what they do, but can't explain it very well. That first class that you take, be it VB or C++ or Java or whatever, is extremely important, because like math, if you don't understand the very basics of programming, you'll always be frustrated.
I've watched countless people struggle through simple assignments because they just don't get it. Basic things like what the purpose of a variable is, and how to read code line by line, from top to bottom. And it's because the professor might have mentioned these things once under his breath on day 1 and never again.
I learned these things before I had a programming class, so I was very lucky in that regard. But this unfortunate aspect of modern school does carry over to other classes too, and I'm just not very good at it. So here I am, almost 30, and still no degree. I'm a secretary and occasionally open Visual Studio for fun here and there, and that's about it.
I hate school.
Levi Morgan
I love school. I miss it a lot. Here it's actually pretty good.. I mean real school. True that we are behind with coding etc. new stuff - but schools are overall still really good ones. And almost all of them free.
But yeah.. Often I have noticed that those who has the best skills on something might suck at teaching. I can see that they're skillful but I can't understand anything what they're trying to say.. Maybe there is a real reason that we teach real qualified teachers to really teach in here. Teaching them takes years and still happens when they're already working as a teachers.
Ones who tried to teach me were just done the coding a long time and wanted to teach it to others - what is good.. But teaching doesn't come that easy.
***** That's a new one for me. I've always heard "Those that can, do; those that can't, teach". Rather more cynical I suppose, but it applies to pretty much every teacher I've had for IT/Computing, and a lot of others. Normally the ones who know the subject are useless teachers unless you already understand it, in which case they're amazing, but the ones who are best at teaching beginners tend to have less understanding. It kinda makes sense, if you consider that someone with less knowledge of a subject will better understand the position of a new student, whereas someone with a complete understanding might assume everyone has a basic understanding of their subject.
I love the witty and simple language that you used. It makes it understandable and easy for uber noob
Why don't you wish those of us, who appreciate this video, also to have a great day? ;-)
Charles Mallela You...are a programmer :P
Cheers, Kevin heh
Charles Mallela Haha I just came from Digg to write this same comment. Ya beat me :)
Charles Mallela
use instaphamous,its faster and all the followers are real people if you order the real followers from them
Absolutely fantastic advice! A lot of people just learn programming but take something that interests you (other than money) and solve towards it. Once you get through the 1st say 3 things you will have truly burned and learned how to code. Those who only do it for a paycheck are dreadful coders. Take interest in open source or mobil apps. Solve little problems then scale up.
Hmm. Maybe I'd like to make a game. Then I have to shop around and pick a language to start with. Maybe I choose Python. There might be difficulties figuring out how that can actually make graphics.
Hmm. Look around more and I hear about PyGame. I look at the website for PyGame and wonder if it's even still supported by developers. There seems to be a wide opinion that PyGame is Dead.
Wander around some more wondering how games are made and finally learn about Frameworks or Engines or even IDEs.
What I'm getting at is people are looking for a linear path to goal and feel unable to find it. Or they feel like they're wasting time because they don't even understand what these tools do or what different acronyms mean. It's like having a set of Standard Tools and realizing you started to work with equipment on the Metric system.
I think people should have specific Realistic goals instead of looking at a random program or problem and possibly pairing up the wrong language for the job.
A very, very simple Text Adventure might be a realistic goal. Oddly enough, I can imagine many of today's seasoned programmers started out making similar simple programs.
+Dan Falls Funny you mention that. Text adventures are what really got me started fiddling around with programming as a kid. I found a copy of QBASIC and had a heck of a fun time :)
+CheersKevin Interesting. Sometimes I wonder if programmers need to get back to basics and do a Text Adventure or Magic 8 Ball or similar program that incorporates the fundamentals, especially Classes and Methods.
+CheersKevin what i do like to do is a website that handles databases in some sort i find it extremely fun for me, but i started with html css and javascript which is front end and php and MySql is more back end, i do enjoy making websites but i love the dynamic idea, i am in the wrong field then? i mean i want to create the website and then adding the php and MySql? what you think?
+CheersKevin can this help in hacking
+Someone Java or C# is also a great language to start with IMO. I did the text adventure thing myself and the like in C#. Can make everything from calculators to games for the Windows Store. (Thanks for the video also!)
This guy puts shame to all the stereotypes of programmers. So eloquent and knowledgeable, and seems to be quite social! What a treat, and a great video.
question: how do you learn to become a better problem solver? i know how to code but i dont understand the necessary steps to solve the problem.... like algorotjms and such. i feel really dumb because of that and it makes me sad because I want to make games and my programming skills are just not good....
I'm actually working on a video about this very subject! In general though, the types of algorithms that you'll use will vary wildly depending on what you're working on. One helpful strategy is to look for similar projects to what you're working on that may be up on GitHub. Taking at look at how other people approach similar problems can help you gain a lot of insight (as well as realize...yeah we're *all* pretty dumb ;) )
+CheersKevin I am learning c#, is it the same as c? will people frown upon me when telling them that in a hypothetical job interview?
+AshikawaBetas FREE Coding Lesson online at Coderversity on Saturday 12/19/15. Contact us in advance for time and link at contact@coderversity.com
+kashbros aw missed it.
***** are there any books or tuts just to improve problem solving skills?
The way you explained is very elementary and in a good way! It goes back to the 'learn as you go' method.
This is good advice, but, how do I learn to code?
Excellent points. I remember taking my first programming course way back in 1970 and one of the first programming issues we were taught was all about sorting. It was in the very early days of computers, no personal computers, not even hobby computers at that time. So I guess it kind of made sense to start with such simple, very basic programming issues. People really were trying to find more efficient sort algorithms.
Jump ahead to now (2015). I picked up a course description for a very introductory programming course at the University of Hawaii. This wasn't "basic concepts in computer science", it was just a simple intro to programming. And what did much of the course consist of? Sort routines. I can think of no better way to turn students OFF from programming than making them figure out and write sort routines. But the instructors, or at least those who actually design the course contents, are still stuck in the 70s.
is it necessary To go to college if I wanna program video games?
ok but keep in mind I'm poor af so the only way I'm getting into college is with a scholarship
Koda Kopa no you dont have to go to college make a game or two and try to join a company or continue making you're own games
thanks
thats what I thought but almost everyone kept saying that I didn't a degree of some type to get into a company
but what you just said was more or less my plan from the beginning
It really depends on your skill and ability to build. If you have an impressive portfolio by the time of programs/apps you've made, then a company might be overlooking on the lack of a degree. However, a degree AND an impressive portfolio just gives you a crazy advantage. If you're lacking the money, consider taking up a part-time job, apply for Financial Aid (just google "fafsa") or both.
Scout 2012 wow u r so gorgeous
?
You have opened my eyes. You are right, everything is boring if you are not doing any cool stuff with it. Subscribed.
i was sent here by a man who knew no DISTANCE.
I know seven programming languages and this is the best advice on coding I've ever heard.
prints "Hello, world" is also ruby not just python :}
Luis Ville Yep, but you don't get the trailing newline that way ;)
Haha True.
Also Lua.
+CheersKevin if i just wanna learn programming on a "hobby level" just for fun really where do i start? are there any free programs u can use?
what can i do with the code i make? i do not have a clue so im just trying to learn
+CheersKevin I try to learn programming but I have problems with motivation .... And math if that has anything worth mentioning.... Any suggestions?
It is always good to hear someone clear the air like this. Very well thought out and presented. Thank you for your time.
I was sent here by a man who kept his Distance
Bram06 LOL, I was Thinking "What is the best way to suttely put that without saying it... AND YOU ARE ALL LIKE
Don't worry about it, chill, I got dis.
Thanks brah
Bram06 well i was sent by a man who likes to make jokes about browsers pubes. i think he also had a flying car
Bram06 *Distfnce FTFY
Thanks for reminding me WHY I wanted to get into programming! I want to solve some simple, yet vexing problems. ...must...focus...
Just want to make some aimbot in fps games ._. dont sue me...
I'd say 'good luck' but I'm mad at you for using aimbots at fps games lol.
Excellent, simple, concise, understandable, authentic communication skills.
You resemble emma watson's eyes and eyebrows.
Thanks man as a programmer that first year learned language instead of solving problems i can totally agree. I learned by C++ book and god my brain was melting on polymorphism, trying to understand some concepts that you can't perceive or observe while you're actually DOING something that you can utilize that into, is insanely hard. But then i started learning unity engine and c# and oh god all i learned from that book transformed into clear understandable things as i used more and more advanced features and patterns as i sleeplessly built more and more advanced systems. Now i code every day, apart from my main job, i learn new things every day and every problem i take on is harder and more complex than the other, but man.
I fucking love it.
this is the best how to get started at coding tutorial ever
Love Love Love this. As a stay at home dad and a cancer survivor, I am dying to return to work. I have a little IT background, but would love to go back with some of these modern skills. The problem is that every time I choose a language (Python, Java, Ruby, etc), there is another one. I guess I overwhelm myself with all thse books, online classes, videos etc. And here we are 5 years after cancer and still have not decided what language should I pursue and more importantly stick with and actually complete rather than starting one and going on to another, etc.
Hey Kevin, you're great, quick, interesting, to the point without pontificating, in short you're human dude. Bravo
Cannot agree with this more. We, as people, typically perform better and pursue goals stronger when we are passionate about them. Great advice.
In the "Learn to Code" presentation I liked the way you advised 'ad hoc' learning. It is a strategy I've used with students and in my own learning. I find it difficult to convince learners that the 'ad hoc' strategy is a viable one. Many people approach computer learning with some preconceived notions. Thirty years ago it was hard to convince people that it was not necessary to learn BASIC to get started in computer learning. BASIC just sounded like the logical first step. What most of those people really needed to learn was how to use word processing software.
In the end you give us a practical advice that would be summarized to "learn by doing". I can agree with that.
As a programmer with 30+ years of experience I say this is good advice.
Absolutely love the way you communicated what programming really is! The learning to saw/hammer analogy was on point. Thanks friend
Nice little video. I started coding (aka programming) simple 'hello world' programs back in the early 80s, and gradually built up to large scale applications, and now have an international software company going. I recommend trying to find free tools and tutorials and work in a non-web environment first. Quick languages such as Forth is great to learn with, to get the habits and brain in the right mode. Don't start out right away intending to write a hit game or fancy word processor! But some people take to coding, and others can't stand it. I think all it takes, really, is a lot of patience and a certain stubborn desire to make computers do what you want.
Totally agree and this is basically what I tell people whenever I get this question. I like your "learn to hammer" analogy. It's totally like that. You have to deeply care about accomplishing something. That's what will carry you through the journey of learning.
I've been subbed to you since the beginning. I was frustrated when you disappeared, a bit elated when you returned. I have a fondness for grammar, the language well spoken. You have always made my ears perk up. This (Vlog) didn't appear in my list, so I found it after seeing the 5/5 one. This was very well done, and I'm happy that others have seen you. best-
=Maine=
Dude thanks so much for the video. This 4.55 minutes long video is the best programming advice I got after got into coding : )
Nice thoughts. My first foray into programming was when my father bet me 50p (a week's pocket money) that I couldn't display a chess board on the ZX81 (with only 1K of RAM). Sure enough, the default method failed due to a memory overload. However, I learned work-arounds, and won the bet. I kinda got a bit hooked for a while. Now doing Data Science.
A video to refresh my coding lessons and some life advice. I like it.