How I Would Learn To Code (If I Could Start Over)

Learning to code is hard. I spent years going through countless tutorials, yet retaining almost no information. In this video, I share how I would learn to code, if I could start over from scratch.
Resources Mentioned in the video:
Harvard's CS50: pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-i...
Codecademy: www.codecademy.com
Free Code Camp: www.freecodecamp.org/
ProgrammingExpert: www.programmingexpert.io - Use code "conner" for a small discount. I don't get paid for this, it just gives you a discount :)
Udemy: www.udemy.com/
Coursera: www.coursera.org/
VS Code: code.visualstudio.com/
Other Resources Not Mentioned:
Learn C: www.learn-c.org/
Learn C++: www.learn-cpp.org/
Prepping for your frontend interviews? Use code "conner" for a discount on my course FrontendExpert:
www.frontendexpert.io/conner
LinkedIn: / connerardman
TikTok: / connerardman
Video/Coding Gear: www.amazon.com/shop/connerardman
Timestamps:
0:00 Timestamps:
0:00 The Endless Tutorial Cycle
0:28 Goals And Expectations
1:25 What Even Is Coding
2:42 Computer Science Fundamentals
3:40 Coding Deep Dive
6:56 Effective Practice
7:55 Non-Coding Coding Skills
9:24 "Advanced" Coding
10:45 Preparing For Interviews

[@tremolony4924]

Quick Beginner Path: >Learn how to navigate the Command Line (Terminal) >Optional: Install a Linux distro - Fedora is fine for beginners >Pick an IDE - vscode is pretty standard >Learn Bash scripting to start automating tasks - scheduled updates, backups etc >Learn a bit of Python to rewrite your bash scripts >Learn Git version control... the pain will make you stronger >>>Web Development Basics>Front endFreeCodeCamp: JavaScript Data Structures & Algorithms >JavaScript + JSON >DOM manipulation >ES6 >Functional programming && || OOP >FetchAPI >Debugging >Build some creative projects >>>Back endNodeJS >Express >SQL && || NoSQL >MVC Architecture >C R U D >Form Validation >User Authentication >Middleware + Sessions >Error handling >Testing Once you've got those basics down, jump into a framework: >Learn Svelte first - Easy >OR - Learn React first - Steeper learning curve >SvelteKit && || NextJS >Build super basic projects >Get CRUDS on lock >Markdown + documentation >Consider taking one OR both CS50x && CS50W Online courses >Recommend Playing: BitBurner on Steam Most importantly, develop & nourish your passion for computers + programming. Passion builds drive & that drive will help get you through the mental breakdowns. // Note: // What else did I miss?

[@digitbase3672]

Awesomeness

[@ConnerArdman]

Nice, thanks for sharing this! I’d never thought of learning Svelte as a precursor to other frameworks, but that’s a really good idea 😀

[@MentalMarathon_]

Thank you 🙏🏾 you are a blessing fr

[@lauris5275]

Many say that you shouldnt learn to code just to find a job. You need to be passionate about it. The more projects i start to build the more i like it. Im still unemployed, but still learning, but getting better and better. I will create bigger projects upload them and start looking for a junior/practicant positions... soon.

[@ConnerArdman]

Yeah I’d generally agree with this. I hate to sound like a gatekeeper, but if you don’t have some passion for it then you will probably give up. That said, I do know people who started learning just because they wanted the high paying jobs and found out it was something they really enjoyed. It’s hard to know if you’ll be passionate about something before you start. And best of luck with your learning and future job search! It sounds like you are making amazing progress 😀

[@westernpigeon]

yup, I've told the same to people that have come to me for advice on learning to code. everyone sees the big salaries and think its an easy journey to a high salary. you need to have genuine interest in problem solving and be able to push through when it gets tough because it WILL get tough! I started coding in november 2021 and landed a job at Twitch in May 2022 with NO connections and I can say that actually being passionate helped me tremendously.

[@ATFstein]

@@ConnerArdman you can’t have a passion for something you’ve never done. No one has a passion for coding prior to learning to code. 99% of people who go into software engineering do it for the money. They might fall in love with it during the process but the MONEY is what set them on that path to begin with.

[@sllothy]

@@westernpigeonhey quick question did u start with no experience? im currently unemployed too trying to make a solid plan. thinking abt bootcamps or getting degree but i dont really want to spend 4 years for a degree if i dont have to just need some advice from someone doing what i want to try and get into!

[@paramitamukherjee6859]

Very well explained Conner.

[@Augyyy]

I just started a job as junior dev ops and that analogy you made at 02:10 is actually pretty good. It took me a while a figure out that there is no set way of building an app, its just a culmilation of knowledge on frameworks combined to make something that works.

[@mohdjibly6184]

Great sharing bro Conner ….thank you

[@SaiKiranPatro]

Hi Conner, your work is much appreciated !! Insightful!!

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks, glad you find it insightful! 😊

[@clem]

As usual, high-quality content and production! Smashed the like button. 👊👍

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks!

[@Cooked1]

Conner man, thank you for this video. I really mean that... Sometimes I am so lost on my next step and this helped break it down a bit more. Getting my CS degree in two years and I am very nervous about applying to different jobs.

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks, glad you found the video helpful! And good luck with the last couple years of your degree 😊

[@crsaele]

Beautiful video and well-explained brother thank you for sharing

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@jonathan.m.phillips]

Great video for beginners

[@abdirahmanmuse6367]

Thank you for your advice 🙏

[@sandipdeb5859]

Thank you so much ❤

[@user-ol6tq5hw7s]

Great video Conner, please continue! :)

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 😃

[@craiggazimbi]

Thank you so much mate!!

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks for watching!

[@mohammedmetwaly8761]

High quality content and information cooner , thanks for sharing this 👏

[@ConnerArdman]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😀

[@robertd6832]

Morning, I’m gonna watch now!

[@Danstrom9252]

Hi Conner, I love your content, I felt inspired with your video. I wish one day... One day I will know as much as you in programming. (I'm a Lawyer who is jumping to the programming life)

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks! It’s awesome to see people from other fields picking up programming (and I always thought law seemed really interesting) 😀

[@calebwilliams4real]

needed this. looking to make a career switch from accounting to programming

[@ConnerArdman]

Awesome, good luck!

[@lovepreet3002]

Thanks Conner! I found my interest in coding again because of your videos . You make it most interesting !! 😊I lost interest after 6 years of formal education . Do you think it would be very difficult for me to get a job as a front developer with some gap ? Or what do you suggest me to do in this case . Thanks

[@calgary2025]

Hey Conner, can you make a video about how and where to learn about Front end system design, many thanks 🙏

[@ConnerArdman]

Yeah this is a video I want to make, although it will probably be a while since I need to do some research myself. I’m not really aware of many high-quality resources at the moment (not saying they don’t exist, I just haven’t found them).

[@cmdv42]

💯💎✨only a matter of time before this channel blows up 🚀 so much 🔥

[@serizawalimboo4668]

Subbed 👑

[@ankurshrivastava5573]

Hey corner could you please suggest me some website to improve JS skills..btw your contents are really awesome.

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks! Of course I have to recommend my own course frontendExpert at frontendexpert.io/conner ;) Its main purpose is for interview prep, but I have heard a good number of people successfully using it to just improve their JS skills (assuming you already have some core fundamental programming understanding). There's also a small amount of free content on there just to get an idea of the type of content to expect. I can't really recommend any other specific paid products as I haven't used them. That's not to say there aren't good ones out there, I just can't recommend something I haven't used myself. The only other website that comes to mind to recommend is javascript.info. It doesn't have videos, but the written explanations are really high quality. And of course there is plenty of good KZbin content out there. Just stick to videos from the last 2-3 years to avoid outdated information and make sure you trust the creator.

[@jarvs10]

u deserved more sr, more likes, more followers, etc...

[@TomBrayer2]

Would you recommend Eloquent JavaScript? Has anyone ever had experience with this book?

[@AbdulRahman-dq6js]

Great video 👏 I wanna be a fornt-end dev That mean i should go for JavaScript but some people say you should start with low language like c++ or java then move to JavaScript to have solid foundation in programming What would you recommend?

[@ConnerArdman]

I personally wouldn’t start with C++. It’s just way more difficult, even for experienced developers. You could start with Java and move to JavaScript if you really want, but even that isn’t necessary. I think the best option would be to start with JavaScript and/or Typescript (just JavaScript with static typing). I’d also learn a bit of HTML and CSS early on. That’ll give JavaScript some extra context and it will give you a good idea on if front-end is right for you. Good luck 👊

[@lukaschumchal7797]

So relived that there is no Scratch cat mascot in the video :)

[@lonedruid3360]

For newbies out there, try to find one good course either on Udemy or other. A good one will teach you everything, if you pick web development, the course should include html, css, javascript, how to use libraries, database, frameworks, version control etc. After that, master what you have learned. You can now browse short tutorials on KZbin since you already know what you're doing

[@jeffsad8391]

Hold up:As beginner what should i begin with how computer work or math?

[@daniel_ach]

Hi Conner, Very helpful and inspiring video! I have been doing a bootcamp in full stack python, I absolutely felt in love with coding and my teachers were always telling me how talented I was and passionate about it. After my bootcamp i got an internship and the company decided to hire me after 3 month. Approximately a year later, I lost my job my because the start-up couldn’t handle the budget the had son they had to fire me. Unfortunately its been 6 month and I haven’t been able to find a new job. Im thinking of restarting the whole process of learning how to code and again but this time doing the JS bootcamp… Do you think it would be smart to start again a bootcamp and going an internship and finding a job afterwards? Thanks a lot in advance for all the tips you give 🙏🏻😇❣️

[@ConnerArdman]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video! And sorry to hear about losing your job. It's really hard for me to answer this question, because I can't possibly know enough about the situation to give super direct advice so take everything I say with a grain of salt. If you already know how to code, it seems like going to another bootcamp might be fairly redundant, even if they are teaching a different language. I'd imagine you could teach yourself JavaScript with online tutorials/courses if you want to learn it and save yourself a lot of money. That said, if programs exist for people in your situation who aren't coming in having never coded then maybe it could still be good. As for doing an internship, that is pretty hard for me to say, because again I don't know enough about you, but I would guess you would probably be better applying to full time developer jobs, since you have already had one before. I've never really heard of anyone doing an internship after having previously been a full time developer. Good luck!

[@daniel_ach]

@@ConnerArdman Thank you so much for the time you give answering this message 🙌🏽 The Bootcamp I’m planning on re-doing is free since I have done already à Bootcamp in that structure so I have the ability to be in touch with students and great teachers. I hope after this Bootcamp I’ll be able to finally pass those technical interview. I would love afterwards to start using algoexpert to get prepared to interviews Would you recommend me getting the frontend or fullstack bundle ? Thanks Again 😇

[@ConnerArdman]

@@daniel_ach Awesome, that’s great if it’s free! I usually recommend doing the bundle, because frontend developers are asked both frontend and standard coding interview questions. That can vary a lot from company to company though.

[@RahulKumar-ri9rx]

Hi sir how are you I just wanna ask some questions. What is the role of an SDE intern in a tech company? How do we make sure that we get full time offer after internship? Please Please reply. Thank you sir.

[@ConnerArdman]

It depends on the company, but generally interns have pretty much the same role as new full-tome developers, just for a fixed period of time. I have a whole video on getting return offers, but I think the biggest things are executing on your project and communicating well.

[@duncanleite3717]

Something thats always missing from this type of video’s. My first(and only at this point)interview they asked me to explain my code line by line,l got stuck at line 10 because I followed a KZbin vid and didn’t really understand what it is doing I have a working project but cant say how I got to that point. If you cant comment every line then go back.

[@ConnerArdman]

Absolutely, 100% agree 👌

[@dogboykk9817]

Getting stuck with no progress, felt stupid and depressed..

[@pamudithajayasundara1259]

I am waiting for a new content everytime...

[@RahulKumar-ri9rx]

One more thing How to start with development in Java and Spring Boot.

[@ConnerArdman]

It’s no different than any other language/framework, just find a good course (can be free) and commit to it. Also, I’m not sure I would start with Spring Boot unless you have a specific reason for it. Nothing wrong with it, but it’s just not super popular at the moment, at least as far as I know.

[@sciuresci1403]

Did you actually use online editors while learning to code ? Pretty sure you're a CS graduate.

[@ConnerArdman]

I first learned the basics of coding long before going to college, although I never got all that far for reasons similar to what I mentioned in this video (not practicing beyond the tutorials, lacking context, etc.). So yes, I used a few of the different online learning platforms with online editors. Nothing against those editors, they just also need to be supplemented with local development in my opinion.

[@seventeeen29]

"All programming languages have the same fundamental ideas" **Haskell enters the chat**

[@ConnerArdman]

Lol even Haskell shares a lot of the same fundamental ideas… kind of 😂

[@cosecax]

How old are you ?))

[@ConnerArdman]

24, almost 25 😀

[@hugo-garcia]

Why don't just do a computer science degree ?

[@ConnerArdman]

For many a CS degree is the best option, but for many others it isn’t an option due to the cost or the time it takes to get it.

[@hugo-garcia]

@@ConnerArdman Oh. Where I live you can get a degree for free in the public system

[@marcofernstaedt8179]

I am a big fan of ProgrammingExpert. it helped me learn Python. if you want to learn python i Strongly recommend it!

[@ConnerArdman]

Awesome, glad to hear it worked out well for you!