In the past half a decade or so there has been a lot of concerted effort to make learning how to code a mainstream thing in the society. From boot camps, hackathons to push by civil societies to have coding become part and parcel of school’s curriculum.
As we wait for these efforts to yield fruit, does it mean you will wait until the day coding lessons become mainstream especially in our public education system? Well, you don’t have to, there are plenty of sites online that can teach you how to code, and the best part you don’t have to spend much to get the coding lessons. In fact, you don’t have to spend anything at all! Well, except Internet connection and a device to connect to the web.
Top 10 Sites where you can Learn how to Code for Free
If you are looking to learn how to code for free, the following ten sites will be invaluable to you:
1. Khan Academy: This site is for everyone, from adults who find it embarrassing to go back to school to learn how to code. To kids preparing to enter college. The site offers not just free coding lessons, but also complex math and science lessons that will prepare your kids who are about to join college.
2. W3Schools.com: Here you can learn just about everything that entails coding, from HTML5, JavaScript, HTML Graphics, Server Side, Web Building and XML. After every course you take test to see how well you’ve mastered the lessons. You can also sit for a paid exam and get certificates you can use as credentials when applying for tech jobs.
3. Udacity: With Udacity, you get Nanodegree programs with course work tied to a specific job title you are seeking. Say you want to become an iOS developer or data analyst or any other tech professional, Udacity will offer you programming course work related to that specific field.
4. Code Avengers: With such a name you expect it to be a thrilling experience like watch one of the Avengers movies. Well, it is just as thrilling, where you get to learn how to build websites, apps and mobile games in a fun If you are into computer games, Code Avengers will reward you with a thrilling game each time you finish a module.
5. Code School: At this site you will learn how to code practically. The site has interactive programming courses with coding challenges. This site offers up to 10 free coding courses.
6. SQLZOO: Yes, SQL plays a vital role in database management, but truth is learning Structured Query Language has never been fun for most people; it is so dull. However SQLZOO will try to make things less daunting, and you get all the skills you need to become a pro at SQL.
7. Dash by General Assembly: This is mainly for people looking to learn how to build up websites. The site teaches you HTML, CSS and JavaScript in a fun way using projects you can execute right on your browser.
8. CodeAcademy: This site can boast of having over 25 million learners from all over the world, it is by all measure the most popular site for learning how to code for free. It has lessons for people of all ages, from teens to the senior citizens.
9. Treehouse: If you are looking for help on how to execute a project you have mapped out in your mind. Treehouse is the platform for you. This platform is less about language-based learning and more about project-based learning.
10. Learn Python The Hard Way: Don’t be frightened away by the name of the site, the course therein are pretty straightforward and are taught by Zed Shaw. The site is an HTML version of Shaw’s book on coding lessons.
As we wait for government, policy makers and school’s administration to make coding a mainstream learning experience. You can get a head start on your way towards becoming a coding guru through any of the above sites where you can learn how to code for free.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020, all schools and major institutions of learning across the U.S. and around the world have been closed. This move was taken by public health officials to curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, it means a lot of school going kids and adults are at home. If you are one of them, there is absolutely no need why your learning should be stopped as the world wait for either a cure, vaccine, or the pandemic dies out.
You can get to online learning from numerous websites. Below we have listed some of the best sites on the internet where you can get relevant educational content to help you with your studies:
Virtual School Day: Nearly 200 free, live K-12 classes available all day long intended to help parents fill their children’s day with enriched learning. Some popular classes are “Intro to Spanish for Kids”, “Coolest Women in History”, “Java Programming Basics”, and “The Story of Your Favorite Fairy Tales”. We have received exceptional ratings from thousands of parents and students.
Virtual Summer Camps: Free half-day summer camps are a week long, with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign languages, chess, theater, coding, Minecraft, how to be a detective, photography and more. These live, interactive camps will be taught by expert instructors vetted through Varsity Tutors’ platform. We already have 300+ camps scheduled for the summer and 2,000 families per day signing up.
Adaptive Diagnostic Assessments: Measure a student’s proficiency and identify strengths and weaknesses in hundreds of subjects. Get an effective learning plan along with free tools to improve.
Varsity Learning Tools: More than 250,000 free practice problems in over 200 subjects. Also available as mobile applications.
The above-mentioned websites will help you keep learning while in the convenience and safety of your own home. That way, when public schools finally reopen, you will not have ‘eroded away what you had learned before COVID-19 pandemic happened.