1. Find free resources online

Even just a quick online search will reveal numerous free offers in all kinds of formats that allow you to dip your toes into coding. I recommend choosing a resource with a practical approach including an online code editor so that you can write code from the get-go without the need to install anything on your computer.

I started on codecademy, but exercism recently also launched a new version that focuses more on teaching code and includes concept-based learning exercises and an online code editor.

A good resource for learning more about front-end web development (i.e. creating websites and making them look pretty, to put it very simply) is the Colt’s Code Camp video series on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF_Xl5TOGlY&t=2320s) by Colt Steele (one of my favorite teachers).

If you already have a specific language in mind, go for it. Otherwise, choosing a popular language such as Python or Ruby is a good idea, since the more popular the language, the more (beginner-friendly) resources there will be available. Yet, ultimately, I think which programming language you learn at this very early stage is not that important, since all languages will give you an idea of fundamental coding concepts. Just have fun with it! And don’t feel committed to whichever language you started on. You can always switch to a different one or try out a few.

2. Dive deeper

Once you have been playing around a bit and found a language you like, it’s time to dive deeper. Find more language-specific resources. You might want to start reading a book on your language (sometimes there are free versions available online), or consider taking a language-specific course or bootcamp. If you do an online search you might be able to find free or paid courses for your language. One good (paid) option is the udemy platform where they offer courses for many different languages (they often have good sales so if you have a course in mind, but still have other things to work with, it may be worth it to wait for a promotion to come along).

If you haven’t done so already: start solving the exercises on exercism. No better way to learn than to write code.

3. Set up your own workspace

Install the language(s) you want to work with on your computer and get a code editor. I am using VS Code and have never had any problems with it. Another good idea at this point is to set up a profile on github and to push your code to online repositories. That way you have both a backup of your work and, in case you are considering a career in web development, a place where potential employers can view your code and see all the hard work you have been doing.

4. Check out the other end

If you decide that “YES” writing code is for you and you start playing with the idea of becoming a web developer you will have to put in some thought into what kind of developer you want to be. Backend (the stuff under the hood), front-end (the pretty websites visible to the world) or full-stack (both combined). Make sure you have checked out languages from both ends before you make your decision. So if you have been working with let’s say Python up until this point, go ahead and try your hand at some CSS, and vice versa.

5. Find a project to work on

Eventually, solving exercises from books, bootcamps or on exercism will no longer be enough. Time to take the next step: working on your own project. It doesn’t have to be a world-changing idea or complicated. Just find something that you’re interested in and that you can use to make your life easier. Heck, you don’t even need to write pretty code. My first project was an MRV calculator in horrible Python spaghetti code (https://connie.codes/post/hello_world). The most important thing is that you see that YOU can do things and create things. At this point, the the next tip comes into play.

6. Work with a web framework

You have found a project, you have put work into it, you are having fun with. You are ready to put it online for the world (or at least a select group of people) to see. Time to look into web frameworks. To put it very simple, a web framework is what you use to develop and deploy web applications. Chances are, you are working with a language that has its own dedicated web framework: e.g. if you are working with Python, you’ll look into Django or Flask, if you are working in Ruby, you’ll be looking at Ruby on Rails, and if you are working with Elixir, you’ll be learning how to use Phoenix.

7. Absorb the dev culture

Check out whether there is a local meet-up for your particular language or for developers in general and go for it, attend the meet-up (as I am writing this during a global pandemic, in-person meet-ups might not be available at the moment, but some might have shifted to online sessions or be starting up again as restrictions lift).

You can also do some online research and find out whether there is a local developer community and whether you can get in touch with them (contact forms, slack channels,or even in person … some day).

If you are the more reluctant type and feel that you are not (yet) ready for real interaction, you can use the tool of podcasts to expose yourself to the developer culture. Just use the search function of your podcast player to look for a language-specific podcast, or you can also start out with something less specific like the CodeNewbie Podcast. Don’t let yourself be discouraged if initially you don’t understand a lot of what the people on the podcast are saying. Just listen and let it all sink in. Over time, you will notice that certain things start to sound familiar and before long you will have this “AHA” moment, where you think: “Ha, I actually understand what they are saying!”

Bonus tip for parents

Don’t feel guilty for dedicating time to your code learning efforts. Of course I am not suggesting you just go into your room, close the door and code away whenever you feel like it without any consideration for your kids and partner. What I am talking about is that feeling of guilt that we parents (and probably mums in particular) tend to get when we take some time to do something for ourselves. Just ourselves. Not the kids. Not the family. I strongly believe that taking care of ourselves and taking some good old ME TIME is very important and actually helps us to be a better parent in the long run. I also believe that taking some time to yourself in order to learn something can set a good example for your children. Seeing that you make learning a priority can encourage them to do the same. Depending on the age of your kids, you can even get them started on coding as well. There are some good apps and programs for kids out there.