Webby Wednesday - 3 Websites for Getting Started with Programming

Hello,

KeyStroke here.

I would like to offer my apologies for the belated Webby Wednesday post. My time-management skills for this week have not been on par. I am completing two week's worth of schoolwork, along with juggling life, so I apologize. Now, to get on with the post.

    This week's Webby Wednesday, I would like to recommend a few starting websites for fellow web designers, developers, etc. I have focused on websites that I have personally used, and that offer free information. Some of these will offer free certificates that you can use on your resume.

1. FreeCodeCamp

    FreeCodeCamp is a website that is ran purely on donations. This site offers various free certificates in a variety of tech fields, code tutorials, and professional resources. Each course offers step-by-step learning. Initially, the course will walk you through each step. After that, you get to recreate these steps all on your own, as well as encounter and fix errors that the course generates. The certificate courses are lengthy, so now is a good time to start!

    Other free certificates that I would like to spotlight include courses for data analysis, information security, and machine learning. This website is a well-rounded starting point for anyone looking to get into and test out their interests in programming with no-risk.

2. CodeAcademy

    CodeAcademy is a website that offers an even wider variety than FreeCodeCamp. There are various specialty programs, as well as programs for specific paths, such as full-stack engineering, data scientist, and even iOS developer. Within each course subject, you can find introductory courses, as well as skill paths that focus on specific aspects of that field. Each path is labeled with a difficulty level (beginner, intermediate, etc.), an expected completion time, and course count. There is unlimited, free access to these resources. However, in most cases, you must pay for a subscription to obtain certificates. There are discounts offered for students and businesses.

    Aside from curriculum, CodeAcademy offers a more structured approach to learning these topics. There is quiz offered to users that can help determine where you should begin in your learning journey. After choosing your subject, you can set weekly learning targets, update your goal(s), and earn achievements. Socially, there is a Codeacademy community that features a multitude of threads and "Career Clubs" to help you network and find inspiration as you explore this exciting field.

3.   Mimo

    Mimo is a website and app that offers what I would describe as micro-dose learning that leads to certificates. It is very similar to apps like Duolingo, but rather than verbal languages, you are learning computer languages. There are a few career paths such as full-stack developer or Python AI developer. Alongside this, there are courses that correspond to individual computer languages.

    Aside from curriculum, Mimo offers a build space and community for its users. The build space allows users to build programs using various languages to create, practice, and experiment. As for the community, there are "Live Sessions" which are group-based sessions similar to Zoom. Presenters will discuss topics such as programming languages and career advice like resume building.

    Unfortunately, Mimo features a paid-subscription which does put up paywalls for some features. Mimo is a bit strange, as a basic (free) member on the web platform has less access than mobile users. So, I will go over some key differences. In the app, basic members have unlimited access to all courses and career paths whereas web users will only have access to introductory sections of courses and career paths. For both web and mobile basic members, you will not have access to certificates or live sessions. Alongside this, you will only be able to create 10 projects at a time.

    Because of Mimo's structure, I feel that it is definitely pushed to be a mobile app versus a web app. For this reason, I would recommend it as an on-the-go learning method. Even without certificates, the byte-sized (ha!) lessons are benefical in the long run.

Thank you for reading through my recommendations. I hope that you are able to gain something from these! 😊