Start Over Coder

I hit my first major stumbling block when it comes to learning to code. I say 'first' because I'm sure there will be more! In this episode I share what I think happened, and what I'm going to do differently to make sure this this speed bump doesn't become a dead end.

The Learn To Code series continues in this episode, as we talk about joining local coding groups!

I'm very lucky to live in a major metropolitan area where transportation is easy and there are lots of people learning to code. If that's not the same for you, be sure to check out some of my other episodes in this series (links below). But if you live in a relatively populated area, chances are there are some in-person groups you can join up with like I have.

My first suggestion is checking out meetup.com for local groups. Enter your post/zip code and search for random terms like 'coding,' 'programming,' or the name of whatever language you're trying to learn and hopefully you will find some meetups to join. Facebook is another good place to find local groups of people learning to code.

If you live near a coding bootcamp, you might also look into whether they offer any free or introductory courses in your area. These may turn out to be a bit of a sales pitch for their school, but you may well learn something and at the very least you'll meet some other people who are learning to code.

Once you find a group, the practical things you need to know are to bring your laptop (and charger!), some food, and some water, just in case (spoken from experience!). In the episode I also talk about some of my impressions from a few groups I joined. But whatever your experience, go in with an open mind and be ready to put yourself out there and ask questions. Happy coding!

If you want to check out the other episodes in this Learn To Code series you can do so here:

Episode 5: Overview - all the ways you can learn to code

Episode 6: Free Online Resources

Episode 7: Paid Online Resources

Are there any coding groups you've joined, or any other places to look that you would suggest? Leave a comment at http://startovercoder.com/009!

Hitting a key milestone in learning to code: that moment when you stop the coding exercises and actually build something! 

After months of going through exercises and theoretical practice problems, I finally reached a point where I can see some practical uses for JavaScript. In today's episode I share my excitement about it with you, and ask--what are some of your learning milestones?

This time I talk about some ways you can learn to code online if you're ready to shell out some cash. This is the third episode of my Learn to Code how-to series.

If you want to check out previous episodes in the series, you can start with an overview in episode 5 or find out about free online resources in episode 6.

Here are the paid courses I shared in this episode:

• Udemy
• Udacity
• Treehouse

And here are some more I didn't mention in the episode but are worth checking out!

• Lynda.com
• Pluralsight

I also mentioned the online bootcamp training programs. I'll talk about bootcamps in depth in a future podcast, but to start your own research now, here are the few that I named which definitely offer online programs:

• General Assembly
• Hack Reactor (immersive or part-time)
• CareerFoundry
• Bloc
• Thinkful
• Coding Dojo

One tip--when looking at these resources, be sure to confirm that the course matches the skill level you have already reached. You don't want to go through the basics in each new course you try if you've already got the basics covered! You can usually find reviews of all of these sites (and more) on sites like Quora, SwitchUp, CourseReport, and of course YouTube.

Do you know of any courses that would be worth adding to this list? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/007.

Continuing the learn to code series, in this episode I'll go deeper into how you can learn to code online, for FREE!

The 6 resources I talk about in the podcast are:

• freeCodeCamp
• Codecademy
• Khan Academy
• Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) such as Coursera, edX, HarvardX
• YouTube (check out The Net Ninja and his videos, as well as The New Boston)
• Bootcamp Online Courses
  • Career Foundry Free Web Dev Short Course
  • Hack Reactor Bootcamp Prep
  • Coding Dojo Algorithm App
  • Flatiron School's Learn.co

I also mentioned the Career Foundry blog post 20 Ways to Learn How To Code which talks about all of these resources and more--you might want to check it out for further research.

Did I miss anything? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/006 or email me at [email protected] so that I can add it to the list!

Today's episode is an overview of the different types of learn-to-code resources I've found out there. From apps to use when you're bored to full-time study programs, there are a lot of options!

Before deciding which option to go for it's important to think about your own personal learning style: are you self-motivated or do you need more structure? Is there something specific you want to build straight away? Do you already have some coding experience? Do you like learning on your own or in a group?

Once you have an idea of how you learn best, it's time to look at the different tools. I'll go into these in much more depth in future episodes, but in the meantime here is the overview:

• Free online resources (YouTube, MOOCs, dedicated learning sites, etc.)
• Online games & coding challenges (example: Code Wars)
• Paid online resources (bootcamp prep courses, Udemy, Treehouse, etc.)
• Mobile apps (examples: Mimo, Lrn)
• Bootcamps
• Community programs (Meetup groups, Facebook, etc.)
• University / school courses
• Programming books
• Figuring it out from scratch (via Github, SourceForge, etc.)
• Bonus method! Kids apps (example: Tynker)

Regardless of the method you choose, the one piece of advice I have is to code every day! There is a lot to learn and you want to make sure it sticks.

What do you think about this list, is there anything I missed? Leave a comment below!

In this episode I'll explain how you can achieve financial independence, and why I've chosen to do it. It's not just about sitting on the beach!

Here are some places you can read more about FI:

The Mad FIentist: The Perfect Life

Mr. Money Mustache: The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement

Mr. Money Mustache: How To Go From Middle-Class To Kickass

And here's Dave Ramsay's article about me and my friend Einstein (well, you know what I mean!): How Teen's Can Become Millionaires

In this episode I'll help you figure out where to start once you've decided to learn to code or be a programmer.

Some of the resources I mentioned in the episode can be found at these links:

The Complete Guide To Everything: What Is the Best Programming Language to Learn First? (YouTube, 19 mins)

LearnCode.Academy: 2016/2017 MUST-KNOW WEB DEVELOPMENT TECH (YouTube, 23 mins) Or just click around the map via this link.

In this episode I'll define financial independence, and tell you why I think learning to code can get you there.

To read more about what FI is, you can check out the blogs I mentioned in the show:

Optimal Finance Daily Episode 224: Financial Independence in Plain English by J.D. Roth (and here's the link to the original post by JD Roth)

Mr. Money Mustache: The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement