The Odin Project
The creators of the prestigious Viking Code School also have a free version: the Odin Project. It focuses on teaching you the skills you need for a successful career in web development. You’ll come out the other side knowing Ruby on Rails, Javascript, jQuery, and more, with a portfolio to prove it. They also provide tools to connect you with other learners, so you can trade tips or team up on projects.
Code Conquest is a free coding guide for beginners. Learn all about coding, compare and select training, take free tutorials and learn a ton more. Try a one-hour tutorial designed for all ages in over 45 languages. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code. If you want to learn to code but you're a total newbie, these 10 free online coding classes should help you get started (and boost your resume in the process). 10 Free Online Coding Classes for Beginners - The Muse: If you want to learn to code but you're a total.
5. HackerRank
Over a million programmers use HackerRank to hone their development skills by solving code challenges. There’s a fun element of competition to it, as you earn points for conquering the problems and vye for a top spot on the HackerRank leaderboard. It won’t exactly walk you through a lesson; their philosophy is more “learn by doing,” so you might want to use it as practice alongside another curriculum.
6. CodeFights
How To Teach Yourself To Code
CodeFights is very similar to HackerRank: you’ll battle strangers (and friends!) for a competitive rank. Race against opponents in real-time to find solutions to a wide variety of coding problems; you’ll have fun while you do it thanks to the game-like structure. The first challenge is easy, but games get harder as you progress. From time to time, you’ll also have the opportunity to compete in tournaments.
7. edX
Learn from the best (like MIT and Harvard) through this open-source higher education community. You’ll find a wide range of computer science courses, and unlike with traditional college, you can learn at your own pace. Note that while the courses themselves are free, you must pay if you’d like a verified certificate (price varies from course to course but is typically $50-$90). When you’re ready to level up even more, edX also features unique “MicroMasters” programs consisting of a series of graduate-level courses that will definitely impress employers.
8. Upskill
No previous experience is required to learn with Upskill, a free bootcamp which takes you from beginner to advanced. A series of video episodes leads you through a variety of portfolio projects, with a laid-back, conversational style. The main focus is on full-stack web development, so you’ll learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby on Rails, Git, Bootstrap, and more along the way.
9. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is another large education platform that has content on subjects from math to music--including, of course, programming. Start with beginner courses like Intro to JS or Intro to HTML/CSS, then move to the advanced levels once you feel ready. As you learn, you’ll encounter in-browser challenges that require hands-on application of what you’re learning.
10. MIT OpenCourseware
This education platform essentially allows you to attend MIT for free. Their online library includes every topic taught at the school; computer science courses can be found under the School of Engineering (grouped together with electrical engineering). Going through this material will require lots of discipline, since the homework, tests, etc. will all need to be self-administered and self-graded. Still, they’re impressive courses to have under your belt.
11. Coursera
Similar to edX, this online course library features a variety of wonderful classes taught by real professors (via pre-recorded video rather than live interaction). Quizzes and projects allow you to apply what you learn. Exploring non-graded material and watching lectures is free, but you have the option of paying for a more in-depth experience and a verified certificate. If, later, you’re interested in pursuing a specific topic in more depth, Coursera offers specializations that will make you an expert in your chosen area of study.
If you've been looking to learn how to code, we can help you get started. Here are 4.5 lessons on the basics and extra resources to keep you going.
Variables and Basic Data Types
In our first lesson we're going to be taking a look at how to store different kinds of variables
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Learn How to Code Part I: Variables and Basic Data Types
Want to learn how to code but don't know where to start? We've got you covered.…
Read more ReadWorking With Variables
Now that you know a thing or two about basic variables and data types, we're going to play around with them and see how they work.
Learn to Code Part II: Working With Variables
In our second 'Learn to Code' lesson, we'll be taking a look at how to actually work …
Read moreLearning To Code For Beginners
ReadArrays and Logic Statements
In this lesson we're going to start with arrays, which are a more complex type of variable, and then move on to for loops and if statements, which let you add conditional logic to your code. This is where things get tough, but also very cool.
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Learn to Code Part III: Arrays and Logic Statements
You've mastered the basics of variables and made it half way through our course, but are you…
Read more ReadUnderstanding Functions and Making a Guessing Game
In our last lesson we're going to learn all about functions and then write one to make a very simple JavaScript guessing game.
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Learn to Code Part IV: Understanding Functions and Making a Guessing Game
If you've made it this far in our programming lessons, you've arrived at the reward.…
Read more ReadBest Practices and Additional Resources
In our 'Learn to Code' epilogue we take a look at some programming best practices and provide a whole bunch of resources to help you take the next steps.
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Learn to Code Epilogue: Best Practices and Additional Resources
Congratulations, you've learned the basics of programming! That's wonderful, but…
Learn Coding Free For Beginners Worksheets
Read moreLearn Coding online, free For Beginners
ReadWant this all in PDF form? Reader Melde got bored and decided to make a PDF version of the lessons. Thanks Melde! You can download it here.
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You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook
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