Learn to Code: Where to Start and Which Language to Learn?

Learning to code can sometimes feel like too big of a challenge. But don’t despair. You’ve come to the right place. Let’s have a closer look at what you may need to get started and how to get going.

Before you start learning to code

Let’s go straight to the requirements. Actually, there are very few. In fact, everyone who knows how to use a computer and can read and write can learn how to code. Simple as that! There are no limits, either. Whether you are an adult, a child, an engineer, a social worker, an accountant or any other professional, coding is for everyone, all you need is determination, patience, and the right attitude.

First steps as you learn to code

But before you start, ask yourself why you want to learn to code. You may be trying it for fun, plan to build a website, want to get the needed skills to get a long-overdue promotion, or even look into starting a new career as a developer. It might also be a completely different reason, but knowing what you want will help you on your journey. We’ll come back to this point in a bit.

Languages to learn

You may have heard that there are different coding languages that one can use out there. Maybe you stumbled across HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and many more. But which one is the best for you? Depending on your goal, some make more sense for you to learn than others.

To give you a swift overview, let’s have a look at the two most common choices to start with: 1) HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and 2) Python.

1. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

With HTML and CSS, you’ll get to visible results fast, and you’ll be able to build websites and web apps (once you add JavaScript to the mix) in no time. When you are interested in creating websites and apps, starting with HTML and then moving to CSS and JavaScript is the right choice.

2. Python

With Python, the first steps will be easy and quick since the language is straightforward and relatively close to English. When you’re interested in data science and working with data in general, Python is the fastest way to get there.

Coding courses

So how to actually start? Searching for “learn to code” or other similar terms on Google will show you more than seven billion entries. You’ll be able to find tons of tutorials and courses online. However, most of them are not adapted to your level and don’t help you make the first steps. The majority of the courses you find online require you to set up a development environment and have some prior knowledge.

When we learned how to code, we got frustrated by the sheer amount of horrible tutorials that we had to go through. That’s why we created Mimo. It doesn’t matter how much you already know about coding. We help you learn to code from scratch or jump back into it in a fun and exciting way.

Knowing what your goal is also helps us. Based on your goal we can create a perfect learning path for you based on your aim. When you use Mimo for the first time, we take your prior knowledge and your goal into account to decide how your personal study plan should look like.

Baby steps

Coding may require commitment, but you don’t have to dedicate your whole day to it, just a few minutes every day is sufficient to get going. That’s correct: a couple of minutes a day are enough. Later you can increase the time you want to spend on gaining new coding skills. But we can’t stress this enough: it’s crucial to stick with it if you want to see results. Staying on track and being persistent is, according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, one of the most effective predictors for success. We couldn’t agree more. But since we know how hard sticking with goals is when life gets in the way, we try to do our best to help you: Mimo’s streak system will assist you in building a daily habit to achieve consistency.

If you are looking for additional resources to help kickstart your coding journey, we wrote a post on five useful tips for beginners you might want to check out.

Should I learn to code?

Yes, coding is for everyone and learning to code has never been that easy. Whether you’ve tried before or you have yet to write your first line of code, we’re here to help you, take you through the whole process, and ensure you achieve your goals.

What are you waiting for? Let’s start coding!

Download our app from App Store or Google Play and start learning with us. You can code, too!