How to Start Learning to Code
Before you can make coding a lifestyle, you need to begin learning to code! The first question you’re going to ask is, “Where do I start?” I asked myself the same question but ultimately settled on using freeCodeCamp because it’s free and well-organized, and has a strong community.
freeCodeCamp is a website where you learn to code by completing challenges and projects to get certificates. They organize their curriculum in an easy-to-grasp manner and break everything up into challenges. It feels like a game and the structure provides a clear path to the end goal of a certificate.
💸 Supplement Free Resources With Paid Products There are so many free resources out there, but there are also resources definitely worth paying for. You’ll quickly make it back once you start to code for money!
I bought a few courses, but the only one I actually completed was The Web Developer Bootcamp by Colt Steele. If you’re looking for a great starting point, I recommend that course. It teaches you HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, jQuery, Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB in a short period of time.
How to Make Money While Learning to Code (I Made $5k My First Year!) May 18th, 2021 | Sign up for learn to code tips
Lots of people start learning to code in the hope of getting a well-paid job further down the road. But what if you could actually learn how to make money coding while you’re still a beginner?
In this guest post, Joe Previte tells us how to earn money by coding and how he was able to make $5,000 in his first year of learning to code, despite only spending $30 on his education.
If you’re ready to learn how to make money coding from home or at an in-person gig, Joe’s experience can give you some real-world tips and insights!
Okay — here’s Joe! Enjoy :)
Disclosure: I’m a proud affiliate of some of the resources mentioned in this article. If you buy a product through my links on this page, I may get a small commission for referring you. Thanks!
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Start Learning to Code Land Your First Internship or Job Stay Motivated Key Takeaways FAQs Last year, I decided to leave my graduate school program and pursue a career in coding. While spending less than $30 on online courses and resources, I earned close to $5,000 in my first year. I also recently landed a full-time job as a front-end engineer. I proved that it’s possible to make money coding even if you’re a beginner.
How @jsjoeio made $5k in his first year learning to code (and how you can too) CLICK TO TWEET Here’s a quick breakdown of how I was able to earn money programming in 2017, and how much my rates were. These numbers are before taxes:
💻 $3,510 – From an internship with a web design agency ($25/hour)
👨🏫 $1,338 – From TAing/instructing for a local meetup ($15/hour for TA’ing and $25/hour for instructing)
💰 Total: $4,848
Working on a laptop The purpose of sharing these numbers, which are by no means impressive, is to show you that you can code online and earn money sooner than you think. You can actually make money while learning to code.
By the end of this article, you’ll know how to start learning to code, how to make money coding, and how to keep yourself motivated. Along the way, I’ll share everything that helped me to develop my skills and make money while learning to code.
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Enter your email address We use this field to detect spambots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. Don't worry. I'll never, ever spam you! How to Start Learning to Code Before you can start making money coding, you need to begin learning to code! The first question you’re going to ask is, “Where do I start?” I asked myself the same question but ultimately settled on using freeCodeCamp because it’s free and well-organized, and has a strong community.
freeCodeCamp is a website where you learn to code by completing challenges and projects to get certificates. They organize their curriculum in an easy-to-grasp manner and break everything up into challenges. It feels like a game and the structure provides a clear path to the end goal of a certificate.
💸 Supplement Free Resources With Paid Products There are so many free resources out there, but there are also resources definitely worth paying for. You’ll quickly make it back once you start to code for money!
I bought a few courses, but the only one I actually completed was The Web Developer Bootcamp by Colt Steele. If you’re looking for a great starting point, I recommend that course. It teaches you HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, jQuery, Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB in a short period of time.
Creating projects online It’s important to supplement your free coding resources with paid resources because the free resources will only take you so far. Usually, the free pieces give you an introduction. The advantage of a paid course is that it will go into more depth. They will take you beyond the beginner level and help you advance more quickly.
💡 Not sure how to get started? Check out Codecademy’s Web Development Career Path that will take you from no-code to an in-demand junior web developer.
Other paid platforms that offer more advanced coding courses include:
- edX
- Mammoth Interactive
- Udacity
- Coursera
🤝 Join a Coding Community (Online or In-Person) Community, community, and more community. I can’t stress this enough. Learning to code is tough and the best way to overcome challenges is with the support of others. Knowing people who are facing the same struggles (or have already worked through them) makes it 100x easier for you. Find a few people or a group with whom you can connect.
Meetup is a great place to start for in-person groups. If you want one on Facebook, check out the Learn to Code With Me Community and freeCodeCamp groups. Some are location-specific too.
If you’re serious about making code part of you, surround yourself with other coders. You’ll learn more, you’ll progress faster, and you’ll be happier. It might also help you earn money programming for connections you make through these groups. For instance, maybe one of your fellow group members knows of an opportunity to code online and earn money, but they’re too busy to apply or their skills don’t fit. They could pass the details on to you!
👩💻 Make Coding a Habit Habits are hard to make and even harder to break. What if you could make coding a habit you never wanted to break? Imagine where it would take you and the discipline you’ll have to code for money in the future.
The best way to create a new habit is by doing it every day. This is why Alexander Kallaway created the #100DaysOfCode movement on Twitter.
The basic premise is to code every day for an hour, for 100 days. Sounds impossible, right? You could never find the time. I thought the same thing. So I changed the rules and only coded for 30 minutes a day. You can read more about my first #100DaysOfCode experience here.
⏳ Even if you can only do five minutes a day, do it. It will be worth it.
Once you’re ready to earn money programming, you’ll already be accustomed to sitting down every day to spend time in a code editor.