How to start from scratch?
__I started from zero, and this is my sharing about learning to code__
In the midst of choosing the title for my first story, I remember the feeling of the American TV Series “So You Think You Can Dance”. The feeling of this TV Series is exactly the feeling I want to bring up here about the track of learning to code. There is no limit if you really want to do something.
IF I CAN, SO CAN YOU!
Let me introduce myself to you. My background to start with coding is low. I actually come from a background of business that has nothing to do with IT and codes. If I can learn to code, so can you?
October 2020 I already got accepted to a code academy and I can code 6 days a week 12 hours each day. So if you are wondering if you can code, the answer is “yes, we can”.
I will continue coding, and look forwards to the next topic that provides more technical knowledge/practical methods to making use of the code.
KNOWING THE TIME WE LIVE
If you and I are recognizing about the world we are living in is changing towards digitalization and Industry 4.0, you will soon agree with me that learning about technology, coding, data are not just buzz words, but things we should seriously consider for adaptation to the new age of modern working. For this reason, I think everyone should know at some level about coding.
A throwback in May 2020, I challenged myself to seriously learn to program although coding to my knowledge at that time sounds like things for IT people, so how the hell a business graduate can cope with it? But you never know how far or even how scary it is if you don’t experience it.
In my opinion, coding may seem complex, but by learning it, you will see that it is not something too far away or too advance to catch. Let me tell you reasons to stop letting the fear drive you!
- WE | HUMANS ARE THE CREATORS
We are using computers every day, but have we ever asked how the hell this small rectangle box can do that much amazing works? How does this invention start from scratch? There should be us, humans who start to build it. We suppose to know it. It is not something dropped from the Moon.
- CODE IS THERE TO HELP US
Code is the language we use to interact, to tell the machine what we want it to serve us! For example: in Python, instead of using a long text, long equation, long process, again and again, we have ‘variable’ and ‘functions’. They save us from wasting time writing the same thing again and again.
- CODE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND FROM ROOTS
Since I started to learn to code, my brain is opening and the dots are connected. This is such a big motivation for a person from a business background using Word/Excel/PowerPoint. I will start to see the behind the scenes logic, and start to have a sense of why we have what we use today.
And you can always find a small reward like one day you are able to help my friend fix the ‘nested if’ condition in Excel with the logic of “iferror”.
- CODE IS NOT AS FRAGMENTED AS LANGUAGE
If you are not good with languages such as learning a new foreign language. I do not think it is an adequate reason not to learn to code. Coding is a language to use with the machine, but this kind of language is logical and the concepts appear to be much less than our human language. Therefore, our brain should be able to digest without costing too much of our space in memory to remember fragmented parts.
- WHERE TO START?
There are many programming languages you can start to get a sense of what is coding in a computer. From my experience, I can recommend you some good quality place and free to learn the platform. Check out the below resources to have the first step in :)
Disclaimer: This story is about my practical experience on how to start from scratch. I want to convey the message that coding can be from the simplest step to the more advanced ones.
