How to Successfully Teach Yourself to Code: A Complete Guide

The ability to code has become one of the most valuable and in-demand skills in our increasingly digital world. Programming skills open doors to lucrative careers, exciting entrepreneurial opportunities, and the power to bring ideas to life and solve meaningful problems.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of software developers is projected to grow 22% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.[^1] The median annual wage for software developers in May 2020 was $110,140.[^2] And it‘s not just tech companies that need coders – programming skills are increasingly valued across industries like finance, healthcare, retail, media, and more.

But how do you gain coding skills, especially if you don‘t have the time or resources to pursue a traditional computer science degree? Enter the world of self-learning. With the rise of high-quality online resources and communities, it‘s more possible than ever to teach yourself to code and land a rewarding job, no matter your background.

As a full-stack developer who transitioned from a non-technical field, I‘m living proof that self-learning can lead to a successful and impactful career in software development. In this ultimate guide, I‘ll share proven strategies, mindsets, and resources to help you successfully teach yourself to code and break into tech. Let‘s get started!

Why Self-Learning is a Great Path for Aspiring Developers

When it comes to gaining coding skills, there are several paths you can take:

1. Pursue a computer science degree from a college or university
2. Attend a coding bootcamp
3. Teach yourself using online resources and projects

While there‘s no one "right" path, self-learning offers some unique advantages:

• Flexibility: You can learn at your own pace, on your own schedule, from anywhere in the world. Self-learning is ideal if you‘re balancing learning to code with a full-time job, family responsibilities, or other constraints.

• Affordability: Self-learning is undoubtedly the most affordable option. You can access a wealth of free and low-cost learning resources online, from tutorials and courses to open-source projects and coding communities.

• Customization: With self-learning, you‘re in the driver‘s seat of your education. You can tailor your learning journey to your specific goals, interests, and learning style. Want to specialize in machine learning or focus on front-end development? You have the freedom to create a custom curriculum.

• Practical skill development: Self-learning is inherently project-based and hands-on. Rather than getting bogged down in theory, you‘ll be building real-world projects from day one. This practical experience is invaluable for developing job-ready skills and demonstrating your abilities to potential employers.

Of course, self-learning also comes with challenges. It requires a great deal of internal motivation, discipline, and resilience. Without the structure and deadlines of a formal program, it can be easy to get stuck or give up when the going gets tough.

But with the right strategies and support, self-learning can be an incredibly rewarding and effective path to gaining coding skills. In the rest of this guide, we‘ll dive into proven tactics to help you succeed.

How to Learn to Code Faster and More Effectively

Learning to code is a bit like learning a foreign language. It requires consistent practice, immersion, and a willingness to make lots of mistakes. But just like language learning, there are certain strategies and methods you can use to accelerate your progress and retain information better.

Here are some of the most effective learning tactics, backed by cognitive science and my own experience as a self-taught developer:

Active Recall

Active recall is the process of challenging yourself to remember information, rather than passively reviewing it. It‘s a bit like doing a workout for your brain. Research has shown that actively recalling information helps you retain it better in long-term memory.[^3]

To apply active recall when learning to code, regularly quiz yourself on concepts and syntax. After reading a tutorial or watching a video, close your reference materials and try to explain the key points in your own words or write out the code from memory. Use flashcards to test yourself on key commands and concepts.

The act of struggling to remember information (even if you get it wrong) actually helps encode it more deeply. Embrace the challenge and don‘t be afraid to make mistakes – that‘s where the real learning happens!

Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasingly longer intervals over time. It‘s based on the idea that you can combat the natural forgetting curve by refreshing your memory at strategic points.[^4]

To use spaced repetition when learning to code, review concepts and practice skills at regular intervals (e.g., 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days after initially learning them). This helps transfer knowledge from short-term to long-term memory.

Many spaced repetition apps and flashcard programs (like Anki and Quizlet) use algorithms to optimize review intervals for maximum retention. You can also create your own spaced repetition schedule using a calendar or reminder system.

Project-Based Learning

One of the most effective ways to learn to code is by building real-world projects. Projects provide immediate feedback, help you internalize concepts, and give you valuable experience working with different technologies and problem-solving.

When choosing projects, look for ones that are:

• Relevant to your learning goals and interests
• Challenging enough to push you out of your comfort zone, but not so difficult that you get stuck and give up
• Scoped to be completed in a reasonable timeframe (a few days to a couple weeks)
• Useful or interesting to you personally (so you‘re motivated to see them through)

Some ideas for beginner-friendly projects:

• A personal website or online portfolio
• A web scraper that collects data from a site you‘re interested in
• A simple game like Tic-Tac-Toe or Rock-Paper-Scissors
• A to-do list app or habit tracker
• A basic e-commerce site or landing page

As you build projects, document your process and share your work on platforms like GitHub. This helps you build a portfolio to showcase to potential employers and also allows you to get feedback and collaborate with other developers.

The Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is a learning method named after Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. It‘s based on the idea that if you can explain a concept simply to someone else, you truly understand it yourself.[^5]

To use the Feynman Technique when learning to code:

1. Choose a concept you want to learn (e.g., recursion, object-oriented programming).
2. Pretend you‘re teaching the concept to a child or someone with no coding experience.
3. Identify any gaps in your explanation or areas where you struggle to explain simply.
4. Go back to your learning resources and re-learn the concept until you can explain it fully and clearly.

This process of distilling information and putting it in your own words helps clarify your thinking and embed knowledge. It also prepares you to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders – a key skill for developers in the workplace.

Staying Motivated and Accountable in Your Self-Learning Journey

Learning to code is a long journey with many peaks and valleys. There will be days when everything clicks into place and you feel unstoppable – and days where you‘re so stuck and frustrated you want to throw your computer out the window.

Cultivating resilience and maintaining motivation is key to successful self-learning. Here are some tips for staying motivated and accountable for the long haul:

Set Specific, Measurable Goals

Clear, achievable goals provide structure for your learning and a sense of progress. Set both short-term and long-term goals, and break them down into specific action steps.

For example, a short-term goal might be: "Complete a Python course and build a web scraper project in the next 4 weeks." A long-term goal might be: "Land my first junior developer job within the next 12 months."

Having a clear target to work towards and milestones along the way helps you stay focused and motivated. Celebrate your wins and share your goals with others for added accountability.

Find an Accountability Partner or Study Group

Self-learning doesn‘t have to mean learning alone. Reach out to friends, family, or online communities to find a coding buddy or accountability partner. Having someone to check in with regularly, share progress, and troubleshoot challenges can make a huge difference in your motivation and follow-through.

If you thrive on social interaction and collaboration, consider joining a local or virtual study group. Many cities have coding meetups and co-working sessions you can attend. Or start your own study group and invite others to join you in working through a course or project.

Build a Consistent Habit

Consistency beats intensity when it comes to learning to code. It‘s much better to code for 30 minutes every day than to have one 3-hour session per week. The more frequently you practice, the faster you‘ll develop skills and comfort with programming.

To build a consistent coding habit, choose a specific time and place to practice each day (e.g., from 7-7:30am at your kitchen table). Stack your coding practice onto an existing habit, like brewing your morning coffee or commuting to work. Use a habit tracker app to log your progress and hold yourself accountable.

Remember, building a new habit takes time and effort. Start small, with just 10-15 minutes of coding practice per day. Gradually increase duration as the habit becomes more automatic. Aim for progress, not perfection – showing up regularly is what matters most.

Overcoming Obstacles and Plateaus

As you learn to code, you‘re guaranteed to encounter obstacles and plateaus. These are a normal and inevitable part of the learning process – not a sign that you‘re not cut out for programming.

Here are some common challenges self-taught developers face and strategies for overcoming them:

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you‘re not "good enough" or that you‘re a fraud about to be exposed, no matter how much you accomplish. It‘s extremely common among developers (as many as 58% experience it![^6]), especially when you‘re constantly comparing yourself to others who seem to know more than you.

To combat imposter syndrome:

1. Recognize that it‘s a normal feeling and not a reflection of your actual skills or potential.
2. Focus on your own progress and growth rather than comparing yourself to others.
3. Celebrate your wins and accomplishments, no matter how small.
4. Talk to other developers about your feelings – you‘ll quickly realize you‘re not alone.
5. Reframe your internal dialogue from "I‘m not good enough" to "I‘m continuously learning and improving."

Remember, every expert was once a beginner. Don‘t let self-doubt hold you back from pursuing your goals and putting your work out there.

Tutorial Hell

Tutorial hell is the state of getting stuck in an endless loop of tutorials and courses without ever feeling like you‘re making real progress. It‘s easy to get addicted to the false sense of accomplishment from completing tutorials, but true learning comes from applying concepts yourself.

To escape tutorial hell:

1. Recognize when you‘re over-relying on hand-holding and passive learning.
2. For each new tutorial or course, set a specific project goal to apply the concepts.
3. Cap the amount of time you spend on tutorials (e.g., no more than 50% of your total learning time).
4. Practice building projects and features from scratch, without relying on starter code.
5. When you get stuck, resist the urge to immediately look up a solution. Struggle with the problem first and develop your problem-solving skills.

Embrace the discomfort of self-directed learning and trust that you‘ll figure things out as you go. The more you practice independent problem-solving, the more confident and capable you‘ll become.

Burnout and Overwhelm

Learning to code can feel like drinking from a firehose, with an endless stream of new concepts, technologies, and tools to keep up with. It‘s easy to fall into the trap of trying to learn everything at once or pushing yourself too hard, leading to burnout and overwhelm.

To manage overwhelm and maintain a healthy relationship with coding:

1. Focus on depth over breadth. Pick one language/skillset to start and stick with it until you‘re comfortable before adding more.
2. Take regular breaks and prioritize self-care. Step away from your computer to rest your mind and body.
3. Practice stress-management techniques like meditation, journaling, or exercise.
4. Celebrate your progress and acknowledge how far you‘ve come, rather than fixating on how much you still don‘t know.
5. Find ways to make learning fun and playful. Work on projects that excite you and don‘t be afraid to experiment and break things.

Remember, learning to code is a lifelong journey. Pace yourself for the marathon, not the sprint. Trust that as long as you keep showing up and putting in consistent effort, you will reach your goals.

Next Steps and Getting Unstuck

If you‘ve read this far, you now have a comprehensive roadmap and strategies for successfully teaching yourself to code. But knowledge alone isn‘t enough – you need to take action and apply what you‘ve learned.

So what should you do next? Here are some concrete next steps to get started:

1. Clarify your coding goals and break them down into a specific learning plan. What do you want to achieve in the next 30 days? 90 days?
2. Choose one programming language to start with (I recommend Python or JavaScript for beginners) and one learning resource to dive into (book, course, tutorial, etc.).
3. Set aside a specific time and place for daily coding practice. Start small and gradually build up your habit.
4. Find an accountability partner or join a coding community for support and motivation.
5. Start building small projects as soon as possible to apply what you‘re learning. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and embrace the struggle.

No matter where you are in your self-learning journey, know that you have what it takes to succeed. Learning to code is challenging, but it‘s also incredibly rewarding and empowering.

So keep showing up, stay curious, and don‘t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. The tech world needs your unique perspectives and contributions. Happy coding!

[^1]: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 8). Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers : Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
[^2]: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 8). Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers : Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
[^3]: Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199327
[^4]: Smolen, P., Zhang, Y., & Byrne, J. H. (2016). The right time to learn: mechanisms and optimization of spaced learning. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(2), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2015.18
[^5]: Thomas, F. (n.d.). The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything. FS Blog. Retrieved May 17, 2023, from https://fs.blog/feynman-technique/
[^6]: Brown, M. (2021, April 19). 58% of Developer Have Experienced Imposter Syndrome. Haystack Analytics. https://haystackanalytics.com/blog/58-percent-of-developers-experience-imposter-syndrome