"A New Hope" for Computer Science students

Let's face it, programming can be hard, especially starting out. Nothing seems to do what you expect it to do, there's all these rules that you have to follow, and you just wanted the code to build a simple calculator for a school project! And by the end of the day, you are mentally exhausted and you want to throw your computer out the window (If this sounds familiar, please keep reading I have good news for you!). 

A little background about me first. I didn't start programming until I was 18 and in college. And the first course I took in programming was a nightmare! My professor was used to teaching PhD students and the administration forced him to teach the hungover freshmen the fundamentals of C programming (The grandpa of modern programming languages). I along with about half the class withdrew from this course after 5 weeks of being thrown into a nightmare of a curriculum. Many of my colleagues gave up on computer science after that course and switched to another major. I thought about switching majors as well but decided to give it another shot. But I knew that I would have to be prepared to learn a lot  before I attempted that course again. And when I took that course again  I ACED IT. People were actually coming to me for help just after about 2 months of programming 30 minutes a day in my free time.

7 years later, I thought it would be a good idea to share the wisdom that I have accrued over the years and hopefully this blog will help an aspiring Software Developer pave their way to a great career.

" So, what can I take back for me after reading this blog?"

I am going to give you some great resources for the absolute beginner. Material that will hold your hand all the way through the beginning of your new career path. From setting up an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), all the way to pointers and memory allocation (If you don't know what pointers and memory allocation are don't stress. A lot of developers that I know rarely have to deal with them or even know how to deal with them).

Below is my top 3  FREE online resources that I used to learn the basics. Also, I specify what major languages (C, C++, Java, Python, Javascript, and Ruby) each resource helps you with so you won't have to scramble through the links. If you don't see the language that you are learning that's ok too! I almost forgot one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you. Ask the upper class students what resources they used to get through a specific course. Upper class students are a great fountain of knowledge to help you get great external resources that professors don't even know about. Some might be rude or unhelpful, but if you ask around you will find someone I promise!

YouTube Channel thenewboston: Videos made by Bucky Roberts

-Bucky is the best resource I can give to you. He teaches all the languages mentioned above and more. I cannot emphasize how helpful he is for a beginner and once you become comfortable in a language, he typically teaches the more complex aspects of the language in other tutorials. 30 minutes a day watching and following along with his videos will help you succeed in becoming a better programmer I guarantee it!

Codecademy (Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript)

-Codecademy is a company built for teaching beginners programming. If you enjoy interactive tutorials with a code editor built into the web page and seeing your progress then this is a great resource for you. Not all their content is free, but whenever I needed an ego boost or wanted practice with a concept in a language, I would come here. This website is great for really getting syntax to stick in your head so you won't have to Google how to do basic commands like setting up an array or initializing variables.

Stack Overflow (Any and every language ever)

-Stack Overflow is the best resource when your compiler or IDE is giving you an error you can't figure out for the life of you. Maybe you put something in the wrong place the logic in the code is off. When I got stuck like this, I would highlight the error message in it's entirety and search for similar errors on Stack Overflow. Stack Overflow is a community of developers helping each other solve many problems including syntax and logic errors. Trust me, use this resource if you are stumped. That's all for today and good luck!

-Tylor Cornett, Software Developer