How to learn programming
Many people ask me how to learn programming. It is a vast world and many paths are paid or obsolete or not worth putting effort into. So, here I have made a guide for all the people who want to learn programming.
Note- PLEASE do not do this-
- Open chatgpt or any other AI (Claude, Gemini, Deepseek, Grok, and any other model WILL NOT HELP YOU LEARN).
- Ask it ” Hey chat, teach my python in 1 day” ore something akin to that.
The reason why I’m saying this is because a friend of mine tried it, and instead of learning, he ended up making a random game in Python, and not learning anything. So, here’s a really simple guide to learn programming.
1. Scratch (optional)
Scratch is a very basic programming language, but it will let you learn the nitty-gritties of algorithms and basic programming concepts.
The fun begins.
Now is the time to choose a programming language to learn. I recommend staying away from C/C++ and Java, because they aren’t beginner frendly. Now, There are two paths.
- Web Development
- I don’t know what to do I just wanna learn programming.
The people who fall in category one, should learn these languages in this order.
But, I recommend that before you learn CSS/JS after learning HTMl, finish this and this too. The people who fall in category two, should learn Python
By the time you learn python/ web development fully according to these courses/guides, you will know what you want to learn next. It can be anything from C++ and Rust, to Java and Kotlin. Fell free to explore.
About Vibecoding
See, I believe that AI might be the future of programming. But, many times AI makes mistakes. I know it because I have tried it. No amount of The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Vibe Coding or Make apps without knowing how to code will actually help you. For example, if you come across a SyntaxError, AI is not the best. My recommendation is to learn programming, and Then use AI as a helper.
Free resources.
Here are some free resources that you I used to learn programming. No email, no sign-ups just free learning.
-
Programiz Programiz is a nice site, which explains deeply about concepts. https://www.youtube.com/@programizstudios is also worth looking at.
I mean its okay as a reference. I learnt from it, but I appreciate programiz better.
I wish I knew this before! It’s so good!
I like this one as it explores more niche topics and concepts.
It’s also a great resource for beginners.
Final message
Be curious about programming. Why do languages use semicolons? What is a variable? It’s totally fine to ask Google/AI about anything you have questions about. Try to find and learn new things. And, even I use AI when my code doesn’t work and I am confused. Overall, it’s fun and nice!