I’m taking my first programming courses next semester and was wondering if the developers on this forum have a recommendation on whether to take the classes in person.
I do work full time so the classes being accessible anywhere is a huge plus for me, and i have an easier time focusing outside of a classroom environment.
the classes are python 1, python for games, and visual basic. is there any reason i should be in the room for these?
I’m not a programmer by trade, but I did learn R this past semester online without a hitch.
Maybe find some online intro to Python stuff and try that out ahead of time? If you can teach yourself by yourself you’ll most likely be fine taking the class online in my opinion.
That’s going to be a large part of it, then. I enjoy online classes because I rarely ask questions in class, don’t go to socialize, and finish my work much faster in an online course than a physical, in-person course.
However, if you need someone to bounce questions on on the spot, that’s something to consider. Keep a notebook on hand during your online course (if you go that route) and send an email later or go to office hours with your questions.
If you need to research something or dig into something, write it down and do it after the lecture. If you are easily distracted than pausing a video to go research something and then getting into browsing a forum is going to be detrimental to your education. Focus and determination are vastly more important in an online class compared to an in-person one.
i have an easier time focusing outside of a classroom environment.
There’s your answer.
There’s no reason why you need a classroom to learn programming and most of the degree-holding programmers I’ve worked with learned to program prior to enrolling in the degree program.
Access to faculty is incredibly useful though, so make sure whatever method you use has good tools for that. Course work and requirements aren’t always clear and getting clarification can eliminate a lot of frustration. It’s also valuable if you struggle with concepts and need help.
As a final note…
You can learn to program on your own, but you can’t learn collaborative programming on your own. That doesn’t have to be learned in a classroom, but it’s a mandatory skill for a well-rounded programmer. You’ll be working with other developers in pretty much any programming job you land, so experience doing it isn’t optional.
Hi, I took 4 years of programming in high school and 2 years in college, and throughout that I learned only highly engaging activities were able to teach me to code well… generally this lends towards in person style with small group work or having peers to consult is what i did best with but this largely comes down to you.
I think the way you learn should reflect your goals… if you want to work in a development team classroom may be a better fit if you want to freelance maybe online is the better choice, it’ll help you more easily integrate into the enviroment.
For me personally, i learned by doing. i had an idea for something and i wanted to code it, ended up trying a bunch of different languages and practices. Even tho im not a pro or experienced in any way at all, i have always preferred to learn by doing and not by listening or reading.
To sum up, learn the way that suits you and not the way it suites someone else
I think this is a given and maybe i didn’t lend to that very clearly in my response. Both environments are going to require a lot of doing that’s the nature of programming it’s just the social aspect that will need to be shaped to how you plan to use your skills (or maybe you’ll just need to find out along the way).
Skip visual basic. Not worth the time at all. Only valuable once in a blue moon with vba and you don’t want to be a vba Dev.
If you can, pick up either c# or Java. But don’t get hung up on the language. The important part is to learn how to code, not learn a language. A good programmer can use whatever language they need to do the job.
I learned in University but there is so many free courses available. Just don’t believe everything you read. The differences between an online course, opinions, and a production environment are very different.
dafuq? why? this is 2019
But to answer your question, online is fine if you have the discipline to get it done and not get distracted.
lol, it’s an elective credit
Since it’s an intro course and the language is Python you’d probably be fine doing it online. However, if you continue to learn to program and begin learning about some of the more advanced programing topics and concepts it might be helpful take it in person.
My guess is that you’ll cover the basics of programming like variables, dictionaries, loops, and boolean logic. These are pretty simple concepts. In addition, Python is a pretty straight forward language, which doesn’t require much understanding of how programs are executed “under the hood” unlike C or C++. Therefore, online should be pretty simple.
However, if you continue to progress or start using a language like C or C++ it might be helpful to take it in person. For example, topics like object oriented programming, abstract/generic classes, interfaces, polymorphism, and algorithms can be helpful to learn in person. Sometimes learning and applying these things may be difficult to digest and implement and having classmates could be helpful to “get you over the hump,” especially if some of them are employed programmers just trying to get that piece of paper.
Good luck!
Udemy might help, there you can find some well-sctructured courses, with some projects to practice and all that
But I don’t think it’s worth to know visual basic nowadays…
Are the online courses on codeacademy or udemy structured enough that they give you projects to work on or just the theoretical application of how stuff works? Ive been wanting to learn for a while now but always feel like I do not know WHAT to start coding or where it will take me. Sorry if this is a vague issue.
this
Just search for the ones with high ratings, and wait the sales, they’re always on sale, here and there courses get like 20 BRL, might be 5 to 10 US$
Udemy is a platform for people to launch their courses, it’s not like an academy, but there are some really good teachers there
totally worth it
You can form meatspace networks by learning in a classroom. Your next employer, co-worker or employee might me among the students.
Your teacher can actually be a mentor for far longer if you can form proper bonds in meatspace.
Isolating yourself via online can be less good in the long run, even if it benefits you in the short run. Besides, assignments are more bearable with friendly classmates around.