Explore the diverse world of coding, understand its applications across different industries, and embark on a high-paying career path with just a few months of training. Learn about different formats of coding training, the benefits and drawbacks of each, and how to choose the one that suits your learning style.
Key Insights
- Coding, the language used by tech professionals to instruct devices, is one of the most in-demand skills in today's job market, with applications in multiple industries including education, fashion, finance, medicine, entertainment, and marketing.
- Coding training is available in four formats—in-person, live online, free tutorials, and on-demand. Each format has its own pros and cons, and choosing the right one depends largely on individual learning preferences and circumstances.
- In-person coding training offers a distraction-free environment and social opportunities, but may involve commuting and aligning your schedule with the class timings. Live online training offers the same real-time interaction with experts, but from the comfort of your own home.
- Free online tutorials and on-demand classes serve as excellent introductory material for beginners, covering basic concepts without any financial investment. However, these might lack the depth and up-to-date content that live classes offer.
- While self-learning coding is possible with online tutorials, it can become overwhelming and directionless after a point. Real-time instruction in classes and courses offers the guidance and feedback necessary for effective learning.
- The salaries for various coding positions like Software Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Cybersecurity Analyst, and Machine Learning Engineer are attractive, making coding a lucrative career option.
Coding is a highly diverse field with high-income potential even after a few months of training. Most coders can apply their skills to their own industry or another that matches their interests.
When comparing types of coding training, there are many factors to consider. Everyone learns differently, and choosing the right kind of training is critical to your experience. Keep reading to learn more about the different formats of coding training, how they compare, and how to determine which is best for you.
What is Coding?
Coding is one of the most in-demand skills dominating today’s job market. In simple terms, coding is the language that tech professionals use to tell devices how they should operate. There are several coding languages used for different purposes; some of the more common languages include Java, Python, and JavaScript.
Coding skills are required in many positions, including Software Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Cybersecurity Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, and many others. The main upside of coding is that it’s adaptable to nearly any industry, including education, fashion, finance, medicine, entertainment, and marketing. While it may seem complicated to break into a coding career, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nowadays, anyone can become a coder and obtain an entry-level position after taking a coding bootcamp or two.
Read more about what coding is and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with Coding?
Coding is an incredibly versatile field that covers a wide selection of topics. You’ll be able to create websites, algorithms, and programs that have uses in every industry on the market. Even if your chosen career operates primarily in-person, you’ll be able to take creative approaches to coding that will make everyone’s lives easier.
You can make your own video game, build an online presence for your small business, or code simple programs that automate your mundane tasks. There’s no limit to what you can do with coding. This impressive skill will always serve you well if you have an imaginative mind and a willingness to learn more.
Training Formats for Coding
Coding training typically falls into four categories: in-person, live online, free tutorials, and on-demand. Each format has perks and drawbacks that can affect your overall experience.
In-Person Coding Training
There are two significant points to consider regarding in-person training. Some perks are that you’ll often be completely free of distractions and have social opportunities by learning with peers who are also interested in coding. However, those who participate in these courses often encounter some drawbacks. First, you’ll have to travel to a physical location and pay for transportation. You’ll also need to align your schedule with the in-person class times, which can make juggling other obligations challenging.
If you’re local to New York City, you can learn at Noble Desktop’s training centers in Manhattan. If you’re outside New York City, you can still find a local coding training center through the Classes Near Me search engine. Some solid choices are The Software Guild, Northwestern Boot Camps, and various local colleges and universities offering open coding programs to the public.
Live Online Coding Training
Live online training has become more popular in recent years. Some of its perks include an engaging, real-time experience taught by the same coding experts who teach in-person classes. You’ll also be able to take these classes from anywhere in the world, including your bedroom or kitchen. Some drawbacks are that you’ll need to set up your workspace and technology independently, though many online training centers offer technical support if needed.
You can find live online coding classes through Noble Desktop or their Classes Near Me search engine. The Software Engineering and Full Stack Web Development programs are great places to start. Other live online class providers include Ironhack, Digital Crafts, and Code Fellows. You’ll be in good hands no matter which option you choose.
Free Online Courses & Tutorials
You might feel a little overwhelmed when looking for coding classes and bootcamps, which is perfectly understandable. You’ll likely want to start with something that matches your interests or aligns with your career goals.
It’s okay to hesitate when starting the process of learning to code. Try some free courses first to see which topics appeal to you, and then you can go from there. Many pre-recorded lectures cover fundamentals and will give you enough knowledge to gauge if it’s right. These free courses are intended to let you test the waters and make an informed decision before committing.
Websites are where most people start when first learning to code, and the Intro to Front-end Web Development class by Noble Desktop shows you which programming languages are needed and how to use them. From there, you can explore WordPress, one of the internet's most-used Content Management Systems (CMS). WordPress is highly customizable, and the Intro to WordPress for Developers course teaches how HTML and CSS knowledge can enhance its interface.
Another side of coding is data science. General Assembly's free Intro to Data Science class teaches essential practices data scientists use, and they also offer an Intro to Data Analytics course covering Google Sheets and other standard tools.
Read about more free coding videos and online tutorials.
On-Demand Classes
Coding can seem overwhelming to a new learner. There are many avenues and categories to choose from, and picking a topic can feel like a tremendous feat. Look through the coding courses and the live online options and bookmark some that appeal to you. Take note of the topics and recurring themes in each course, program, and bootcamp you find. That will help direct your focus when narrowing them down.
Once you’ve settled on your chosen topic, look into on-demand, asynchronous, and self-paced courses to see if your topic is a good fit. Start small—stick with one topic at a time, especially if you’re a beginner. Make a list of the ones you enjoyed, then prioritize them based on your goals until you have a sequence of topics to learn. Once you’re satisfied with your choices, you can fully commit to a class.
Comparison of Coding Training Formats
In-person classes have the benefit of your instructor working with you in real-time in a distraction-free environment. If you have a question, you can raise your hand and get instant help. The primary drawback is that you’ll need to commute to a physical location, which can be tricky if you have obligations outside class or live in a traffic-heavy area. It can also be problematic if you live far from a training facility.
Live online classes have the same benefit of working with an expert in real-time but remove the drawback of commuting because you can take them anywhere. That’s especially helpful if you want to reduce commuting time and save money on gas. You’ll also be able to learn from home if you have kids or learn on the go if you travel for work. The main drawback is that you’ll need a solid internet connection and a distraction-free environment to participate.
Free online tutorials and on-demand classes are generally used as introductory material and are perfect for those who want to learn the basics without spending money. They tend to scratch the surface of coding, and more advanced topics are usually too complex to learn without expert guidance. This is because feedback is needed to ensure you’re on the right path, and that kind of feedback can only happen in an in-person or live online class. Coding languages are also frequently updated, so video tutorials can sometimes provide out-of-date information, which isn’t something you’ll need to worry about when attending a live coding class.
Is It Possible to Teach Yourself Coding?
With the advent of the internet, it’s become possible to teach yourself many different topics, including coding. However, even with this advantage, it’s hard to progress with online tutorials alone after a certain point. You may become overwhelmed with all the information at your disposal. You may also misguide yourself—you could practice for 10,000 hours, but your coding projects will suffer if your technique is incorrect.
It’s important to find mentors to guide you through your coding journey. They’ll help you adjust and fix your mistakes before misinformed techniques become habits that are hard to break. Online tutorials are perfect for gauging your interest and testing various topics, but at the end of the day, classes and courses with real-time instruction will take you farther than you can go alone.
How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Coding
If you’re learning to code without any previous experience, you may want to begin with free online classes that give you an overview of the programming language (or languages) that interest you. Search through the selection, watch the pre-recorded courses, and take note of the ones that align with your goals.
You might already have coding knowledge but want to build on skills you have or branch out into another topic to become a more well-rounded programmer. Bootcamps are best for that purpose. Most bootcamps are available in-person and online, so you can adapt them to your circumstances. Many programs also offer financial assistance if needed.
If you’re a professional with a different skill set looking to pivot into coding, you can benefit from taking a certificate program either in-person or live online. These programs include immersive courses covering topics relevant to your coding goals. They often include one-on-one mentoring to assist with employment opportunities and interview skills. By completing a program, you’ll earn a certificate demonstrating your mastery of programming concepts to present to current or future employers for hiring or promotion considerations.
Learn Coding with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop offers a robust collection of coding classes and bootcamps that fit various learning needs. They provide in-person classes in Manhattan as well as live online classes internationally. All classes have relatively small sizes and are taught by coding experts with practical knowledge. After completing your classes, you’ll have the option to retake those courses at no cost for up to one year, allowing you to practice, review subjects, and receive instructor insights for free.
If you’re eager to learn a collection of coding languages and applications, the Software Engineering Certificate will introduce you to three notable ones. You’ll start with Front-end Web Development, creating websites through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Once you understand these subjects, you’ll shift focus to JavaScript frameworks and databases, including React, Node.js, and Express.js. Finally, you’ll learn Python Development with Django, which is helpful for server-side programming, among other topics.
The Full-Stack Web Development Certificate provides a comprehensive education designed to take you from coding novice to career-ready. You’ll first learn front-end development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress. After that, you’ll dive into a JavaScript back-end stack known as MERN: MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js.
Anyone interested in algorithms and data collection should look into the Python for Data Science Bootcamp. It covers Python fundamentals and everything that entails. The possibilities with Python are vast. Companies such as Netflix and Amazon use Python, and this bootcamp will teach you how to start writing your own Python programs.