Apr 04•5 min read
Learn Web3 in 100 Days - Day 5: What is programming
This article is sponsored by the MixPay Content Reward Program. MixPay is a decentralized crypto payment service platform built on Mixin Network. MixPay, Payment for Web3.
Let’s explore why you need to learn programming through self-taught.
Table of Contents
What is Programming
What is Coding
Programming vs. Coding
Where to Start
Degree vs. BootCamp vs. Self-Taught
How to Self-Taught
Research
Design Own Curriculum
Start with Simple Coding
Start with Easy
Build a Project
Consistence
Extra Bonus: Learn by Playing
Learning Web3
In Conclusion
What is Programming
Programming and coding are interchangeable nowadays. However, programming emphasizes on creation and implementation of algorithms. The world's first programmer is Ada Lovelace and she published the first algorithm intended to describe an analytical engine that performs beyond pure calculation purposes in the 1843 article “Note G”.
What is Coding
Coding is nothing more than translating human language into a computer programming language. You may argue that is the same thing as programming. Well, the difference is coding can be repetitive.
Programming vs. Coding
Programming focuses on the structure of the program and its layout while coding focuses on the skeleton and details of the computer language itself.
For example, you make a cake. Programming is the flour you use to make a cake while coding is an egg that holds the entire cake together.
Where to Start
Before you decide to program or code and throw money in the Coding Bootcamp, try to learn by yourself. There are enough resources you can learn from the internet to become a coder (not a programmer yet). Don’t try to get certificates to prove you are learning something and you have done your learning. Try learning as a process to get used to the environment. It takes time!
Degree vs. Bootcamp vs. Self-Taught
Degree and Bootcamp are very expensive. They are useful in some ways. The degree is focusing on a depth of fundamentals of the subject and Bootcamp is focusing on getting your skills ready within a short period of time. Both have drawbacks. You probably will only need a few courses to become a programmer. After a couple of years, you may regret spending so much money on courses that you do not use in your career.
By obtaining a degree, you spend a long time saturating your knowledge and focusing on depth in fundamentals. However, you just try to figure out a way to learn the subject in-depth and figure out what you want to do with such a degree.
By obtaining a Bootcamp certification, you spend a short time and hope to get a foot in the door. You have to face the same situation in figuring out your learning style and finding what you can do with such certification.
The self-taught path can help you to find a way to best fit your learning style and find a career you truly want.
How to Self-Taught
Self-taught is so under-rated these days. Everyone can buy anything online nowadays, even your skills. People actually believe they can buy quality. You cannot. Quality is what you earn from. So take your time to learn the basics of programming little by little. You need to focus on the quality of the study.
Research
Learn how to research. It is a way to find what is the best for you to gain knowledge. A process that is frequently used during your programming process. It is a rough start to learning a new subject. But during your research, you can not only learn what programming is and how different people see programming.
Design Own Curriculum
The best way to learn is by doing. Design your own curriculum of the programming you want to learn. Start with a simple subject like what is the internet or what is computer science. Reference other schools’ curricula to get an idea about their vision and how much vision may fit your own goal.
Start with Easy
Always start with easy and basic. The easiest programming language is HTML. Try to learn it at first by yourself.
Build a Project
Build a program around what you learned. This way you can experience what you have learned and what you have lacked.
Consistence
Learning is about consistency. Don’t give up. Try to learn every day if possible. And try to use what you learned every day if possible.
Extra Bonus: Learn by Playing
Programming can be very boring. Visualizing coding can become more fun to learn. Google has developed a way to learn coding in a fun way through Blockly. The game is designed to get familiar with the coding structure and how code reacts to each other. Check out here.
Learning Web3
There is nothing new about learning Web3 the way you learn programming. Once you master the skill of learning programming through self-taught, you can figure out how to learn Web3 and design your own courses.
In Conclusion
Self-taught is a very important skill in learning programming. Spending your time figuring out a learning style is the most important but the most underrated skill.
Photo by Roman Synkevych 🇺🇦 on Unsplash
Resources
The next topic I will go deep into is HTML.
