Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
Humans are hardwired to solve problems and create new things. Put a knotted piece of string in front of a person sitting in a quiet room waiting without their smartphone, and most people will pick it up and try to untangle it for no other reason than the self-gratification of doing it.
If you like to solve problems and think it would be really awesome to build things in a virtual world, then you'll probably love coding. And if you find yourself with some extra time, what a great mind-expander.
Why You Should Learn to Code
Increasingly, we live in a virtual world. We rely on apps and use online tools for everyday life. Coding is what makes all of this possible.
When you learn to code, you're no longer tied down to templates. You can think outside the box and create whatever you can think up and design.
Coding may seem like a foreign language to you now because that's precisely what it is--a language. But once you learn it, you can quickly apply it to create new things.
Many employers who are hiring for office work list language like HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT under preferred skills. That's because they recognize the value of someone who knows how to create new things with code. While coding as a sole profession is actually in decline, those who can code but have other skills like marketing, writing, public relations, management, social media and graphic design are in high demand.
Where to Learn Coding Online for Free
W3schools.com proclaims itself as the "world's largest web development site". They offer step-by-step online training exercises that help you quickly see how manipulating different kinds of code results on what appears on a page. The lessons start very basically, so you need no past experience.
Each time you master a particular sub-set of code, you just move onto the next level. You can learn and master the following on this site:
It's important to note, this site is all about function. There's nothing flashy about it. So you might overlook it. But it has all the tools you need to become an expert coder.
Free Coding Tools Enhance the Learning Process
In addition to the lessons, the site gives you complete access to a massive "coding dictionary" since coding is like learning a second language. Even long-time coders have to look things up from time to time. The act of looking up needed terms instead of having the program just give them to you enhances the learning process, so you'll remember more of what you learn.
You Can Get Certified Too
Like many online courses, they're entirely free to use and learn. But if you actually want a certification to add to your resume, you will need to pay a small charge. However, compared to the cost of taking a night class or online class with a university, this cert is very affordable and respected.
So why not make good use of your time at home and learn to code.