Newb programming

[JamesN]

Hey all!

I'm about to start college in October and I hope to do something programming orientated. I was wondering is there any good programs to ease you into it or guides? lol Because I've heard it's hell starting off but much easier if you know your way around so to speak!
I've done a bit of .bat stuff and making commands for minecraft classic servers (back in the day! ) with skeletons on Visual Studio but thats about it!

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
-James-

 

[carnageX]

Well depends on which language you'll be learning in school and/or which one you want to learn yourself.

I was taught using C/C++ primarily, and then picked up C# on my own, and now use that as my primary language for things (both at home and work).

I didn't know anything besides some SUPER basic HTML when I started programming in college, and I won't lie, I found some things difficult (mainly the logic behind loops, that and remembering syntax). After a while though, you get used to it and then you can switch between languages quite easily (had to pick up VB.NET here at work for an app and I did so easily since it's similar to C#, just different syntax which I had to look up).

 

[JamesN]

Yeah the one I used for MC was C# but it was very basic! Sounds lovely!! lol
I think we're being started on something like python, and then java and C++, but it's nice to know it gets easier!!
Did you just learn C# just by messing around with it yourself or did you follow any sort of online guide sorta thing, or just worked with your previous experience?

 

[carnageX]

Yeah the one I used for MC was C# but it was very basic! Sounds lovely!! lol
I think we're being started on something like python, and then java and C++, but it's nice to know it gets easier!!

Honestly I don't really like the sound of that lol. Jumping between languages like that so soon can be more difficult and (IMO) make it harder to learn the basic logic behind programming to make good code. Maybe it's just me though. Like I said, we primarily used C++ when we were taught, and learned all the basics through 1 language. Then, later on, we could pick whatever language we wanted, so I picked up C# and did my programs in that.

Did you just learn C# just by messing around with it yourself or did you follow any sort of online guide sorta thing, or just worked with your previous experience?

I actually had a friend teach me lol. He worked at a place as a student developer, and they used C#, so he was quite proficient in it at the time. He taught both me and another buddy of ours during a class we were taking where we could pick a language. And we worked on our programs together to figure out logic, so he said if we wanted his help, we'd have to learn C# lol. So we learned C# - was fairly easy to pick up because the syntax is similar to C++/Java.

I would start out with a lower level language if you could, and get the basics behind programming and making logic. After you've become more comfortable with it, then move to a higher language. I say this (and others have disagreed with me) because the higher languages usually do more things for you - but the best way to learn is to learn to do it the hard way first, then do it the easy way after you already know the hard way, so you know what kind of things are going on in the background.

 

[JamesN]

Thanks a million! That's brilliant advice! You wouldn't be able to suggest a good start off language would you?
About the language skipping, there's a huge drop out rate in colleges because of that and even the lecturers are advising people to actually know the basics before you go in! Lucky there then! Might be a good idea to learn it alongside a friend then!

 

[carnageX]

Python is good for beginners, C/C++ would be good if you're using a book or person to learn from. I'd go with whatever your school is beginning with so you have a grasp on as to what's going on.

And yes, I 100% promote working on homework with friends. Not copying code, mind you, because you don't learn anything then . But working out logic together. My 2 friends and I that I normally coded with, we'd usually meet a couple times a week in the evenings when we were all free, order a pizza, and work on our programs either at one of our places or in one of the classrooms on campus. The classrooms were nice because we had 2 giant whiteboards to write on and work out logic on.

That's another thing I suggest: invest in a whiteboard at home . I have a small 8x15" one, and a bigger 3ft x 4ft one (if you're not in a dorm room this one is worth it). My buddy that taught us C# had a big one, a small one, and even a chalkboard that we used lol.

 

[JamesN]

lol copying code! Never! Sounds like a good idea alright! lol Omg all the boards! I'd say yous must have been flying through the markers and the chalk!!
I'll take your suggestion on board! See what I did there!

 

[carnageX]

Luckily we didn't always use our own boards - that's what the classrooms were for lol.

 

[JamesN]

Haha not so bad then!

 

[JamesN]

Welcome - Learn Python - Free Interactive Python Tutorial anybody else wanting to start learning python, just came across this website, not sure if it's any good but worth a shot!