Beginner's Reference List 
Tags: beginners, programming, productivity, resources
Published: 2022-02-05 20:29:08

## Hi! its Issa38

I have been learning programming for the last 6 months now from a background of nothing computer science related at all (unless WoW macros and Runescape calculators count).

That being said, I had no idea where to start or what to do when I wanted to get into programming. I compiled a list of some basic things that I found extremely helpful for learning for beginners and so I can reference them myself.

## Absolute Must Do's

**TAKE THE CS50 COURSE AT HARVARD**

![CS50 at Harvard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/z2t2m7wrg8fzp6q3n7td.png)[LINK](https://learning.edx.org/course/course-v1:HarvardX+CS50+X/home)

Even if you do not want to pay the $150 for the certificate (which is actually worth it imo) it helps you understand so much about programming for free.

The Course touches heavily on C (which is foundational for understanding the basics of how code functions) then progresses to other languages like Python and JS with a little CSS/HTML work too for front development people.

**Create Accounts and Connect with People**

I know this one is generic but it truly helps out a lot. Being surrounded by people who have knowledge of code (and as a beginner and **** ton more knowledge than you) can really bolster your morale a ton more. 

I recommended connecting with people here and on reddit. StackOverflow is full of a bunch of dicks to be blunt but you can also meet nice people there rarely so just take the dive.

**Take Free Exercises Online**

![FreeCodeCamp Thumbnail](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/v2ylpjvqafzdq9bkh3w2.png)
There are a bunch of free random coding teachers or lessons online. Explore a few and find some that help you. One of the biggest one is [FreeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org) which is one of the most popular starting point for a lot of people. 

There is also another online exercise website that is for Javascript backend code (NodeJS) which is what I started with so if you're looking for something for Python or C#/C++ ignore this. 

![Node school](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/4xkir4v3r5sddg60y2ea.png)
[NodeSchool](https://nodeschool.io)

## Useful Tools or Resources

**Pomodoro**

![Pomofocus webpage](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ta1wcoawgd7iqlagkapt.png)

This is one of the most powerful tools for learning or studying I have come across. It lets you set task and gives you a time limit to finish them then take a break before getting back into it. This really helps burnout and efficiency. [Pomodoro Link](https://pomofocus.io)

**GitHub**

Don't really need to touch on this much but Github is amazing for storing all of your projects and code in one place. If you are getting into coding it is almost impossible you haven't heard of Github but I suggest you look into learning how it works.

**Lastly, Youtube**

What can I say? Youtube is always the tried and true resources for learning anything coding. Hell I would say its better than StackOverflow because of the fast number of quality programmers on there. If you want to watch anyone I recommend [JDH](https://www.youtube.com/c/jdhvideo/videos) for learning the fun side of programming while it is enjoyable to watch.


`I will be adding to this list if I find anything else useful to add as I want to get this posted today and I have already been working for 6 hours on other projects.`