Courtney Grace
Free coding classes are an awesome, no-risk way to learn coding for beginners no matter how you intend to use coding in the future. Whether it’s to fully change careers or move up the ladder in your current career, coding is one of the most in-demand skills you can learn right now.
Luckily, there are also tons of free coding classes to choose from. They range by different languages and different learning styles, so you can find the perfect one for your needs.
While free coding classes are a great way to learn this skill, how do you ensure success upon completing your coding course? What does success look like? How do you showcase it?
We recommend reading this prior to starting any free coding classes so you know exactly what should happen before, during, and after embarking on your coding journey.
How to succeed in taking free coding classes
Prep as if you were taking a coding bootcamp.
Whether you paid zero dollars or thousands for a coding course, you should prepare the same way. By setting up a productive workspace, letting your network of friends and family know so the can support you, and sticking to a routine schedule, you’ll likely be more successful in your endeavor than you would have been otherwise.
Complete one course at a time.
It can be tempting to go through multiple free coding classes at the same time, but that could be a detriment to your learning capabilities. Courses are designed to help you learn specific skills in a specific way, so it can be confusing to blend different teaching styles and philosophies. This will help you focus and learn those skills properly, which will help you learn additional skills in the future.
Become a master of few.
You are significantly more marketable if you can be proficient (if not really good) at a few languages than just okay at a bunch. As aforementioned, begin with one course then find other courses that teach the same languages. Once you’ve learned the same skills a few different ways, you’ll have a good grasp on them and can better speak to them in interviews.
Showcase your learnings through portfolio projects.
When it comes to coding, your work will speak for itself. Good free coding classes will guide you to create projects that you can showcase in a portfolio. If you don’t take the time to apply the skills you’ve learned and turn them into tangible projects, you’re missing out on a key result of taking a coding class.
Carve out learning time and stick to it.
We earlier noted the importance of creating a schedule and sticking to it, but it bears repeating. Time and time again, this has been the biggest challenge for anyone taking free coding classes, particularly if you’re working that class into a schedule dominated by work, family, and other priorities.
Even if you don’t code every single day, carving out dedicated time a few days a week when you know you can sit down and focus will be better than trying to pick the course back up as you feel like it. If you know you’re more productive at night, make that your time to study. Morning person? Pour your coffee and work for an hour or two. Working at the same time on the same days each week creates a routine that is so important for succeeding.
Get access to one of the best free coding classes in the industry
We’re such huge proponents of the free coding class movement at App Academy, we put our entire curriculum online for free for anyone to access. While we have had a number of students actually change careers with this free curriculum, some use it to simply learn a new skill, create an additional income stream, or do personal projects.
Regardless of what your goal is, App Academy Open us one of the best free coding classes on the web, and it’s yours for free. Get started learning to code for free today with App Academy Open!
