r/AskProgramming • u/Different_Pain5781 • 3d ago
Best courses for learning to code when you have already failed at this twice
I’ve tried learning to code twice now and somehow managed to quit both times. Codecademy in 2022. Then a udemy course in 2023 that is probably still sitting at nineteen percent complete.
The annoying part is that I actually start pretty strong. Eleven days of doing the lessons every day and then work gets busy for a week and the whole thing falls apart.
So for the people who have actually stuck with coding long term, what are the best courses for learning to code when consistency is the bigger problem?
Right now I’m looking at boot dev, freeCodeCamp and the Odin Project. Curious which one people think is easiest to keep coming back to when you inevitably miss a few days.
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u/icemage_999 3d ago
I don't think the content of the courses is your issue. Your inability to focus and stick with a project is a huge red flag. If your goal is to eventually do programming for a career, what will probably happen is you will burn out when asked to do things that are hard and/or unpleasant.
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u/v_valentineyuri 3d ago
no course will magically inject you with knowledge lol, if anything they may give you the illusion that you're actually competent at software when in reality you're still a the beginning of the journey
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u/stepback269 3d ago
There is never going to be the "one" tutorial that works "best" for you and with regard to every aspect of Python. With each step up that learning curve, you're going to have to shop around until you find a teacher/resource that "clicks and sticks" especially for you.
With that said:
(1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.
(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (--HERE--) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (==HERE==). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.
(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.
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u/raven2cz 3d ago
It is good that you are writing, because on one hand it clearly bothers you. Can I ask you something? What do you do instead? Did you enjoy it? Why do you want to program?
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u/HTxBarbz 3d ago
Missing a few days isn't the problem. The problem is you're treating it like a streak you have to maintain instead of a skill you're building.
You don't need a course that's easier to come back to. You need to accept that gaps happen and just open the laptop anyway.
Pick one and stop shopping around.
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u/Fresh_Future_2192 3d ago
I’d focus less on finding the perfect course and more on making the learning habit easy to restart. The Odin Project is probably a good fit here because it is project based, so you have something tangible to work toward instead of just completing lessons. Even 20 to 30 minutes on busy days is enough. Missing a week isn’t failure either, the important part is getting back to it without trying to “catch up” all at once.
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u/geekichu 3d ago
i think someone already alluded to this.... here it is in other words: you obviously CAN do it, youve demonstrated the ability to by whatever progress youve made.. so I dont think ability / understanding is the core issue. It could be lack of passion. I never had to force myself to learn programming. and maybe im wrong but - you need to be real with yourself - 'why do i want to learn programming'.
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u/AbrohamDrincoln 3d ago
I'm going to give you the same advice I gave my sister who was in college for music but never wanted to practice her instrument.
If you can't manage to finish a udemy course, just don't. It's probably not for you, and that's okay.
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u/neon_fantasy_42 3d ago
the Odin Project works best for interrupted schedules because it uses text and local setup instead of gamified progress tracking. You can stop mid-lesson and resume weeks later without losing streaks or feeling behind on a video timeline
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u/trickzce 3d ago
It was this one for me. Tried a lot before, but everything clicked with this one. https://youtu.be/mDKM-JtUhhc
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u/OGcapncrunchberry 2d ago
Why do you feel you need to learn to code?
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u/Different_Pain5781 2d ago
Mostly for better career options long term.
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u/OGcapncrunchberry 2d ago
If you are feeling a passion or strong desire for the work it won’t be much of a career for you. What things are you passionate about and what actually motivates you to learn?
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u/Glittering-Can-9397 2d ago
I would personally recommend having a long term project in mind, something specific that you want to do with the coding such as making some door sensors from scratch, or making legacy support for an old piece of office equipment, or whatever you come up with.
From there you just keep learning over time til you hit that goal, it could be a few weeks it could be a few years, you just let it sit on the back burner and every time you know a little bit more you work on it
for me a big thing is always ‘why am I learning to do this when theres already so many things that can do this someone already made’. Dont worry about that, its a learning project that you are doing as a hobby because you want to.
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u/UnbecomingKindness 2d ago
Boot dev is nice since they gamify the learning. I swear I get a dopamine hit when I hear the successful lesson submission. It also has an active and really supportive discord community. Great for asking for help with any lessons or just general encouragement and advice
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u/xarop_pa_toss 2d ago
Maybe it's not for you bro. There's other things in tech you can learn and get good at
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u/Able_Role98 2d ago
pick the one you will actually come back to after missing a week not the one with the best reviews.
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u/andhapp__ 1d ago
You need consistency more than anything. Stick to it, will be hard, will be boring, but try and grt through those boring days. It will get better.
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u/CappuccinoCodes 3d ago
If you like learning by doing, check out my FREE (actually free) project based .NET/C# Roadmap. Each project builds upon the previous in complexity and you get your code reviewed 😁. It has everything you need so you don't get lost in tutorial/documentation hell. And we have a big community on Discord with thousands of people to help when you get stuck. 🫡
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u/4bitben 3d ago
If you're not in school for it or already in a career, learning something just for the sake of it is pretty tough. I have also tried and failed many times to learn stuff and just "fail". Mostly due to motivation and life. Maybe something else steals my attention.
The best thing you can do to keep learning and not "fail" is figure out what you like and a project in that space that will motivate you to learn. The end goal will keep you grinding through the learning where you would probably fizzle out.