Coding for beginners

I wanted to learn coding as a child – the job prospects in my mind were limited, true, but who needed options when I would become a master hacker infiltrating enemy computer systems as lines and lines of green code would flash across a black computer screen. A few years later, coding was something only geeks would be into, it was no longer cool – I would much rather be on the using end of the software I thought.

It was only when I took a computer course in school and had to learn the basics of, well BASIC, to pass that I was interested again. Sure, the most complex program I could write was one which would spurn out the Fibonacci sequence, but it was the thought process associated with writing a program that got me interested – there was no complex math involved, a misapprehension that puts off many. It was the way you learnt to tackle a problem that interested me. Steve Jobs had said it ages ago in the so called lost interview – "I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think."

And for the past few years it seems his words are finally being heeded. The resources for learning to code are abound online. Before we delve into these, a question needs to be answered – should you learn coding? It would be hard put to find a career sector now which does not involve computers. And this will only increase more so – if you know how to code, you already have an extra advantage, the power to communicate in the language of the future to put it dramatically. The number of startups that have thrived because of a smart online presence is continuously growing and an Android app to customise and order might be just what your next big burger cart is missing.

Codeacademy.com is the most popular place to head to if you want to dabble in coding. Whether you want to learn HTML, CSS, Python or Ruby, head over to Codeacademy. It is fun, intuitive and challenging – you can keep track of your progress throughout learning a coding language and apply it firsthand. And If you are still questioning why you need to learn coding, watch their short videos. They will inspire.

Another similar website is Code.org. This initiative is by the likes of Facebook, Google and Apple and is perfect for total newbies who don't know their flowcharts from their algorithms. Same applies for the famous Khan Academy. And the best part is, with these websites, even though you won't be building your first app within a week, you will know the basics of how coding works.

If you opt for more traditional lessons in coding, try the courses offered by MIT Open Courseware. Coursera, which offers free university courses from around the world, also has a number of coding courses you can take. And edX offers Harvard's Introduction to Computer Science course for free. If you decide to spend a little extra, you could even get a legit certificate for your new found knowledge.

Not sure which language you should learn? Ask yourself, what is it you want to do – make apps for Android or iOS, design websites or do the technical back end IT stuff? Each language serves it own purpose, so a little Googling won't go amiss. And if you do not have an answer yet, go for C or Python – both are widely used and easy to learn. The basics of how coding works are similar and if you learnt one, you can switch to another with not much trouble.

The next gen of entrepreneurs will need to find new ways to attract their customers or develop their products and services. Knowing how to code is the greatest favour you can do yourself right now. Besides knowing how to think logically never hurts anyone.