Free Code Camp - Let's Learn to Code!

Learning how to program and write code have been pretty high on my list of educational pursuits for a number of reasons. First, the field is steadily growing. Second, it's something I can do from my computer at home (making it a very attractive side hustle!). And third, it pays a lot of money. Not to mention, I dabbled in HTML both in grammar school and when Myspace layouts became a "thing".

Speaking of Myspace, I miss my glittering Playboy layout. It was pimp. 

Anyway, I stumbled across the Free Code Camp around a month ago. In order to complete the camp, you have to do 800 hours of learning and practice, and 800 hours building websites for nonprofits. You come out of the program with knowledge AND a portfolio, which is key in the real world of obtaining work. 

I had been procrastinating, but today decided I'd spend just one hour going through the site.

Camp starts with profile setup and linking social networking sites. I was then prompted to drop a message in the general chat room. I was terrified, and felt a little stupid, but I typed "hello" anyway. To my surprise, at least three people immediately responded to welcome me into the room! I didn't participate much more in the conversation, as I had a lot more stuff to explore, but I already understand why the social interaction is such a big part of the program.

After the pleasantries, you begin the hands-on process of learning to code. You are presented various tasks that must be correctly completed before you can move on. The instructions are concise but do not just hand you the answer; you have to do some problem-solving to figure out how to properly arrange items. It's challenging enough to make you think, but easy enough that you don't give up too quickly.

I am officially HOOKED! It's like playing a video game! I've been sitting alone in my room panicking over deleted commands and celebrating when I get the code right and can move on to the next level. The challenge is freaking exhilarating.

I could probably stay up all night and do this, but I already worked on it for an hour and a half longer than intended. Plus, I'm supposed to commit to coding a little bit each day - stopping early keeps me excited and looking forward to tomorrow's session!

If you're interested, you can check out the site for yourself here: Free Code Camp

In the spirit of continuous learning, I'll keep you all updated on how this progresses. 

Are you a Camper? What has your experience been so far, and do you know of any other great websites like this one? Drop me a line below!