Will Code if Taught

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7093237

by DanielLeybzon • 13 years ago

5 8 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hello,

I am a student who is passionate about technology but has no experience coding. I am currently taking an introduction to computer science course online at Stanford, but I feel like hands-on experience with a startup would be better than cookie-cutter course work. I am hoping that somebody has a position open for an unpaid intern who is willing to work in exchange for being taught how to code.

ycmike• 13 years ago

I admire your plight and wish I would've taken your route. Good luck.

DanielLeybzon4• 13 years ago

Thank you for the positivity :)

coralreef• 13 years ago

Unfortunately, most startups don't have the time/resources to teach someone how to code. You need to work yourself up to a base level before you can start contributing to an organization/team/business's code base.

You're right that hands on experience is way more useful than course work. You should simply build stuff, lots of stuff. Stuff you might use, or stuff that might be cool to build. No one can really "teach you" coding as much as you can teach yourself. When you get stuck, try to solve it on your own. Google the errors. If you still can't get it, ask a friend or post on StackOverflow. Repeat this process, and you'll be a coder before you know it!

DanielLeybzon4• 13 years ago

Thank you for the advice!

tectonic• 13 years ago

You should post your email address so people can contact you.

DanielLeybzon4• 13 years ago

Thank you, my mistake. DanielLeybzon@gmail.com

zman0225• 13 years ago

Here's my advance. Patience is key. Pick a suitable starting language. Webapps - JS/Python. more CS-oriented - Java/C++ I prefer Python personally, but JS looks pretty ubiquitous nowadays.

Know your basics (syntax/MVC/OOP..etc) Once you're done with the cookie cutter stuff, hack hack hack. This includes the learning, Coursera, Udacity, and Codeacademy all provide some top level content - you don't have to finish it. Just learn the necessary concepts and run with it.

In my opinion, it is better and easier to learn programming by building something you're passionate about, rather than something that someone else is passionate about.

DanielLeybzon4• 13 years ago

Thank you for the advice!

Will Code if Taught

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