Hi, I’m Lauren. I have been studying software development for several years both at universities and with Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC’s). Below are resources which were shared with me or I found at times of need.

You can see my portfolio at www.laurenCollins.dev

If you are new to programming or you teach programming classes, consider the resources I have gathered below to aid you in your journey.

Three ways I use these resources: (1) to get help with a question while working. I will look for answers on forums, tutorials, and within communities. I will post a question when I cannot find an answer within the day. (2) I find projects to work on at websites listed below. (3) Lastly, I use the learning materials to learn new technologies. I watch tutorials and learn new technologies daily.

Where to Start Your Coding Journey:

Read this great article on how to become a full stack developer:

A Guide to Becoming a Full-Stack Developer in 2017

My suggestion for career changers. Education doesn’t have to be expensive. There are excelling and free courses found on MOOC’s websites which are free or less than $20 a course. If I were to start all over again, I would have started with these course for free or cheap before applying to jobs or investing in an expensive education:

1. Repeat these 3 courses until you feel 90% confident in your abilities. Take the class in different languages to build confidence and skills. You will benefit from learning from multiple people.
   1. Basic programming any programming language of your choice
      1. stick with the same language for the next few courses
      2. if you don’t know which language to start with Python is a good first language and it has a lot of use in several applications. Python is a good place to start.
   2. Data Structures (in same language as #1)
   3. Algorithms (in same programming language as #1 and #2)
2. Course 4: Software development methodologies
   1. Course might include test driven development, agile development and teach you how to build a full stack application from scratch
   2. Course might include: learn how to build a web scraper, flask, working with a database, learn some linux command line, unit testing, html/css/ javascript
   3. I course I am in uses python for web scraping, flask, working with a SQLite database, and unit testing

At the same time as you are learning these 4 courses, get involved in a coding community. Find the “Communities” tab below for some organizations to consider getting involved in. You are going to 1. network with in the community, 2. get help on your coding assignments, 3. build relationship skills, 4. give you ideas about which area of programming you want to work in and more! You don’t need to know how to code to start going, so start now! You can also find local coding groups by visiting your local coffee shop or library. These are the places coders like to hang out. Ask someone at the library or coffee shop manager if they know of any “coding or programming clubs” which meet at their venue. Coffee shops and libraries are where developers sometimes hang out.

See “Websites MOOC’s and Continuing Education” also linked below to start searching for courses.

See “Communities” to start searching for coding communities.

Try googling to find other options which might be better suited for you and your needs.

Once you do these 5 things: take the courses for free or cheap online, and get involved in a coding community you will be well on your way to being qualified for an entry level position or make an informed decision on where you want your career to go.