Before I decided I wanted to be a journalist, I took computer science classes. I even declared it as my major. As we all know so well, what you want to do freshman year usually differs from what you’ll actually do after you graduate, so here I am, taking half of my classes every semester in Carroll.
That’s not to say that I quit computer science because I hated it. I still think it’s important to know how to do a little bit of coding, even if you aren’t going into a technologically-advanced field. Java is a language, just like Spanish or French, and learning it will give you a leg up in the hunt for internships and jobs.
Enter Codecademy. The site teaches users how to write in JavaScript (and is promising more languages in the coming year), which is a great language for web development. Codecademy has one million users and counting after a successful campaign to teach people how to code in 2012 brought 300,000 people to the site. Yes, everyone is doing it, so why aren’t you?
That’s what I thought during winter break. Eager to learn (and to see how much I retained from my computer science days), I pledged to learn how to code. After using it on and off for a month, I really think Codecademy is a better teacher than the ones I’ve had.
Every week, I get an email from the site telling me new lessons are ready. Once you’re at the site you can see the new lessons, along with the progress you’ve already made. Inside each individual lesson are groups of practice programs, which teach you the basics for each term. I had forgotten what functions were, but an example in week two refreshed my memory. Once you complete a set of examples, you can go on to the next lesson or take a break. Better yet, Codecademy doesn’t judge you, so you could finish a lesson, take a day off, and then go back to coding without the site saying anything nasty to you. Even better, you can earn achievements based on your performance. Be warned, these can get downright addicting.
Learning code can be difficult, but Codecademy makes it slightly easier and more accessible. I say take the plunge and learn JavaScript with me this year.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
