{"id":2023,"date":"2020-11-26T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=2023"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:16:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:16:00","slug":"coding-for-non-coders-part-two-teach-yourself-how-to-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2020\/11\/26\/coding-for-non-coders-part-two-teach-yourself-how-to-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Coding for non-coders part two: teach yourself to code"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to part two of our Coding for non-coders blog series. If you missed part one where we discussed the value of non-coding skills in digital careers \u2013 go and have a read.<\/a><\/p>\n

Today we\u2019re going to focus on learning to code as someone who has never done it before. This can be daunting and something I have first-hand experience of. I\u2019m currently learning Python and SQL having never used more than SPSS and Excel before.<\/p>\n

A note that we are focusing on teaching yourself to code in this blog. You can of course learn these skills through formal further study options too. If this is something you are considering, do take a look at our Get Started guide to further study.<\/a><\/p>\n

Reflect on your approach<\/h2>\n

\u2018Coding skills\u2019 really refers to a variety of different skills. There are a huge range of different programming languages and contexts. From designing apps to web design from data analysis to 3D modelling.<\/p>\n

Before you dive in \u2013 reflect on what it is you are interested in or a task\/problem you would like to be able to do\/solve. Building a network, doing a bit of research and talking to people with coding experience or who work in related industries can help to inform this. Part one covers how you can start making those connections.<\/a><\/p>\n

Reading about code is often abstract.\u00a0 If you have a career path or project in mind \u2013 what is useful for this area? The best way to learn is by practicing, so having a project in mind can help with motivation and put things into context.<\/p>\n

On a practical level, you might want to consider learning one of the top 5 programming languages<\/a> which are most commonly used and often have multiple applications. You might also want to consider starting with a language where it is easy to run code without compiling or linking.<\/p>\n

Choose your starting path<\/h2>\n

Once you have figured out what programming language you want to learn or what areas you want to focus on, you need to figure out where you are going to learn this.<\/p>\n

There are numerous platforms that offer different courses or resources online. These will all have a slightly different approach that they take \u2013 whether it\u2019s a structured course or something looser. Some of the ones I looked at or we like the look of in Careers include (in no particular order):<\/p>\n