Last week, driven by curiosity and a thirst for rapid learning, I embarked on a challenge: to become an intermediate front-end developer in just five days, leveraging entirely free resources. This isn’t my first foray into accelerated learning. Years ago, I famously learned French in 17 days, a feat that underscored the power of effective learning strategies. Since then, I’ve pursued online degree programs, mastered new languages, and launched multiple ventures, all thanks to honed learning techniques that often defy conventional wisdom. Some of these methods have even sparked discussions at institutions like Ivy League universities.
While I’ve worked closely with tech teams, my coding journey began with a high-level understanding and virtually no hands-on experience. My goal was ambitious, but I was determined to prove that anyone can Learn Coding For Free and quickly with the right approach.
Drawing Parallels from Language Acquisition to Learn Coding for Free
My successful French learning experience relied on a blend of unconventional yet effective techniques. Could I adapt these strategies to learn front-end development and learn coding for free? The early results are promising. My language learning toolkit included:
- Audio-visual instruction: Immersing myself in language through audio lessons.
- Immersion: Living in a French-speaking environment for complete exposure.
- Benchmarking: Engaging with simple French content like children’s books and music.
- Confidence-building techniques: Practicing self-expression and mastering conversational fillers.
- Memorization: Drilling verb conjugations for fluency.
Each of these techniques has a direct parallel in the world of coding, making it possible to learn coding for free effectively:
- YouTube tutorial videos: The modern equivalent of audio-visual language lessons, providing free coding education.
- Development sprint immersion: Actively participating in a coding project mimics language immersion.
- Dev console benchmarking: Examining well-known websites to understand front-end structures is like reading simple texts in a new language.
- Developer feedback: Seeking advice from experienced coders is akin to language exchange partners correcting your French.
- CSS cheat sheets: Memorizing coding elements is similar to verb tables, building blocks for fluency.
This analogy became the blueprint for my strategy to learn coding for free and rapidly gain front-end development skills.
My Progress Learning to Code for Free: 48 Hours In
After just 48 hours dedicated to learning how to code for free, here’s where I stood:
- I committed to front-end tasks within a real side project’s sprint. My immediate goal was to build a landing page and a detailed product page – practical application from day one.
- I initiated a basic project (HTML and CSS files) and spent an hour drafting HTML for the landing page. While I ended up discarding this initial attempt, it was crucial for contextualizing the numerous tutorial videos I was consuming. It was learning by doing, even if the first attempt was rudimentary.
- I engaged in workflow discussions with experienced developers over three lunches and dinners. These informal mentorship sessions provided invaluable real-world insights.
- The majority of my time was spent watching tutorial videos and code walkthroughs on YouTube. This intense immersion in free coding resources proved to be one of the most impactful learning experiences of my life, and I’ll detail the specific resources so you can learn coding for free too.
The Power of YouTube Tutorials to Learn Coding for Free
While initially, I hadn’t planned to rely so heavily on tutorial videos, their impact has been undeniable. YouTube became my university for learning to code for free, providing exposure to a vast array of concepts and technologies early on. I highly recommend this approach, especially for visual learners and those seeking accessible education.
This method contrasts with the common advice to learn just the basics and then dive in. While gradual learning suits some, if you’re a quick study and eager to learn coding for free efficiently, immersing yourself deeply from the start can be advantageous. And dedicating just two days to YouTube is a small investment for the knowledge gained.
To maximize my learning and absorb such a high volume of information quickly, I watched all videos at double speed. As a podcast and audiobook enthusiast, I was accustomed to accelerated listening and highly recommend incorporating this technique when you learn coding for free through video tutorials. It effectively doubles your learning productivity. Start with 1.25x or 1.5x speed if 2x feels too fast initially.
Furthermore, I jotted down two to three lines of notes summarizing key concepts from each video. While I likely won’t revisit these notes directly, the act of writing aids in consolidation and memory retention, reinforcing what I learned as I learn coding for free.
So, without further ado, here are the YouTube video playlists that fueled my 48-hour coding sprint to learn coding for free:
1. Intro to Django Web Development (12 videos)
Initially, because of my Python familiarity, Django (Python’s web framework) seemed like a logical starting point. However, in hindsight, beginning with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is more advisable for front-end development. Many aspiring programmers are often drawn to web development specifically.
Despite this slight detour, this playlist provided valuable context on how back-end frameworks like Django generate HTML. If you have a Python background, this playlist isn’t a bad starting point to grasp the bigger picture when you learn coding for free.
2. Bootstrap Tutorial for Beginners (14 videos)
My development team recommended learning Bootstrap, a popular CSS framework. This playlist was my first resource. It’s a solid introduction, although even better playlists followed. However, repetition is beneficial when you learn coding for free, reinforcing concepts.
3. UIkit Web Framework (10 videos)
UIkit, another front-end framework, was mentioned in one of the Bootstrap videos, sparking my curiosity. This introductory playlist showcased UIkit, illustrating that Bootstrap is just one of many options for rapid front-end development when you learn coding for free. It broadened my perspective on the available tools.
4. Derek Banas Tutorials (3 videos)
Searching for more Bootstrap instruction led me to Derek Banas’s tutorials. His teaching style – intense, example-driven, covering numerous elements and possibilities within each framework – resonated with me. In language learning terms, these videos are akin to comprehensive ‘verb’ tables, essential for mastering the building blocks when you learn coding for free.
5. learnCode.academy (1 video)
This is where my learning to code for free journey truly accelerated. The learnCode.academy channel is a gold standard for coding videos. This introductory video offered an excellent overview of the diverse areas crucial for becoming a developer and is a fantastic starting point to learn coding for free.
If you’re planning to teach yourself to code and learn coding for free, this channel is the best place to begin.
Note: The mind-map referenced in the video is an invaluable resource for visual learners.
6. Web Development Tutorial for Beginners (29 videos)
This playlist is simply outstanding and the best resource I’ve encountered for learning web development and how to learn coding for free. While I’m detailing my entire journey for completeness, I highly recommend this playlist as your core learning material. It covers HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, FTP, JavaScript, GitHub, JQuery, Live Reload, Grunt, and much more – a comprehensive curriculum to learn coding for free.
7. JavaScript Tutorial For Beginners (10–12 videos, some overlapping with the playlist above)
By this point, I was fully immersed and driven to learn coding for free. Even at 2x speed, the previous playlist was demanding, but my motivation propelled me to dive straight into more JavaScript. This playlist delves into DOM traversal and modular JavaScript concepts, crucial for interactive web development.
8. What is ‘This’ in JavaScript (4 videos)
As the JavaScript tutorials progressed into modular concepts, I realized my understanding of the ‘this’ keyword was lacking. I searched for specific explanations, and these videos effectively clarified this often-tricky concept, essential for mastering JavaScript when you learn coding for free.
9. Front-end Workflow (12 videos)
I began to appreciate the tools that could significantly enhance coding productivity. My prior HTML and CSS experiences had been cumbersome. Discovering these workflow tools upfront was a game-changer. I immediately planned to incorporate Jade or Emmet and SASS from day one to streamline my coding process and learn coding for free more efficiently.
10. Using Chrome Developer Tools (6 videos)
Many tutorial videos utilized the Chrome Developer Console for debugging. Recognizing its importance, I dedicated time to learn more about it. These videos provided a good grasp of the basics and reinforced concepts like GET and POST requests, essential for web development and learning coding for free effectively.
11. CSS Flexbox Essentials (2 videos)
During a lunch with a former CTO, I received invaluable advice. “Learn Flexbox” was a key takeaway, and I’m extremely grateful I followed it. Flexbox appears to be an intuitive method for managing spacing and element alignment in web layouts. I also watched a follow-up video to deepen my understanding of this powerful CSS layout tool when you learn coding for free.
I’m also a big admirer of the DevTips channel, the creators of this video. They’ve significantly influenced my workflow and practical techniques in my initial project, providing valuable insights for anyone looking to learn coding for free.
12. Front-end Example Projects (9 videos)
This compilation features step-by-step walkthroughs of creating real websites. Having grasped the fundamental and intermediate concepts, these videos were excellent for consolidating knowledge and demonstrating professional workflow models. Workflow is paramount, especially for beginners. These videos offered a solid starting point and practical examples to emulate as I learn coding for free.
Videos Not Included
I omitted a few dozen videos that were either incomplete or less effective. I also briefly explored around ten videos from learnCode.academy on Node.js, Angular.js, React.js, Vagrant, and Docker. However, these didn’t stick, and I decided to focus on core front-end technologies for my initial projects, keeping my learning focused on the essentials to learn coding for free effectively.
In total, I watched over 125 coding videos in 48 hours. The experience felt like Neo in The Matrix downloading knowledge directly into his brain – a hyper-accelerated learning experience fueled by the desire to learn coding for free. Starting broad initially proved to be incredibly beneficial.
Next Steps in My Free Coding Education
Now, it’s time to apply this knowledge and build actual web pages. I have a challenging project lined up, which is a strong motivator. So, back to Sublime Text and practical application!
This article was originally published in The Founder Coach. Sign up here to receive my latest practical articles and how-to guides for founders, investors and startups.
About the Author
I’m Dave, and I lead CEO coaching programs for Series A+ tech founders. Over the past decade, I’ve co-founded three VC-backed tech companies, invested in numerous early-stage startups as a VC and Angel investor, and mentored hundreds of startups as a Lead Mentor for Google. For details on CEO coaching and communications courses, visit Dave-Bailey.com.
