Alongside jobs

Make certain that it is appropriate for you.

Learning to code is a massive endeavor. It takes a lot of dedication and persistence, especially when you're studying with a full-time work. It's important to ensure that coding is a good fit for you; try out Codecademy or freeCodeCamp and see whether you like it!

If you need assistance deciding if coding is suitable for you, Harriet, who leads the Part-Time Bootcamp, created a blog describing all of the tell-tale signals that you should learn to code, which you can read here!

Structure

Structure is essential for balancing job, life, and learning. Make a plan and stick to it. Schedule time to study before or after work using Google Calendar or a paper diary, and set aside a day every weekend to study. Whatever works for you, but stick to it. It is a temporary sacrifice, but it is well worth it.

Take Care of Yourself

It is just as crucial to schedule time to relax as it is to schedule time to study. You're in this for the long haul, so prepare for burnout. Spending time with friends, jogging, or just doing nothing can help you re-energize and make your studies more efficient.

Grit

Now comes the truly difficult part. You've selected a course, and you're making steady progress, but then something happens. You don't comprehend a word or can't solve an issue. You start to doubt if you're really capable of doing this, whether you've learned anything along the road, and you begin to spiral. You frantically google and are sent to articles that seem to be covering what you're studying but might just as well be written in another language.

This is a dilemma that many prospective developers face at some time; there's even a phrase for it: the 'Valley of Despair.'

This is when self-education gets really challenging. Your stay in the Valley of Despair might be lengthy and cruel if you have no one to turn to. You'll be able to escape again with enough time and attention, but my following recommendation might make all the difference.

Support

The Web Community is really kind and helpful.

There's probably something near you focused at assisting novice developers: CodeUp and Free Code Camp meetings are wonderful examples. People who have had issues comparable to yours are likely to attend these sessions, whether they are students themselves or Developers donating their time to advise.

Another advantage of attending these meetings is that you will learn how to talk about your work/problems. It's easy to ignore while self-learning, but being able to communicate to people about your code will be crucial when it comes to securing a job.

How can Northcoders assist?

We've created a curriculum and substantial career assistance to help you get your first Software Developer job - but more importantly, we've created a community to help you along the way. Many of our employees and mentors are Northcoders grads who understand the ups and downs of learning to code. Having someone who has been there may make all the difference.

We've been through the hardships and the ecstasy, we've gone through the growth that you will, and we're here to help you find your new job. Finally, we'll discover the ideal job for you, setting up interviews for you to assist place you with an innovative company in our huge Hiring Partner network.