Hey everyone, a friend just finished university and is looking to switch into tech but doesn't know how to code at all. She's trying to decide between SoloLearn and freeCodeCamp as starting points. Both seem popular but I'm not sure which one is better for someone who needs things explained from scratch. Have you tried either of these and what did you think worked best for your first steps in coding?
Honestly, both are solid but freeCodeCamp would be my pick for your friend. It's more like a step-by-step course where you learn by actually building things, no extra setup needed. If she gets stuck, the community is huge so answers are everywhere. Tell her to just start with freeCodeCamp's Responsive Web Design track and take it slow, that's how most of us got comfortable with the basics.
As someone who started from zero last year, I'd say freeCodeCamp is the better first stop. It walks you through everything from scratch right in your browser, so no setup stress, and it feels more like a proper class. SoloLearn is good for quick phone lessons when you're on matatu or waiting, but for building real foundation, freeCodeCamp all the way. Tell her to pick one and just show up daily, consistency is what matters most.
Yeah, freeCodeCamp is a good shout. One thing I'd add: tell her not to stress about picking the "perfect" one, just start with the first lesson and keep showing up. She can even use SoloLearn for the bus ride home, but freeCodeCamp will give her the real practice.
Totally agree with the others, freeCodeCamp is the safer bet when you're starting from zero. The one tip I'd add is to have SoloLearn on her phone for quick sessions, like when matatu traffic is doing its thing, but do the real learning on freeCodeCamp. Is she leaning toward web dev or still exploring?
Yeah, totally agree with everyone here. freeCodeCamp is the best place to start building real projects from day one. Tell her not to overthink it, just open freeCodeCamp and do the first HTML lesson, that's literally all it takes to get going. The hardest part is starting, after that momentum kicks in.
Good advice already. I'd add that freeCodeCamp is great because she can share her progress here and get support when she gets stuck. Has she said what kind of tech she's interested in, or is she just exploring for now?
Thanks for asking on behalf of your friend, it's a great question. Since the consensus here points to freeCodeCamp as the main path, a concrete next step: have her start with the first 10 lessons of the Responsive Web Design certification today (takes about an hour), then join the #web-dev channel here so she can post questions or share progress as she goes.