My Plan to Learn Code

We each have our own learning styles. Because I don’t have an engineering or computer science background, I’m hoping my that previous learning experiences will be applicable enough to this new undertaking to learn code.

Learning Styles

I learn by doing. I’ve previously tried to pick up programming books which were formatted like an academic textbook – an introductory chapter, followed by 10-15 chapters, each on a specific topic. I didn’t become engaged in the material.

With learning a foreign topic, I need to feel like I’m hitting the ground and running. Even if in reality I’m moving at a slow walk, I still need to feel the movement of progress underneath me.

Therefore, tutorials and online lessons will be the bread and butter of my first three weeks. I especially enjoy interactive micro-lessons, where each step involves learning a new concept followed directly with user application. For Ruby, I’ll be using Code School (Rails for Zombies, Git Real). For HTML, CSS, JavaScrip, and jQuery, I really like Codecademy.

Project Based to Learn Code

I have 18 weeks and I know that I can’t simply spend the entire time following other’s tutorials or lessons. Starting with week 10, the halfway point in my process, I’ll start working on a web app project of my own. I imagine I would quickly become mentally fatigued without diving into a project of my own undertaking.

This important step, will serve as a transition between simple repetition and more critical thinking. Also, I’ve selected an app for which my interest will help to motivate and drive forward my learning. I’ll be writing more about the project (and looking for testers!) as the time approaches. The app functionality isn’t a secret, I just don’t want to get too far ahead of myself by discussing it at this point.

And don’t think that I have any irrational expectation that my first app will be a runaway success. My excitement is driven by the possibility of building something useful and interesting.

And if it happens to make a billion dollars, well, that’s just an added bonus.

Understanding personal learning style is a critical step in learning anything. Do you learn best by doing, listening, reading, or something else? How would you improve my plan? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

JimBTek

Hey Andrew, I really like http://ruby.railstutorial.org/ruby-on-rails-tutorial-book
it has helped make a ton of sense out of Rails, Git and Heroku. Previously I tried diving in on a friend’s project which was a big mistake. Also I’m working through the best workflow for front end design -> front end code for Rails projects as that is what I would likely do on a app, not the back end. Fireworks and Dreamweaver actually look like good places to start for design first projects. If they are code first, design later then it seems nice to take a live generated page and strip everything but the app data, write the front end code, and merge it into the rails app. Still not sure if this is the best way. But the amount of time burned setting up postgres and rails just right fro a complex app seems to take longer than getting out a few good working coded designs.

Hope all is well out West. Getting ready for another Indy Startup Weekend in November.
- http://www.facethebuzz.com/blog Andrew K Kirk
  
  Lots of great insight. I’d love to hear more from your perspective.
  
  1. I’ve heard many people praise Michael Hart’s Rails Tutorial. I previously completed the first 6 chapters. I felt like I was plugging away, but not getting a feel for the big picture. I think I’ll do a few basic, high-level lessons and then jump back into it. Did you have previous technical experience before trying it?
  
  2. Why was working on a friend’s project a mistake? Do you try to take on too much, did your interest in someone else’s project wain, or another reason?
  
  3. My plan (as of now) is to first complete the front end code without design, and then merge design back into the rails app.
  
  So great to such helpful comments from you. Best of luck with SW Indy; I’ll be following online!
  - JimBTek
    
    Hey Andrew, sorry for the delay.
    1. I have technical experience, but no exposure to Rails before this project. I am more of a front end guy (CSS3, HTML5, javascript). I only used it so far up through chapter 5 or so with the bootstrap integration, since my goal was to do the front end of a friend’s project.
    2. the problem is since you can code in your own fashion it was hard to compare what he did to what the best practice tutorials say you should do. so i ended up with a lot of head scratching and digging around. i got too confused. so i would do the tutorials with a new app from scratch so you can follow along. it makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot the code and build a foundation.
    3. yeah it seems like a lot of people code first, then pretty it up. I think that is OK, as long as you have wireframe mockups with real content first. then code it to function, then put the design back in.
Sky Cassidy

Andrew,
I love what you are doing and as a non technical entrepreneur have been thinking of doing the same thing recently so your experiment/project is very timely (for me). I hope to be able to follow the path you are blazing. Keep it going.
- http://andrewkkirk.com/ Andrew K Kirk
  
  Thanks Sky Cassidy ! It took me a few months to build up the courage to make the leap. It helped me when I realized that, unless I spent the 18 weeks eating chips on the couch, I couldn’t “fail”.
  
  It’s true that I could possibly not accomplish all my goals that I’ve set out to reach, but that wouldn’t be a failure. In fact, there would be a lot learned and gained in the process, regardless of outcome, simply by undertaking such an adventurous project.