Links We Love: Learn to Code

Updated 6/19/2020

So you want to learn how to code, but with the tons of resources out there—most of which don’t actually make sense yet—you’re not quite sure where to start. Well, read on: We’ve pulled together the best resources on the web to get you started.

It seems these days that everyone wants to learn to code—or is telling you that you should. Problem is, it’s not always so easy to figure out where to start. (Um, “there’s lots of stuff on the internet?” Not actually that helpful.)

So, if you’re thinking about diving in and learning to code—it’s time to get over that first hurdle. You won’t learn overnight, but you also won’t learn unless you start somewhere. Here are my favorite sites for getting started, and the ones I’ve found most helpful in my own learning-to-code adventure over the past 10 months.

For learning Python (this is the book I credit for getting me into coding. It is awesome): Learn Python the Hard Way

For learning Django (after you’ve learned Python): Django Book

For learning Ruby on Rails (seriously, you get to learn how to build Twitter for Zombies): Rails for Zombies

For learning JavaScript (brought to you by the makers of Rails for Zombies): Code School’s JavaScript course

For learning more Backbone.js (after you’ve learned JavaScript): Thomas Davis’ Backbone Tutorials and Cole Krumbholz’s two-part series on building backbone apps (Part 1: Views & Templates and Part 2: Collections & Forms)

For learning Git (developers’ favorite version-control and code-sharing tool): Skillcrush’s “Get Started with Git” guide and Try Git

For troubleshooting, and when something general just isn’t working (because it happens. A lot. Type your question into the search bar and get answers): Stack Overflow

Melissa is a Founder of The Muse. Melissa was recently named to INC's 15 Women to Watch in Tech. She was an Executive Editor of The Harvard Crimson, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Physics. She was also a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, where she learned the ins and outs of the business world—and many, many airports. Life-goals include running a marathon and filling up all the extra pages in her passport.