Coding can be complicated. Whether you’re a novice programmer or an expert, it’s easy to get lost in all the elements, arrays, and selectors. Plus, with technology constantly evolving, it can be hard staying up to date. Thankfully, there’s a worldwide web filled with resources to help you along your way.
We turned to our community of learners and asked about their favorite programming resources. Here’s what they shared. Below, you’ll find six resources to turn to when you’re stuck on a coding problem or grappling with a new concept.
If you haven’t already, you’ve probably heard a developer jokingly refer to themselves as a professional Googler. While exaggerated, the saying holds a tidbit of truth. Google is a valuable resource for programmers, and many coding problems can be solved with a simple search.
The next time you encounter an error in your code, try searching the error message on Google. You’ll likely be directed to a solution, possibly from one of the other resources listed below.
Stack Overflow
Having trouble finding a solution on Google? Try checking Stack Overflow, like this learner who struggled with dot notation while taking our Python course and received helpful explanations about the distinction between methods and functions.
Stack Overflow is a platform for developers to ask and answer questions about programming. The website is so popular that it receives over 100 million visitors every month. Reach out to a developer you know and ask them if they’ve heard of Stack Overflow. Chances are, they’ll have nothing but praise.
It’s also a great resource for esoteric questions. Wondering why HTML thinks Chuck Norris is a color? Find out here.
MDN Web Docs
MDN Web Docs is a digital encyclopedia of all things related to web technology, including programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Need help understanding a concept? Hop over to MDN for definitions, applications, reference materials, and more.
MDN also offers guides and tutorials for beginner, intermediate, and advanced programmers — along with several tools and resources for checking and optimizing your code.
Corey Schafer’s YouTube channel
Several learners offered Corey Schafer’s YouTube channel as their favorite programming resource. Corey Schafer is a developer who dedicated his channel to “creating tutorials and walkthroughs for software developers, programmers, and engineers.”
Corey’s channel serves as an excellent supplement to our courses, with educational videos on programming languages, libraries, and frameworks like SQL, Pandas, and Django. In some of his most popular videos, he teaches viewers how to set up a Python development environment and walks us through the basics of classes and object-oriented programming.
Darknet Diaries
You know what they say about all work and no play. Building your skills is great, but it’s important that we remember to give ourselves a break sometimes to avoid getting burned out — and what better way to relax than with an educational (yet entertaining) podcast?
Several learners recommended the Darknet Diaries. Created by Jack Rhysider, the investigative podcast tells “true stories from the dark side of the internet.” In between 30 and 90 minutes, you’ll hear captivating stories about cybercrime, hacking, and more. Their most recent episode covers The Pirate Bay, an online directory of famous copyrighted materials.
Pledged to journalistic integrity, the Darknet Diaries verifies the authenticity of all the information within their podcast in hopes of contributing to a better-informed populace. Their reporting has been critically acclaimed by organizations like The Guardian and The New York Times, and they also received the Shorty Industry Award for Best Podcast in Social Media.
Codecademy communities
Last but not least, multiple learners named Codecademy communities like our forums and Discord server as their favorite resource. Both communities are great places to engage and interact with other learners and even Codecademy team members.
Having trouble with one of our courses? Take a look through our communities. You’ll probably find other people who’ve come across a similar issue and found a solution. If not, share your problem on the forum. You’ll find a hoard of people who are more than happy to help. Plus, other learners might be going through the exact same thing, and your post could be just what they need.
Our forums are also a great place to get career advice from experts and professionals. Take this post as an example, where Codecademy community member Ehfaz Rezwan shares their insights from their decade of experience as a programmer, touching on the importance of mastering programming basics, data structures, and algorithms and using these skills to create real-world projects. Alternatively, you could read through our “Day in the Life” series, in which Codecademy team members share their experiences in various roles.
In another thread, community member Pablo Chois discusses the competencies he looks for while interviewing candidates as a Software Engineering Manager, such as familiarity with Command-Line and Git.
Hopefully, these resources will help the next time you’re struggling with a concept, stuck on a coding problem, or just need a break. Think we’re missing something from the list? Leave it in a comment below.
