You can learn how to point and click using various generic tools but if you are serious about improving your skills, you need need to know one or two programming languages. Start with basics - loops, functions, data structures, algorithms, etc.
Write reusable / universal scripts - e.g. log parser, data gatherer, process enumerator, report generator. Automate things. Before you know it you'll learn how to write your own port scanner or socket listener or keylogger (to keep track of what you write, in case you need to remember, you know) - and yes you can easily do all that with python.
Focus on bigger picture here. It's not what language to learn, its why to learn it. Learning without purpose is waste of time and money :) With that said, learn SQL. You might not become an expert programmer but you'll learn the language structure, how queries work, how it differs from mysql, oracle sql, etc.
If you still feel like giving python a second chance, check out the following:
Hey!
Could try Sololearn (scroll down... it offers both Excel and Advanced Excel). Sololearn has mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows; or you can just do it right online. It's free too!
Also, Excel is a Microsoft product and if you Google something like "Excel learn Microsoft" or something, I'm sure there are some official Microsoft endorsed/offered tutorials.
A practical test on CodePen... that's interesting... What's the position?
You can go through Codecadmey's lessons or look at eloquentjavascript.net. I also recommend Sololearn.
Keep on learning. I once thought this way last year until I joined the sololearn community. I was very lucky because when I joined there was a competition on their forum on building the best Facebook clone with html, css and JavaScript. I was still a noob then so I didn't participate but as I looked into the source code of other competitors, I began to see their JavaScript in action and how they used it in Making their clones work. Since then i Haven't doubted the power of JavaScript.
Now I can happily say I'm a good js developer, all thanks to those codes which I read line by line during those competitions and how they implemented it with their html and css. I even started my own blog mainly to explain JavaScript and php projects and how to implement them in your html web code and all other beginner hosting problems you can face. Just keep on learning your JavaScript and you'll see its significance soon enough. Kudos!
It really depends on your strengths. It also depends on your major. Obviously, you'll have to take the pre-reqs in your major. For the others, see what's out there.
For example, you can learn coding on your own time: http://www.sololearn.com/Course/Python/
You can really find any subject online. MIT has also posted video lectures for many courses.
I have a biology/mathematics major. I would say biochemistry and organic chemistry would be awful to teach yourself. Calculus I-III and Linear Algebra are still very computation-based and very doable to learn on your own (Khan Academy may be a good source). Once you get to proof-based mathematics you may want to take a course through a college before going further.
There are some online resources if that's your thing:
SoloLearn - complete step-by-step programming assignments.
codingame - learn C++ by programming various parts of game logic.
Personally I think these kinds of resources are a little glib, and there really is something to be said for setting up a compiler yourself and learning from first principles. But everyone learns differently.
If you're interested I had good luck with these tutorials: http://www.sololearn.com.
But yes, I definitely feel your pain! I'm pretty quick to pick up a lot of things so when I encounter something that is difficult to understand it's especially frustrating...
Don't neglect the importance of having a solid grasp on the fundamentals, you will be surprised how much it makes the difference between juniors and experienced senior developers.
The more you truly master the fundamental and understand “WHY” things work the way they do ( this goes beyond just knowing such and such works or such and such don’t ) the easier it get for you to pick up a project/ task even on a language you’ve never used before and still produce result (you will notice that, time it takes for you to learn additional programming language will be getting shorter and shorter)
“Learning fundamentals isn't fun. It's not sexy. It's not something anyone will give you a pat on the back for or think you're really cool for doing. But it is necessary. It's important. And when you've reached the point of understanding the fundamentals, you can go on with an advantage over every other programmer out there that didn't bother.”
Here is a good site to practice on fundamentals: www.sololearn.com
and I will strongly suggest you to read V. Anton Spraul book titled “Think like a programmer”
Join me and start coding on @SoloLearn! http://www.sololearn.com #freefunlearning
I’ve had a ton of fun using this app! I use it on my commute. I’m trying not to stop studying on a regular basis. Learning something else! Python is the way of the future.
Hey! I definitely don't know the best way to get started. I've been using this app to learn some fundamentals. A few items in there are actually swift 2 and not swift 3, so the comments will be helpful. I couldn't quite get the final step to work, where you follow some instructions to make an app.
http://www.sololearn.com (Swift)
I've also now been using Swift Playgrounds and going through that. I'm only through the first beginner section.
Finally, I've been clicking around in Xcode with some open source projects, most of them that I've found aren't actually functioning... so it hasn't been that useful yet.
After swift playgrounds I think I'll find an online course that teaches me how to build some small apps with Xcode. I think that's probably going to be the best way to actually learn how to do it, but I wanted to try to understand the basics before that. It also gives me some time to decide wtf to do with my laptop situation. Definitely feel free to message me and we can connect somehow. Always good to have some motivation and support.
It looks like you need to learn Bash or python, then! If you do file management like this a lot, it's super useful. It's pretty straightforward. Try solo learn or codeacademy for python.
One of the best book is Practical Electronics for Inventors by paul scherz and simon monk (ISBN-13 #978-1259587542). It's a great book for the beginner and a useful reference for the advance. I would pay 6X the price of the book and still be happy with it. This will be a good start for you.
Also
You said that you had some background in CS, but you didn't say what code languages you know. Since you will need to know some C++ and Python I will post some resources for that as well.
sololearn offers apps which are some of the best learning resources.
http://www.sololearn.com/Course/Python/
It is like a quiz that teaches you Python and has mobile apps so you can learn on your smart phone. It is free as well and you earn experience points and level up like a game or something.
http://www.sololearn.com/Course/CPlusPlus/
A Pretty good website that also teaches Java and other languages, but it has C++ classes aswell.
And here's a new YT channel that has made a series of videos on C++ and even hacking. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2p65jKLCLoaVbUnD0-Mng
Why Python? because you will quickly learn how to think like a programmer. Python is very readable. You won’t waste a lot of time memorizing the syntax that other programming languages will present you. For example here is the code for printing Hello, world written in C++:
using namespace std; int main() { cout << "Hello, world!\n"; }
The same output in Python 3: print("Hello, world!") As you can see it looks like everyday English :)
I have started learning with Sololearn. Really great course for those who want to learn Python from scratch.
I have recently discovered SoloLearn They have an applications for anyone who is interested in programming (Java, Python, C++, Php, Js and many more). You will not get bored while studying for sure. It's fun and easy.
I'm currently learning c++ with the intention of learning to use unreal engine.
If anyone is interested here are the c++ resources I've been using to learn.
I am currently learning on
It gives you a full tutorial which covers the basic and explains rather well the syntax....plus quizzes. give it a try I think is great.
Best.
Codecademy isn't video, it's interactive... which is great!
Sololearn is mostly video, somewhat interactive, free, and available as a mobile app or right on your mac/pc's browser.
http://www.sololearn.com/Courses/ you should definitely check this site out! I am completely new to programming and I am taking the Javascript course on this site and it's a slow process but its definitely working. its pretty much like a 15 minute video broken into 2 minutes per video and after every clip you will be asked a question regarding the clip you just watch and it will tell you if you were correct or not to see if you are actually paying attention. The slow part fyi might only be on my side since i am having a bit more of a hard time considering English is not my first language.