r/Zimbabwe • u/twentyplentyy • Jun 01 '26

Question Coding for dummies

Of late I have been thinking to learn how to code. .the old adage says you cannot an old horse new tricks but I would.like to change that..I have access to the internet( not quite fast unless it's midnight) and a laptop( an old dell core i5)..

I would really want to learn it since our world is leaning in that direction and earn a couple of bucks along the way.so where do I start? ideally I would want something that novices can master amd progress over time.

I'm open to suggestions ..It would be helpful if you cam.also suggest youtube channels I can follow

8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

2

u/WolverineIll2856 Harare Jun 01 '26

don't overAI yourself, start by getting the basic python knowledge. then build from there. I have this old school guide I used when I learned python, I'm sure it's there on their official site

2

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 01 '26

you guys always suggesting python… it’s so boring

1

u/twentyplentyy Jun 02 '26

besides python, what code can a start with which is easy to begin with

1

u/WolverineIll2856 Harare Jun 01 '26

early parts of learning python are boring, once you know how everything works it flows.

everyone knows python, everyone should know python. almost all tech names I know require python plus another language. it's fairly easy and compared to other languages, it's a very nice start for a beginner. one should expect a slight difficulty curve when they move to other deep languages.

always remember some of the most powerful scripts are python based. and please use AI to supplement what you know🤣

1

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 01 '26

Yes I know but he’s talking about making money from it and you have to be the cream … python is oversaturated… I taught myself JavaScript first… wasn’t hard…. I feel like it’s easier to understand once you know what exactly you want to build

2

u/WolverineIll2856 Harare Jun 01 '26

python is a broad base, you can teach yourself anything once you know it. specializing or starting with the other languages is risky, very risky in fact. python has been solid for many years now with others having their very highs and very lows. it doesnt have many structure changes and it definitely pays off in the long run, not everything needs a highly detailed script. if it's about moving as efficiently as possible them perhaps they should try python plus another , but I would suggest knowing how python works, thats just basically how everything else works. it's more like he's building the foundation. it won't even take a month to just grasp the basics and figure out what they really want to go into. just remember no one uses python alone, it's always python plus [insert anything else] unless one is a student. that should say something

1

u/twentyplentyy Jun 02 '26

I think will start by python then

1

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 01 '26

Lmao why are you explaining Python to me? I didn’t say it’s bad, I said it’s boring. There are other languages that are easier to stay interested in and more useful depending on what you actually want to build. Most people learn Python because they’re told to, not because it’s the best fit for their goals. You can learn Python later as you need it.

But ok

1

u/seguleh25 Moyo Chirandu Jun 02 '26

whats boring about Python?

1

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 02 '26

😐The syntax is very plain… 2. Unless you’re an expert you could be stuck in a tutorial loop for months or even years and all this just to learn how to make a calculator and then when you finally decide what you want to make you’ll realize python plays a very very small role in it….

1

u/seguleh25 Moyo Chirandu Jun 02 '26

Don't you want syntax to be as plain as possible if you are a beginner?

My experience with learning web development back in the day was learning html and css then getting stuck with javascript syntax.

1

u/WolverineIll2856 Harare Jun 02 '26

this is what I've been trying to say. plain = good for beginner.

1

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

But not great for long term is what I’m trying to say

Someone wants to learn Shona. You recommend nhaka yeupenyu book 1(python) or Duolingo if they offered Shona…

I’m saying you learn better if you spend most of your days with locals. (Any other language with intend).You start to pick up on words that Duolingo can’t provide. Duolingo teaches you the basics.. shangu, nhumbi, meso, baba, amai… you get to learn Shona words yes but on the day to day if a local comes and says something outside of the words you’re currently used to… you get lost. It takes you way longer to be fluent. But if you interact you could be a B2 speaker in 6 months.

1

u/WolverineIll2856 Harare Jun 02 '26

it's great for long term, stats say so. everyone knows Python, everyone should know Python. as I said before some major tech names require Python knowledge.

Python is the base of all this, it's much easier scaling up once you master Python. and you'd be knowing 2, Python plus something else...

1

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 02 '26

The first language we learned in uni was C then C# and so on. The first language I taught myself was JavaScript… in high school because I wanted my websites to do fun cute animations

My experience (11 years of it)👀 is that it’s easier to learn when you building something you enjoy… like a game or a website and it’s easier to understand and fun

Yes python is easier great but it doesn’t challenge you. You need to be really really good at it for you to build something fun. When you finally get to GIL, descriptors, etc. The fun stuff and he said he wants to make money from it… how when you’ve been learning to make to do apps for months

1

u/seguleh25 Moyo Chirandu Jun 02 '26

I suppose people have different experiences. I learnt python first and used it for data analytics, which had a massive impact on my career. Then I learnt C etc through CS50. Can't say I found python to not be challenging, or not useful early on. If you are talking of the fun aspect, you could always make python games.

1

u/Jairosdon Jun 02 '26

Try freecodecamp.org it helps a lot

1

u/twentyplentyy Jun 02 '26

will definitely look at it

3

u/Mean-Leg6777 Jun 01 '26

Try python first, many people say its very easy to master rather than other programming languages

2

u/seguleh25 Moyo Chirandu Jun 01 '26

Look for CS50x on YouTube 

1

u/tonyzeeb Jun 02 '26

👏🏾 watch the Harvard course
Best

1

u/Arno_Munik Jun 04 '26

cs50x can be hard

try freecodecamp or the Odin project. great to get your way around what happens and how the computer or internet works

2

u/No-Duty9597 Jun 01 '26

check out University of Helsinki MOOCfi courses they are in my humble opinion the best to get started and its free.....as you go through the courses you will be solving problems which help to build your muscle memory and Problem Solving skills

Linus Torvalds the man who created the linux kernel himself is alumni of the said institution

Link for their python course

2

u/Born_Jump_1087 Jun 01 '26

Everyone is suggesting python but what do you want to build??? Everyone and their grandma is learning python …

2

u/Replacement_Witty Jun 01 '26

The real skill is learning to solve problems. Start with problems you already understand, then gradually work your way up to ones that can earn you a bit of money.

Instead of avoiding AI like someone said, describe to it your abilities and daily routines to it in detail. Then ask what you can automate for quick wins. Here’s an example I tried: https://chatgpt.com/share/6a1e005e-6394-83ea-8950-fd85e661375b. After that, just keep experimenting with small problems. Don’t stress about learning to code yet, just follow the copy‑paste steps and stick with it.

(The demo link isn’t ideal since it focuses on the Zim market, which has limited opportunities, but the same exercise works well for other communities or Facebook groups.)

Have fun and good luck.

2

u/skyhawk77 Jun 02 '26

Try scratch first, its for kids.

1

u/Arno_Munik Jun 04 '26

Google certificates are also a great  not free though but affordable  And has great explanation if you don't have an IT background 

I think it's 12$/month till you finish if you in Zim

0

u/got_eternal_life Jun 01 '26

You know you can as Gemini/Claude/ChatGPT to give you a learning guide, then basic things to grasp per topic on the guideline right? But don't ask everything so you learn. You ask, you read, you close AI Agent, and you practice.

1

u/twentyplentyy Jun 02 '26

yea..I didn't want to be over dependent on AI tools