Learn To Code Like a GENIUS and Not Waste Time

The Coding Sloth
21 Dec 202309:40

Summary

TLDRThe video provides a guide for learning how to code, focusing on developing problem-solving skills and continuous learning. It first stresses understanding your motivation and interests to choose the right programming language and resources. Recommendations are provided for various goals like web development, mobile apps, video games, and AI. A key piece of advice is to transition from passively watching tutorials to actively applying knowledge via project-based learning. This involves iteratively building real applications to reinforce learning, gain confidence, and avoid getting stuck in an unproductive tutorial loop.

Takeaways

  • 😊 Learning to code is about developing a mindset for problem solving and continuous learning
  • 💡 Understand your motivation and interests to choose the right programming language and resources
  • 📚 Start with HTML, CSS and JavaScript for web development or Swift/Java for mobile apps
  • 😖 Avoid getting stuck in tutorial hell without applying what you learn
  • 🏗️ Practice project-based learning to reinforce concepts and build your skills
  • 👥 Share your progress and get feedback from others
  • 🚀 Small projects to start - like a calculator or personal website
  • 🤝 Having a coding buddy speeds up your progress
  • ❤️ Coding is challenging but fun - build what excites you!
  • 🌟 Focus on learning, iterating and improving. Perfection comes later

Q & A

  • What are some key reasons why learning how to learn is important for coding?

    -Learning how to learn helps with rapidly changing technology, enhances problem solving skills, improves adaptability, enables independent learning, and leads to more efficient overall learning.

  • What programming language is best for building iOS mobile apps?

    -Swift is the modern programming language used for building iOS mobile apps.

  • What is a good programming language for building Android mobile apps?

    -Good options are Java, Kotlin (Google's preferred modern language), or cross-platform options like React Native or Flutter.

  • What programming language and tools are used for building websites and web applications?

    -The main technologies are HTML for content structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interactivity. Advanced frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular can also be used.

  • What is tutorial hell and how can you avoid getting stuck in it?

    -Tutorial hell is getting stuck in a loop of passively consuming coding tutorials without applying the knowledge. To avoid it, start building real projects and encountering real problems to solve.

  • How can building projects reinforce your coding learning?

    -Building projects applies your knowledge, helps you encounter and solve real problems, reinforces learning, builds confidence, and starts your portfolio.

  • What is a good way to speed up project-based coding learning?

    -Having a coding buddy or sharing your progress online allows others to provide feedback and advice to improve faster.

  • What programming language and tools can be used for video game development?

    -Good options are game engines like Unity (uses C#), Godot (uses C# or GDScript), or Unreal Engine (uses C++).

  • What language is commonly used in AI and machine learning?

    -Python is the most common language for its simplicity and powerful machine learning libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn.

  • What math knowledge is important for machine learning and AI?

    -Important math topics include statistics, calculus, algebra, and other advanced math.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Understanding the Mindset and Path to Learn Coding

The paragraph explains the importance of developing a growth mindset and learning how to learn when starting to code. It emphasizes core skills like problem-solving, adaptability, independent learning rather than just programming languages. It provides tips on tailoring and optimizing one's learning style for coding efficiency.

05:01

🤔 Choosing a Programming Language Based on Interests and Goals

The paragraph discusses how the choice of programming language depends on one's interests and motivations. It provides guidance on languages for various goals like web dev, mobile dev, game dev, AI/ML etc. It also stresses researching languages catered to one's specific project ideas to maximize relevance of learning.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡tutorial hell

A common trap beginners fall into where they get stuck in an endless loop of watching coding tutorials without actually building real-world projects to apply and test their knowledge. This makes it hard to progress and can be very demotivating. The video warns about tutorial hell and recommends project-based learning instead.

💡project-based learning

An effective learning strategy where you apply coding concepts to real hands-on projects. For example, adding new features to a basic calculator tutorial. This helps reinforce learning, builds problem-solving skills, and creates a portfolio to showcase your work.

💡programming language

A specialized language used to communicate instructions to computers. The video recommends HTML/CSS/JavaScript for web development, Swift/Java for mobile apps, C#/C++ for game dev, and Python for AI/ML. Choosing the right language depends on your interests and end goal.

💡coding buddy

Having a partner to learn and build projects with. This provides accountability, support, and feedback to accelerate progress. The video advises sharing your code early and often to get pointers from others in the coding community.

💡problem solving

The fundamental skill in coding, which involves breaking large challenges into smaller solvable steps. Learning how to learn enhances problem-solving abilities to tackle complex coding tasks.

💡portfolio

A collection showing examples of your coding work. Building real-world projects creates material to showcase in your portfolio. This is invaluable when pursuing a programming career.

💡iteration

The process of incrementally improving and refining your code through successive versions. The video encourages iteration - focus on learning over perfection when starting out.

💡abstraction

Hiding unnecessary details to reduce complexity and allow focus on high-level functionality. Abstraction is key in programming for managing large/advanced systems.

💡community

Connecting with other coders by sharing progress and joining forums like Discord. Community support accelerates growth through collaboration, insight, and accountability.

💡mindset

Adopting an attitude centered on continuous learning, adaptability and problem-solving. Nurturing this growth mindset is vital to thrive as a coder in the fast-changing tech landscape.

Highlights

Learning to code is about developing a mindset for problem solving and continuous learning.

Learning how to learn enhances your ability to break down complex problems and find innovative solutions.

Being a self-sufficient learner empowers you to find solutions on your own, making you a more competent and confident coder.

By learning how to learn you can tailor your coding education to be more effective and efficient.

Understanding your why helps in choosing the right resources.

There's no such thing as a best language, but there are popular languages for different goals.

Tutorial hell is one of the worst things to ever get stuck in. You feel like you're not growing or improving.

Brilliant focuses on active problem solving and interactive learning to help you get out of tutorial hell.

The key is project-based learning - applying what you've learned to real-world projects.

The goal isn't to get it perfect the first time, it's about learning, iterating and improving.

Each project you build will boost your confidence and understanding of coding.

Sharing your progress speeds up learning - let people improve your work.

Have fun, build what you want, and I can't wait to see what you build!

15 highlights on key points for learning coding effectively

Formatted as a JSON array containing text and start time for each highlight

Transcripts

play00:00

ah let's learn how to codee today where

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do I start what the

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okay so you want to learn how to

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code there's tons of resources and you

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somehow ended up here I am sorry to hear

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that but on a serious note learning to

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code has been one of the best skills

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I've ever learned you don't have to be

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super smart to learn it and there's tons

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of free resources on the internet the

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only thing is you have to work really

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hard but the problem with a lot of

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people who try to learn the code is they

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don't know what to work hard on so I'm

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going to teach you the areas that you

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should be working hard on so you don't

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waste time quick disclaimer here I'm not

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here to teach you how to get a job in 3

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to 6 months because it's not that

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realistic I'll be honest is it possible

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yes have people done it yes and people

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have also won the lottery that does not

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mean it's going to happen to everybody

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I'm just here to give you everything you

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need to get started and I hope you

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understand that so with that out of the

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way let's get started number one learn

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how to learn now I know what you're

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thinking sloth I'm here to learn how to

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code what do you mean learn how to learn

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all right all right I hear you but this

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is really important I swear this will

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help a lot learning to code is not about

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programming languages it's about

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developing a mindset for problem solving

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and continuous learning this is what

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separates the beginners from the

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professionals the professionals know how

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to solve their own problems and learn

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new Concepts pretty quickly so it's

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crucial that you understand how to learn

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but sloth is it really that important

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especially for coding yes it is let me

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explain why number one rapidly changing

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technology the tech world is always

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evolving new languages tools Frameworks

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they're popping up all the time if you

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know how to learn effectively you can

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keep up with these changes without

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getting overwhelmed two problem solving

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skills coding is basically problem

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solving each line of code is a solution

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to a mini puzzle learning how to learn

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enhances your ability to break down

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complex problems into manageable pieces

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and find innovative solutions three

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adaptability this skill is gold in the

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coding world when you're comfortable

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with learning you adapt better to New

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Challenges you're more willing to step

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out of your comfort zone and Tackle

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unfamiliar tasks four Independent

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Learning you won't always always have

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someone to hold your hand through every

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coding challenge being a self-sufficient

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learner empowers you to find Solutions

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on your own making you a more competent

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and confident coder five efficient

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learning time is precious right you want

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to learn to code as fast as possible

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well by learning how to learn you can

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tailor your coding education to be more

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effective where instead of taking 5

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hours learning a concept you'd only need

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to spend an hour here's some examples to

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give you an idea you can use diagrams to

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plan a simple coding project then jump

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in and start building it and finally ask

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people for tips on how to improve it the

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key is to discover what works best for

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you and use it to make your learning as

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smooth and enjoyable as possible

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remember there's no one size fits-all in

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learning especially in something as

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diverse as coding while I can't directly

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help you find your unique learning style

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I can definitely guide you with General

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tips throughout the video to speed up

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your progress in coding and now for the

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big question where do I start coding is

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a vast jungle but don't worry I'll give

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you a map to guide you on the right path

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but I need to know a few things from you

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first what do you want to make why do

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you want to code do you want a big Tech

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job do you have an app idea want to make

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a video game okay that might have been

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too fast let's slow it down and start

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with two questions what do you want to

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make your answer to this question will

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guide your learning path to make sure

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you're not learning something you're not

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supposed to and end up wasting time

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it'll decide the resources you choose

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and the projects you'll embark on

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remember there's no right or wrong

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answer here it's all about what excites

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you and what keeps you up at night

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thinking I can't wait to create that now

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for the second question why do you want

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to code are you looking for a career in

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programming do you want to bring a

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unique app idea to life or are you just

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coding for fun this is what's going to

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motivate you when you eventually hit

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that bug at 2 a.m. and can't figure out

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why your code isn't working

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understanding your why also helps in

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choosing the right resources if you're

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career Focus you might lean towards

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areas that are easier to get a job in if

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it's a hobby you have more freedom to

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explore certain areas now that we've got

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your what and why let's talk about the

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how three what programming language

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should I learn the programming language

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you should learn all depends on your

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answer for those two questions there's

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no such thing as a best language but

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there does exist popular languages Let

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Me Explain what what you should research

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based on your interest if you want to

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build websites or web applications start

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with HTML CSS and JavaScript these are

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the main Technologies of the web HTML

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structures your content CSS Styles it

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and JavaScript adds interactivity as you

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advance consider learning Frameworks

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like react view spel or angular for more

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Dynamic and responsive applications from

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there you can start learning some back

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end if you want to build mobile apps

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your path depends on the platform for

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iOS apps learn Swift it's Apple modern

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programming language for iOS for Android

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start with Java or cotlin cotlin is the

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newer language and it offers more modern

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features and is now preferred by Google

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for Android development if you'd like to

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do both consider learning react native

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or flutter for those of you who want to

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build video games check out some video

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game engines like unity gdau and Unreal

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Engine unity and gdau uses C and gdau

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has its own language while Unreal Engine

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primarily uses C++ and for those of you

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who want to take over the world with AI

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and machine learning python is your

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starting point this area is not just

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about coding be prepared to learn a lot

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about math especially statistics

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calculus and algebra python is the most

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common language in this field for its

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Simplicity and the powerful libraries

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like tensorflow pytorch psychic learn

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and a lot of other libraries that

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support machine learning operations in

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each of these paths your foundation is

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crucial once you grasp the basics you

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can delve into more complex projects and

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refine your skills in your chosen area

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of Interest there's a lot more areas

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when it comes to coding so I strongly

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suggest you check out this video here if

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you want a highlevel road map of every

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main area of programming to get you

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started now that you have an idea of

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what programming language to learn we

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can move on four how to start learning

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to code so far we've discussed picking

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the right programming language and

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understanding your why but what about

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the actual learning process you know how

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to code first off let's talk about

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resources there's a wealth of

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information out there from online

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courses YouTube videos books tutorials

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and coding communities there's websites

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like code academy free code cam the Odin

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project and corsera they offer for

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structure courses that are great for

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beginners YouTube definitely has its

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fair share of tutorials but also don't

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overlook the power of books they often

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go deeper into Concepts than many online

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resources however there's a common

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Pitfall that almost every beginner gets

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stuck in that you should watch out

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for tutorial help a cycle of constantly

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consuming programming tutorials without

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being able to apply the knowledge in the

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real world and build real apps tutorial

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hell is one of the worst things to ever

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get stuck in you feel like you're not

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growing or improving where if you stay

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there you'll want to quit because you

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feel like this is not for you I was

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stuck at tutorial hell at one point and

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it was one of the worst feelings ever I

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really wanted to quit programming

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because I felt like this was not for me

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at all I kept watching tutorial after

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tutorial and I just felt like I never

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got better for some reason it's easy to

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get stuck in a loop of constantly

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watching tutorials and courses Without

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Really applying what you've learned

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while these resources build your

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foundation they don't always push you to

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the next level of solving real world

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world problems this is where the

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learning resources you pick make all the

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difference if you do prefer tutorials

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one of the best resources out there is

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today sponsored brilliant brilliant sets

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the standard for Interactive Learning

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for computer science data science and

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math brilliant stands out from other

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learning resources because it focuses on

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active problem solving and Interactive

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Learning which will help you get out of

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tutorial hell since learning is not

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about watching and repeating it's about

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challenging yourself and Brilliant does

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exactly that by customizing the content

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to your skill level to make sure you're

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learning at a comfortable Pace they

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offer thousands of lessons from basic

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Advanced topics like Ai and neural

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networks you'll never get bored since

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new lessons are added every month one of

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my favorite courses that they recently

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learn how something like chat GPT Works

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they explore topics like how do they

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predict the next word and how they're so

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creative and the best thing about it is

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I learn and remember the concepts better

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because of how interactive it is so if

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you'd like to try everything brilliant

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20% off brilliant's annual premium

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subscription you're welcome enjoy it now

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if you prefer something other than

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tutorials then the key to breaking out

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of tutorial hell is to start practicing

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Project based learning this means

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applying what you've learned to real

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world projects you can still watch or

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read tutorials like making a to-do list

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app but the key difference is to add on

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to the tutorial and build other features

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from scratch this way you're not just

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following instructions you're innovating

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and building your skills in a practical

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Hands-On manner for example let's say

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you're watching a tutorial on making a

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calculator program they show you how to

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add two numbers well you can add on to

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the tutorial by adding a feature of

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subtracting two numbers it wasn't in it

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but you did it from scratch and now

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you're learning even better start with

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small projects maybe you want to build a

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personal website or you know the simple

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calculator and as you work on these

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projects you'll encounter real problems

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and learn to solve them which is a

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critical skill in coding not only does

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this reinforce your learning but it also

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starts building your portfolio which is

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essential if you're looking to pursue a

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career in coding remember the goal isn't

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to get it perfect the first time it's

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all about learning iterating and

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improving each project you build will

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boost your confidence and understanding

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of coding and let me give you a quick

play09:06

cheat code you can speed this up even

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more by having a coding buddy or sharing

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your progress online let people see what

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you're building let them make fun of it

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let them improve it in the end you're

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going to be learning a lot on what not

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to do and what to do better I truly

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believe if I was sharing my progress

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online sooner I would be so much better

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I would probably be 100 times better

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than I am today you can join my Discord

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if you want to share your work I'd love

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to see what you're creating I just enjoy

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programming and that's everything that I

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have for you and I hope I gave you

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enough information to start coding so

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have fun build what you want and I can't

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wait to see what you build so I'll see

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you in the next video and uh have fun