Is it possible to learn Java from scratch and become a serious programmer?

Is it really possible to learn Java online and become a serious programmer from scratch if you have no experience in coding and other IT specialties, you know nothing about classes, methods and object-oriented programming, and in general all your life you thought that Java is an island in distant Indonesia? This question is asked by very, very many people, including on the JavaRush website. That's why today we wanted to talk about whether it's realistic to learn Java if you have to start from the very basics. And, if the answer is yes, then how to do it.

Spoiler alert:

yes, this is quite real!

Java: to teach or not to teach?

Here are some quotes about learning Java from everyday programmers sharing their opinions on the popular question and answer site Quora. “Look at learning a programming language the same way you would look at learning a regular foreign language, such as French. There are no universal requirements, after which you will know this language. You can learn simple words like “hello” and “thank you.” But that doesn't mean you can speak French. I, in turn, am a native English speaker. I speak it fluently, but I don't know absolutely all the words that are in English. And most likely I will never know. Therefore, my advice is: do not look at learning a programming language as a task for which you can allocate a specific time slot, do it and move on. It's always a journey, and usually it's a lifelong journey,” said Stewart McEwen, a programmer from Australia. “Java is an ocean. And all that you see at first, standing on the shore, is only the coastal waters. And you want to know how long you will have to row your boat to cross the ocean. There will never be enough time. Decide for yourself how deeply you want to learn Java. But if you are ready to swim, then dive in without delay,” Kiran Kumnoor, an Indian Java coder, answered the eternal question with such a beautiful metaphor.

Basic Tips

Well, now, so to speak, having buried the intrigue at the very beginning, let’s get down to business: then there are a number of useful tips and basic recommendations, applying which in practice, you will see that mastering Java from scratch is more than possible, and this does not require dedication at the level Shaolin masters, all you need is desire, willingness to spend a little time and effort, as well as an understanding of how to correctly approach the solution of this problem.

1. If you decide to learn Java, start right away, don't delay.

   Безусловно, следует понимать, что освоение новой профессии — дело непростое, на это придется потратить немало времени и энергии. Так что, прежде чем принять окончательное решение, стоит хорошенько подумать, изучить информацию в Сети, послушать и почитать, что говорят люди с опытом. Помимо обдумывания целесообразности изучения программирования в целом, безусловно имеет смысл потратить время и на выбор языка программирования, с которого вы начнете свой путь. Логично, что мы в JavaRush считаем Java лучшим языком для старта карьеры в программировании, и, надо заметить, можем аргументированно доказать, почему это так, и зачем учить Java. Но конечно на этот счет есть и другие мнения, а финальное решение принимать только вам.

   Но How только вы приняли решение заняться изучением Java, начинайте сразу, не откладывайте, иначе высока вероятность, что это желание так и останется лежать в вашем ментальном шкафу на полке правильных и благородных стремлений, где-то между “со следующей недели начну бегать” и “надо будет научиться играть на гитаре.”

   Кстати, для тех, кому ниHow не удается начать or заставить себя заниматься регулярно, у нас есть материал об инструментах для борьбы с прокрастинацией и планирования обучения.

2. Не обращайте внимание на слова критиков.

   Если вы уже решor изучать Java, лучшей стратегией будет игнорировать слова критиков и разного рода личностей с негативным мнением по поводу данного начинания. Дело в том, что среди программистов более чем достаточно людей, у которых найдется пара неласковых слов в address новичков, желающих пополнить ряды профессиональных codeеров, or гуманитариев, приходящих в ИТ из других сфер, да и сам язык Java тоже имеет немало критиков, годами предрекающих его скорую смерть. Критические мнения следует принимать во внимание, если вы находитесь в процессе взвешивания всех за и против, но когда решение уже принято — лучшей стратегией будет пропускать их мимо ушей.

3. Не хватайтесь сразу за все обучающие материалы одновременно.

   Хорошим советом на базе собственного опыта поделился новичок в Java Питер Морган (Peter Morgan). “Java — мой первый язык программирования, и у меня нет технического образования. Одна из моих главных ошибок в самом начале: я пытался изучать Java, используя сразу множество доступных способов и источников информации — книги, форумы, видеолекции и т.д. Whatбы не тратить зря время и силы, советую сначала изучить доступные ресурсы и выбрать несколько хороших сайтов or книг, по которым можно выучить Java. После того, How вы определorсь с выбором, начинайте использовать эти ресурсы по одному. Если, попробовав один сайт or почитав Howую-то из книг, вы чувствуете, что это вам не подходит, возьмите что-то другое. Но давайте каждому источнику информации достаточно времени, чтобы втянуться, не бросайте сразу,” — советует он.

4. Не фокусируйтесь на одной лишь теории, ключ к успеху — в практике.

   Another extremely common mistake among many, if not most, beginners is focusing on deep study of theory before starting any practice. This approach has many disadvantages: learning theory without any practice greatly slows down your learning, while simultaneously reducing your motivation to continue. This applies to all fields, but is especially true when learning programming. Many seasoned Java teaching experts note that beginners who start by poring over textbooks before trying something out on their own, on average, spend more time learning than those who learn by doing.

5. But don't forget about theory.

   But, despite everything that was said above, you shouldn’t completely forget about theory, especially if you are committed to long-term development as a professional programmer. In this case, it makes sense not only to regularly read textbooks and current books about Java , but also, if possible, to study the basic materials of the Computer Science course in order to form a strong technical foundation for further development. Well, since many good books and educational materials in Russian may not be available, learning English is also worth devoting time to in your educational process.

Learning Java from scratch - a short guide for beginners

And finally, we’ll share a short guide to learning Java from scratch. 7 steps from a complete newbie to a functional Java coder, which many experienced teachers advise to follow.

1. Step 1. Start studying a tutorial or take an online Java course with practice problems.

   From the very beginning of training, try to get as much practice as possible, preferably daily. You can start with very simple tasks, because the main thing is to form the habit of regular practice. You can find quite a few decent online Java courses on the Internet with an emphasis on constant practice. It's hard to say which one is best for you because it depends on many factors, so you can try several, following one of the tips above - try each method in turn and give it enough time.

2. Step 2. Ask, ask and ask again.

   From the very first day of training, do not hesitate to ask questions on specialized forums and groups, even if these questions seem rather stupid. At the same time, however, you shouldn’t forget about such a useful service as the Google search engine. Many of your questions are probably already answered on the forums. So google it and you will find it.

3. Step 3. If your learning process is stuck, read books.

   If you're stuck or feel like your progress is too slow, it might be worth brushing up on your theory a little. Therefore, somewhere from the second month of training, you can read good Java tutorials for beginners .

4. Step 4. Regularly study other people's code and learn from it.

   Also, from the second month, start regularly reading other people's code and learning from it. A huge number of different code samples can be found on GitHub or Stackoverflow, for example.

5. Step 5. Start answering newbie questions.

   Around the third month, you can start answering questions from numerous newbies on your own. As you know, the best way to learn anything is to teach others.

6. Step 6. Create your own repository on GitHub.

   At approximately the same stage, you can create your own GitHub repository and start working with it. It's easier than it might seem at first glance.

7. Step 7. Start your project on GitHub.

   About the fourth or fifth month, and for those who learn quickly, maybe even the third month, when you are sufficiently familiar with the basics of programming and Java syntax, start writing your own project and post it on GitHub.

Bottom line

What do we get as a result? With desire and perseverance, a beginner can actually become a Java programmer, even without technical knowledge, and this can be done relatively quickly. Experience shows that with the right approach, you can become a more or less functional coder in just a few months. But don’t be fooled, this is just the beginning of an endless path to perfection. Because, as one of the Quora experts said, Java is an ocean. PS : And finally, in confirmation of all of the above, several very real success stories of beginners in the humanities who were able to become Java programmers from scratch, and did this, including with the help of our website:

• How an old humanist went to IT;
• It's never too late!;
• From the army to IT or how I became a C# developer using JavaRush.