Can I Really Teach Myself to Code? Your DIY Guide to Starting Out

Everyone keeps saying you can just teach yourself to code. But is it really that simple? The short answer: yes, but with a few big caveats. Tons of people have actually landed solid jobs or started side projects after teaching themselves coding, but it takes real commitment—and some smart choices about how you approach it.

If you’re googling “How to learn to code,” you’ve probably seen those endless lists of free resources, YouTube tutorials, and Reddit threads. It can feel totally overwhelming. Here’s the thing: most of those resources do work, but only if you stick with them and know what you’re trying to build. It’s super easy to get lost jumping from one tutorial to the next, learning a little of everything but not actually finishing anything. So, the first major tip is to pick one language, one resource, and one small project, and keep at it until you finish.

• Why Self-Teaching Works (and When It Doesn't)
• The Truth About Online Resources
• Building Habits That Make Coding Stick
• Common Roadblocks—and How to Beat Them
• Level Up: Going Beyond the Basics

Why Self-Teaching Works (and When It Doesn't)

There’s no big secret—people absolutely can learn to code without a classroom. Some of the world’s top developers are completely self-taught, including folks working at Google, Facebook, and tons of startups. Platforms like GitHub and Stack Overflow are full of self-taught devs helping each other out every day. The trick is knowing what makes self-teaching work—and where it usually falls apart.

First, when you drive your own learning, you can move at your pace and chase projects that actually excite you. That kind of freedom keeps things fun. If you want to try building web apps, games, or automation scripts, you don’t have to wait for a teacher to approve it. Plus, most tech companies honestly care more about your skills and projects than your degree. That’s a huge win for anyone who wants to create their own path.

But there’s a catch: self-teaching isn’t for everyone. If you struggle with setting goals or staying motivated, it’s easy to fall off track. Coding can be frustrating, especially when you hit bugs you can’t fix or when an online tutorial leaves out key info. Some people end up hopping between tutorials and never actually finishing a real project. Others miss out on things like teamwork and getting feedback from more experienced programmers.

• If you want to teach yourself, you need to be okay with googling for answers… a lot. Seriously, pro coders use Google all the time.
• Set clear goals, like “I’ll finish this web calculator in a week,” instead of just “I want to learn Python.”
• Share your progress or questions in coding communities—it’s way easier to stay on track if you talk to others.

Here’s a reality check: if you need day-to-day structure, personalized help, or real-time feedback, a classroom or a paid teach yourself coding platform might actually work better for you. There’s nothing wrong with that. The key is figuring out what actually helps you make progress—and sticking with it, whichever path you pick.

The Truth About Online Resources

The internet is overflowing with coding resources, but not all of them are created equal. Some sites are goldmines, while others just waste your time. For someone trying to teach yourself coding, knowing where to hang out online can make a massive difference. Here’s what really works, based on actual user experience and solid numbers.

Let’s break it down with some tried-and-true platforms. FreeCodeCamp is probably the best-known free spot, boasting over 60 million users as of 2024, and it comes packed with project-based tutorials. Codecademy’s interactive lessons are popular for beginners too, letting you write real code in your browser. And when you’re stuck, Stack Overflow is still the lifeline—developers ask and answer more than 8,000 coding questions every single day.

It’s easy to get information overload, so here’s a smarter way to use these sites:

• Pick one course or track and finish it before jumping to another. Shiny new tutorials pop up all the time, but finishing builds real skill.
• When you hit a wall, search for your exact question on Stack Overflow. Odds are, someone else has had that same headache—and found a fix.
• Save good explanations. Start a digital notebook with links and simple notes so you’re not always searching for that one answer you found two weeks ago.
• If you like learning by watching, check out trusted YouTube channels. But don’t just watch—code along, pause, and try breaking stuff to see what happens.

Stick to resources that share realistic projects, clear explanations, and a community that's actually active. If comments are full of questions with zero answers, move on. Also, don’t fall for the myth that paid resources are always better. Tons of people have landed jobs using only free sites—what matters is sticking with it and practicing for real, not just passively reading or watching.

Building Habits That Make Coding Stick

Starting out with teach yourself coding is cool, but keeping at it is what really gets you results. Lots of people quit after a week because it feels too hard or life just gets in the way. Here’s what actually helps: habits. For real, forming simple, repeatable coding routines turns you from just-another-learner into someone who codes without overthinking it.

Researchers at University College London found it takes about 66 days on average to build a new habit. So if you can code—even in tiny amounts—most days for a couple of months, things actually start to click. It’s not about how many hours, but about showing up regularly.

• Set a clear time: Pick a slot in your day, like right after dinner or as soon as you wake up, and use it just for coding. Consistency beats intensity.
• Have a real goal: Instead of “get better at JavaScript,” try “make a to-do list app.” It keeps you focused and you see progress.
• Use reminders: Put sticky notes on your laptop. Set up calendar alerts or use habit-tracking apps like Habitica or Streaks.
• Track progress: Keep a journal or even tweet your progress daily. Seeing a streak is motivating.

Here’s some data from Codecademy and freeCodeCamp surveys about learning habits and results:

People who treat coding like going to the gym—showing up even for quick sessions—stick with it more than those who try to do marathon sessions on weekends and burn out.

Last tip: forget perfection. You can Google your way out of most problems, and making mistakes is how you learn for real. What matters is doing it, again and again, until the habit feels automatic.

Common Roadblocks—and How to Beat Them

Self-taught coders hit a bunch of real-life hurdles that can kill your momentum. Here’s what usually stops people, and what actually works for getting past each one.

First up, feeling stuck. Seriously, everyone gets stuck—even pros with years of experience. The urge to give up happens most when you hit a bug you can’t squash or an error message you don’t even know how to Google. It helps to break the problem down to smaller chunks and tackle one at a time. Also, don’t forget about online communities—places like Stack Overflow are gold for finding weird bug fixes or just someone to remind you that you’re not dumb.

Next is the “tutorial loop.” You watch one course, then another, and suddenly you’ve spent months absorbing info but haven’t built anything. The key? If you finish a lesson or video, actually use what you learned in a tiny project, even if it’s a basic calculator or to-do list app. Here’s an easy sequence that breaks the loop:

• Pick a project idea (keep it simple—like a personal website).
• Outline what features you want (pages, buttons, forms, whatever).
• After each tutorial part, add a feature to your project instead of just watching the next video.
• Repeat, until you’ve got something working—even if it’s messy.

Another big roadblock is time management. Life gets busy, motivation drops, the couch looks comfy. Fact: folks who set up a weekly schedule or have a "coding buddy" are nearly 2x more likely to stick with learning for three months or more. Try using a calendar app or just jot down time slots you’ll code, and keep it visible so you stay on track.

Maybe you’re worried about not learning enough to get a real job. The truth? Most junior developer jobs ask for projects and working demos, not endless certificates. Employers usually want proof of real problem-solving. Here’s a quick table with stats about hiring for entry-level coding jobs:

One last thing—imposter syndrome. Almost every teach yourself coding success story has behind-the-scenes worries of not knowing enough. The fix? Remind yourself that nobody knows everything, and every coder started as a beginner. Celebrate tiny wins, like squashing a bug or finishing a function. It keeps you moving forward, even when you feel stuck.

Level Up: Going Beyond the Basics

So you’ve finished your first tutorials and maybe built a simple to-do app or a calculator—now what? This is where most people hit a wall, but getting past it is what separates casual learners from real coders. Moving past the basics means diving into actual, slightly uncomfortable projects where you don’t have all the answers at your fingertips. That’s where you grow.

One big next step is building something that solves a real problem. Maybe you automate a boring task at work, or design something for a friend who runs a small business. It doesn’t have to be flashy; it just needs to work and make you stretch a little.

Another way to push yourself is to get involved in open source. On platforms like GitHub, you’ll find tons of beginner-friendly projects looking for help. You can learn a massive amount just by reading real-world code and seeing how other people organize their projects.

It also helps to follow what’s actually used in the job market. Here’s a quick table showing which languages and skills were most mentioned in real software developer job postings in 2024:

Stuff like version control (using Git) and knowing how to write unit tests are skills that job recruiters actually look for, so it’s smart to build them into your personal projects.

Want an easy plan for leveling up? Try this:

• Pick a project that’s a little out of your comfort zone—maybe a simple web app or a script.
• Push the code to GitHub, even if it’s rough—getting comfortable with Git is huge.
• Write a README so others can understand what you’ve built.
• If you get stuck, try searching for similar open source projects and see how they handled the problem.

Finally, don’t stop after building a single thing. The more projects you knock out, the faster those skills will stick. And when you’re ready, look for forums or Discord groups where you can get feedback. Real coders mess up and fix stuff all the time, so ask questions. The bottom line: the best way to teach yourself coding is to just keep building, breaking, fixing, and repeating the process.