3 Reasons to Learn Coding from The Odin Project

Choice overload is real.

On multiple occasions I turned on Netflix and turned it off 40 minutes later without having watched anything beyond short clips that played automatically as I scrolled through the endless lists of shows and movies. That time was spent entirely on being undecided about what to watch.

It's the world we live in now, with just about every imaginable resource available at the click of a button—literally at our fingertips.

Coding programs are no exception. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices.

Learning to code is a valuable endeavor, but take it from a guy who previously attempted to learn to code on four separate occasions over the past decade. I struggled mightily with analysis paralysis, where my fear of making the wrong coding program choice kept me from fully committing to any single one (freeCodeCamp, Codecademy, HarvardX, ZTM, etc.). Failing in this way played a huge role in teaching me how not to get stuck in following through with my goals.

I am currently learning to code again (the fifth time's the charm!). In my previous tries, I sampled several resources. This time, I found The Odin Project, and after a brief look through the curriculum, I knew it was the right choice for me. One month in, I still feel the same way.

Without further ado, here are 3 great reasons to learn to code from The Odin Project:

1. It's free

The Odin Project is a no-strings-attached, free program. It doesn't follow the "freemium" model where students can access a limited or basic version of the curriculum but have to pay for full access. No paywalls. No upsells. No hidden fees.

The project is fully funded through donations, and while students are invited to donate, in no way do the organizers pressure us to do so. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can participate.

They don't make lofty, clickbaity promises about how you can be a full-stack (i.e., frontend and backend) developer in six months to entice students to join. This shows me they truly have no ulterior motives for my participation, which compels me to trust them with my education.

2. It's comprehensive and thoughtful

Just because something is free doesn't mean it's worth your time. It has to be quality. And the Odin Project is.

From the program:

The Odin Project is maintained by professionals. We have chosen some of the best resources available and curated a guide on how to go through them. If there are no good resources, we write our own. With that said, know that everything in the curriculum is intentionally included and vital for you to become a successful programmer.

You start with a foundations course and then follow one of two full stack learning paths: Ruby on Rails or Javascript. These are thorough courses the organizers put together with the perspective of "what I wish I had when I was learning," according to the about page.

Beyond learning to code, it teaches and emphasizes skills that set you up for professional success in the "real world," such as:

• Problem solving
• Writing pseudocode
• Asking for help
• Collaborating with others
• Making open source contributions

Last but not least, you learn the skill of learning, which you can then apply to learning anything, be it a language or a concept.

3. It's text based instead of video based

The majority of resources in The Odin Project has to be read, not watched. This may be a bit of a personal preference, but I am a firm believer in text as a superior teaching vehicle to video because:

• Text requires active participation where your brain is engaged to process information
  Reading strengthens concentration, critical thinking, analytical skills, you name it. Videos flow at a set rate and are easy to consume quickly, which is not conducive to retention. It also gives you the impression that you're learning a lot because you're flying through it much more quickly.
• Videos are more tedious to follow along with
  Learning to code is largely a hands-on process – it's vital to code along as you're learning. Video-based lessons require manual play-and-pause actions on your end as you go back and forth between the video and your text editor. Text-based lessons automatically go at your pace. It waits patiently as you work out the code.
• Videos may not be up to date
  Technology is constantly evolving, and those in the field need to keep up with the changes to languages and tools. Videos that are even just a couple of months old risk being outdated. It's much harder and more time consuming to update videos so many instructors don't go through the hassle. Text is much easier to update (and The Odin Project has a community of contributors and maintainers that ensure the material is current).

At the end of the day, everyone learns differently, and The Odin Project is by no means the only good resource. If you are interested in learning to code, consider what works best for you and research accordingly.

That said, The Odin Project has done wonders for my understanding and motivation, and I can't recommend it enough.

I did not receive any compensation or incentive from The Odin Project for writing this post. I am simply a satisfied student. Check out The Odin Project to learn more about its curriculum.

Cover photo by Christin Hume. The Odin Project logo by The Odin Project. Photo by Compare Fibre.