If you want to learn Computer Science and you’re just starting out, you probably have a lot of questions. What programming languages should I learn? Is it enough to learn one or two programming languages to secure a good job at a big tech company? What other skills do I need, if any?
With so much information out there, aspiring software engineers can find it difficult to ferret out the valuable information from the rubbish.
Needless to say, it took me a long time to find the answers that I needed. But it doesn’t have to be like that for you.
I searched online, trying to find quality information, but the ONLY good resource I found was an article written by Ozan Onay and Myles Byrne from the Bradfield School of Computer Science.
This article reflects my personal opinions and information that I’ve discovered through my real-world experiences. It gives you a broad overview of what your CS career will look like, from start to finish. It tells you what skills you absolutely must acquire. It even lets you know what to expect at each and every step of the way.
I am going to explain to you exactly what these three phases are. Afterwards, I’ll tell you exactly what skills you need to move from one phase to the next, so you can get what you want from your career.
Computer science (CS) is an exciting field that has shaped the modern digital world. From smartphones to social media, CS powers innovation and technology around us. As our lives get increasingly digital, understanding computer science concepts has become more important than ever before.
If you’re new to CS and want to learn more about this dynamic field, you’ve come to the right place! This beginner’s guide provides tips resources, and recommendations to start learning computer science basics in an easy interactive way. Let’s get started!
Why Learn About Computer Science?
Here are some key reasons why you should learn the fundamentals of computer science
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Understand technology – CS helps you comprehend how computers, applications, and the internet actually work behind the scenes.
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Boost problem-solving – CS teaches structured analytical thinking and develops skills to solve problems efficiently.
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Remain relevant – As technology advances, CS knowledge will be essential for most industries and professions.
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Open career opportunities – Foundational CS skills allow you to pursue well-paying jobs in technology and other fields.
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Gain a competitive edge – In our digital economy, CS skills provide an advantage to stand out from the crowd.
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Pursue passions – With CS basics, you can explore interests like robotics, gaming, AI, and more.
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Prepare for the future – CS is the way of the future. Learning it now helps you succeed in the long run.
Even if you’re not pursuing a career in technology, get started with CS to become technologically capable and embrace opportunities in the digital future.
Interactive Ways to Learn Computer Science
The best part about computer science is that you can learn it by doing! Here are hands-on, beginner-friendly ways to interactively learn CS fundamentals:
Try an Hour of Code
Structured one-hour activities introduce coding concepts in a fun, game-like interface. Learn basics like loops, conditionals, and algorithms with engaging Hour of Code lessons.
Build a Mobile App
Introductory app development tutorials teach interface design, variables, logic, etc. Create a simple mobile app and brings your ideas to life.
Attempt Coding Challenges
Online programming websites like HackerRank have bite-sized coding challenges that develop computational thinking, debugging, and coding skills.
Take a CS Course Online
Interactive courses like Harvard’s CS50 teach CS principles through video lectures, programming assignments, and community support.
Do Unplugged Activities
No computer required! Unplugged lessons explain core concepts like algorithms, binary numbers, encryption using fun physical activities.
Attend a Coding Workshop
Structured workshops offer step-by-step guidance to build apps, games, websites. Learn collaboratively by doing projects.
Join a Coding Meetup
Local meetups bring together programming enthusiasts. Learn from members through talks, hands-on tasks, and discussions.
With interactive learning, you’ll gain fundamental CS knowledge while having fun and creating projects.
Learn CS Basics Through Videos & Online Courses
In addition to hands-on learning, video lessons and online courses are a great way to build core CS knowledge from the ground up.
Watch Introductory CS Video Series
Short video series on YouTube and e-learning platforms offer an easy way to learn foundational concepts.
Take a Self-Paced Online Course
Structured online courses teach beginners CS step-by-step through recorded lectures, readings, assessments.
View University Lecture Videos
Universities like MIT and Harvard offer free recordings of their CS lecture series covering introductory topics.
Learn Specific Skills Through Tutorials
Look for tutorials on YouTube or platforms like Udemy to learn skills like coding, cybersecurity, game design.
Take a MOOC
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer free university-level classes in CS fundamentals through websites like edX, Coursera.
Pre-recorded videos let you learn at your own pace. Paired with online learning platforms, they provide flexible, self-paced education.
Foundational Computer Science Topics to Learn
While computer science is an extensive field, gaining a base understanding doesn’t require learning it all! Here are some core topics to begin with:
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Algorithms – Step-by-step processes that solve problems efficiently. Essential for coding.
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Data structures – Ways of organizing data in computer memory for quick access like arrays, stacks, queues.
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Boolean logic – Using TRUE/FALSE values for logical operations, a backbone of programming.
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Variables – Named containers that store values in code for later use.
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Control structures – Control flow in code with conditionals (if-else) and loops.
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Functions – Reusable blocks of code that take inputs, process, and return outputs.
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Object-oriented programming – Modeling real-world objects in code through classes and objects.
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Databases – Structured collection of data stored and accessed digitally.
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Networking – Communication between computers and principles enabling the internet.
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Binary – Representing data in just two digits, 0 and 1, that computers process.
Grasp these basic elements before moving on to more advanced concepts like artificial intelligence, cryptography, graphics, etc.
Helpful Resources to Learn Computer Science
Here are some excellent beginner-friendly resources for learning fundamental computer science:
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Code.org – Interactive tutorials, courses, and games to learn coding. Great for kids and adults.
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Khan Academy – Structured lessons and exercises explain CS concepts like algorithms, cryptography, SQL, AI.
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Codecademy – Free courses to learn coding in languages like Python, Java, Go, JavaScript, etc.
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edX, Coursera – Free online courses from top universities like Harvard’s CS50.
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Udacity – Introductory CS courses focused on programming and web development.
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YouTube – Coding and CS tutorial channels (Computerphile, Siraj Raval, CS Dojo, etc.) with engaging video lessons.
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Apps/Websites – Tools like Grasshopper, Mimo, Programiz to learn coding interactively.
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Books – Intro CS books like “Python for Everybody”, “Algorithms Unlocked”, “Computing for Seniors”.
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Communities – Groups like Coding Bootcamps, Women Who Code, Black Girls Code.
Make learning fun by trying different formats like games, videos, books, apps, and social learning.
Learning CS: Tips for Success
Follow these tips to ensure an enriching experience learning computer science:
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Start with the basics – Get fundamentals locked down before advancing.
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Be curious – Explore how technology like apps, websites, games work under the hood.
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Practice regularly – Write code often to reinforce concepts.
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Apply learning – Do projects, build apps to see CS in action.
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Make it social – Join communities to learn collaboratively.
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Relate concepts – Draw parallels between concepts you learn.
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Think logically – Break problems down step-by-step. Don’t jump to coding.
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Celebrate small wins – Milestones like your first program keep you motivated.
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Ask for help – Fellow learners, forums are a great source of help.
Lay a solid foundation with core concepts before expanding your CS knowledge.
Next Steps After Getting Started
Once you’ve learned introductory computer science concepts, here are some next steps to build on your base:
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Take more advanced CS courses online or at a local college.
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Get practical experience through internships, volunteering, freelancing.
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Build a portfolio of CS projects like apps, bots, websites.
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Join hackathons and coding competitions.
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Contribute to open-source CS projects on GitHub.
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Follow CS leaders, educators, professionals on blogs, social media.
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Stay up-to-date with CS trends and innovations.
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Consider a career in technology – software engineering, cybersecurity, data science etc.
Keep leveling up your skills and apply your knowledge to unlock new possibilities!
Approach learning with curiosity, collaboration and fun. Stay motivated by applying concepts to build apps and participate in communities. The world of computing awaits you – start your CS journey today!
2- The Software Stack
OK. So you can write code that can do some really cool stuff, but seriously do you even understand what’s going on?
Say you write a very simple program that just adds two integers and prints the result to the screen.
In Python, that would look like this:
I take it you understand your code. You understand that a computer running your code should output 15.
But do you really understand what’s happening under the hood?
What does variable assignment (x = 5) mean at the hardware level? What is x, really? How is the number 5 represented in hardware? How does addition actually happen? And how did the result end up on my screen?!!
At the end of the day, a computer is just a collection of hardware chips and wires.
How can a computer really understand your code? and execute it flawlessly?
The fact of the matter is, your code is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of other layers under your code. Together, they make the whole thing work the way you expect it to work.
A programmer unravels this magic.
At this level, you need a solid understanding of all the layers of the stack starting from your code, all the way down to the hardware layer.
The Elements of Computing Systems by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken is unequivocally my top suggestion for a book that will teach you the essential information you need to understand each layer of the stack.
The book covers hardware, compilers, linkers, and operating systems at a very basic level which makes it very beginner friendly.
It walks you through the steps of creating your first programming language, creating a compiler and a linker for it, and then creating an operating system.
First Phase: The Coder
Every software engineer begins his career as a coder.
This can happen at a very young age.
You don’t even need a college degree to be a coder.
So, what is a coder?
A coder is someone who knows how to speak the language of a machine.
When given a particular problem, a coder knows how to break down that problem into instructions that the machine can understand in order to come up with a solution.
Here’s the thing: if you find yourself really struggling at this phase, you may want to consider a different career path. The coding phase is literally the easiest phase of your CS career.
If you succeed at coding, congratulations! You might have a successful career as a software engineer.
Unfortunately, many software engineers remain in this phase for their whole career.
If you’re just a coder, your pay won’t be great because your skills are easily replaceable.
And if you remain just a coder, your promotions will be severely limited.
At this stage, you shouldn’t even expect to get an entry-level job at any of the big tech companies.
You need to evolve at least to the next phase for this to happen.
You need to be a programmer.
100+ Computer Science Concepts Explained
What can I learn in a computer science course?
This course is designed to introduce you to topics including algorithms, cryptography, and information theory. From mastering efficient problem-solving techniques like binary search and quick sort to unraveling the complexities of graph theory and modern cryptography, you’ll gain a solid theoretical and practical foundation in computer science.
What should a computer scientist learn?
You should focus on learning about robotics, machine learning, and probability and modeling. A computer scientist’s education is never over, even once you’ve found a job. It’s important to always keep learning new things, especially in such a fast-paced field that’s constantly evolving. There’s always more to learn in the field of computer science.
How do I learn about computing systems?
To get a better understanding of all the layers of the stack, you’ll need to study the interactions of the hardware, software, compilers, and operating systems that make up computers. The Elements of Computing Systems is a good book to read to get a good feel for how computing systems function.
What should I study if I have a computer science degree?
A more realistic goal is to build a working understanding of logic, combinatorics and probability, set theory, graph theory, and a little of the number theory informing cryptography. Linear algebra is an additional worthwhile area of study, given its importance in computer graphics and machine learning.
