Summary
Note: Soon Going to update resource links.
Introduction
In recent times, technology has grown more than ever. It has given us an immense scope of growth for the developers. And the developers are the driving force of the era. Besides, it's easy to get into the tech field, and there are endless resources to study without costing anything. And from its vast tech community, one can easily ask for support.
If you are getting into tech or willing to, here are 5 points One suggestion from my side is to excel in your learnings. You should know these things before starting your dev journey.
Learn the Basics
It is significant to know a little about computers. How do computers work? What is the function of RAM, ROM, CPU, etc.? Then we need to understand how to talk to computers.
There are so many languages. And some are in the process of coming. Now do not break your head into which language you should learn or what is the best language to learn.
Just pick one language and get enough knowledge that you can create something out of it. Build a robust understanding first. After that, other languages will be easy to learn. The fun fact is that computers only understand zeros and ones.
I will suggest learning Python first. For beginners, it is very descriptive and easy to understand. Besides that, it has a wide range of usability and library support. It has use cases in software development, application development, website development, data sciences domain, and many more.
Learn about Linux
How unpleasing it may sound, some day or other — one has to learn about Linux for its vast usability. One has to go through the challenging process of installing Linux. It will help us to understand the file system of a computer. We learn how the operating system synchronizes with the hardware. It boosts our workflow.
Graphical User Interface(GUI) is respectively easy to understand. Though eventually, we are going to work on the terminal mostly. It is not very user-friendly at first. But as you proceed with the learnings, using CLI(Command Line Interface) will become more convenient. Many free software distribution packages(Distros) are available based on Linux.
But if you are getting started, I will recommend starting with Ubuntu. It comes with a user-friendly desktop interface and works on lower system configurations. Besides that, it has vast community support to get help.
Git & GitHub
Like Linux, Git & GitHub comes under prerequisites for any developmental project. Before telling you why you need to learn Git & GitHub, it is essential to know what is Git & GitHub and their use cases.
Git is a distributed version control tool that can manage and create project source code history. It helps us to get access to the older versions of a project. GitHub is a cloud-based platform built on top of Git. The main difference between Git & GitHub is that by using Git, we can manage source code locally on our computer.
With the help of Git tools, we can connect, upload, and download from an online service provider named GitHub. To work on an open-source project is the first and foremost requirement. Now you understand why it is an absolute necessity to learn Git & GitHub.
Basic Networking Skills
Let me ask you:
Have you ever thought - How is it possible with a click, we get any information from Google on our device?
How are we able to watch an endless amount of videos on YouTube over the internet?
How do your messages deliver to every single member of your WhatsApp group?
If these questions excite you, Then make some time to understand the Basics of Networking. The knowledge of Networking will help you in building any software. (Apps, Website, Blockchain, etc.)
Mathematics:
Now at this point, some people will contradict me. But believe me, Math is crucial for your programming skills. You don't have to know "Higher Mathematics." But a basic understanding of Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, and Matrices will surely help you in logical thinking. It is essential for solving Data Structures and Algorithm problems.
And If you are planning to study Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Machine Learning, then you should learn mathematics. Without a good knowledge of mathematics, you can not thrive in these fields. It will haunt you day and night.
But don't be scared. Here are the best resources to get maximum knowledge.
5.1) The Road-Map
In the field of zeros and ones, we frequently get new technology, patches, and upgrades. As a developer, we have to keep ourselves updated. There are hell lot to learn within a short period. For a novice, it is challenging to start. And even after starting, It quickly becomes so overwhelming. We tend to jump on learning new and new subjects without building a good understanding of the previous ones. I have suffered a lot with this.
If you want to become a software developer, full-stack web developer, block-chain developer, or any other field, having a roadmap will guide you every step in your journey. It will track your learning. You will have a clear idea of what to learn next. The Tech field is ever-expanding. You must learn one thing at a time and then move on to the next.
Bonus: Accountability & Networking
Every segment of this field has its own learning curve. Some roads are stiff, some are challenging, and some are easy to drive. Keeping this in mind, we must be accountable in the learning process. Learning in public has an enormous benefit to it. Joining a developer community will give you a place to network with peer developers and a field to share knowledge. It will provide not only a learning opportunity. But you will know about events, workshops, internships, and more.