Overview
The lecture reviews the top five recommended online programming courses, explaining their benefits, content focus, and suitability for different learning goals.
The Reality of Online Course Completion
- Many students start but do not finish online courses; average completion rate is about 15%.
- Courses are often made long to appear valuable, but may not be efficient for learning.
Top Programming Courses Recommended
1. CS50 by Harvard
- Free, beginner-friendly programming course taught by Professor David Malan.
- Covers basics of programming using C and develops problem-solving and logical thinking.
- Includes weekly problem sets and impressive student projects.
2. 100 Days of Code by Dr. Angela Yu
- Paid Udemy course focused on daily Python coding practice and consistency.
- Features daily challenges and real-world projects, also introduces web development and data science.
- Course price is around $19 with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Algorithms Course by Princeton University
- Java-based course split into two parts, taught by Prof. Sedgewick.
- Covers sorting, searching, graph algorithms, dynamic programming, and core algorithm concepts.
- Emphasizes understanding fundamentals for coding interviews.
4. Meta’s Front End Developer Professional Certificate
- Comprehensive Coursera program taught by Meta staff; can be audited for free.
- Covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, React, and UI/UX design basics.
- Includes a section for coding interview preparation.
5. Intro to System Design (video by Prof. Malan)
- Introductory video explaining system scalability, horizontal scaling, load balancing, data partitioning, and security.
- Useful for bridging the gap between junior and senior developer responsibilities.
Key Terms & Definitions
- CS50 — Harvard’s intro to programming course that develops problem-solving skills.
- Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) — Core topics for coding interviews focusing on organizing and processing data efficiently.
- Front End Development — Building the user-facing part of websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like React.
- System Design — Planning software architecture for scalability, reliability, and efficiency.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Choose a recommended course based on your learning goals and background.
- Watch the linked courses for further personalized guidance.