Why Java?

According to the available data, 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Java to create applications and internal systems.

Learning Java is much more than just expanding your knowledge base; it can give you a much-needed boost in your career.

Java is an excellent choice for novice professionals because it is a skill that is in high demand (three billion devices run Java!), which means more job opportunities or internships. That is a financially viable career option when the average Java developer earns up to $102,514 per year.

The Most Common Mistakes While Learning Java

Even when it comes to a programming language, like Java, which requires low learning ability, there are many hidden aspects for beginners.

What mistakes should one avoid?

Let’s go through a few that you could avoid during your learning process.

1. Too much theory, too little practice

The theory is good for laying the foundation, but avoid too much theory at the expense of exercise. Reading a lot of Java books won’t help you actually code programs and Android apps.

For a beginner, it is much better to solve a set of small and simple problems, along with a few more challenging ones. I’d say, a good ratio would be one difficult task for 10–20 simple tasks.

2. Inability to ask questions

Some students don’t want to ask anything, but no question is stupid.

So, something went wrong, well, what do we do? Ask a question!

Ask your tutor if you are on a forum, such as Javaranch or StackOverflow.

3. Not debugging the code

Debugging in today’s IDE is very simple.

Learn how to do it once, and you will gain a pearl of skill for your training and future work! Start debugging by the end of the first month of training, at the latest.

4. Start writing code before thinking about a solution

If you are facing a problem and do not find an answer immediately, before continuing with the code, think about what you are going to do.

Your program not only when writing the code, but also when you are developing the solution. Write down an approximate algorithm on paper.

p.s. until you are paid based on the number of code lines written, duh.

5. Loss of motivation due to difficulties

That is very typical for self-taught students or students who are learning in a group and lag behind.

What to do in this case?

You need to understand that programming is not rocket science. Almost everyone can do this if he or she practices enough and has a sufficient amount of patience.

How To Start — The Main Steps

The most logical way to start learning Java is to start with fundamental concepts and then immediately immerse yourself into practicing them.

Step 1. Basics

Studying Java programming is a step-by-step process. First, you should be clear on the basics. To simplify your work, I made a list of basic concepts of Java programming in the following sequence:

• Java Overview
• Fundamentals of Java
• OOPS concepts
• Java Strings
• Java Array
• Java Threads
• Java Collections

Step 2. Install Java and IDE

The Java SDK, combined with the IDE, provides an integrated development environment that will meet all your needs and help you learn faster and more effectively.

Among the various IDEs, IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse are undoubtedly the best.

Step 3: Read Some Good Books from the Experts

Start reading books written by experienced Java programmers and professionals. That will help you tap into the coding process, as experienced programmers do.

My choice of a free online book would be Thinking in Java.

Step 4: Start by Creating a Simple Application Using Your Knowledge

Put the theory that you have learned into practice. Therefore, use the knowledge you have gained and start creating simple applications (aka pet projects).

Why Practice Matters?

Programming as pretty much any skill can only be learned with much practice.

No one will learn to swim without actually trying it. You need an explanation, but above all, you need to get straight into the action.

Only a large amount of practice will teach you to cope with the everyday problems of programmers. For example, you will naturally create the habit of regularly checking your code and not letting issues related to it accumulate.

You will also start with the most straightforward solutions. Then move on to more sophisticated ones, continually working on improving your code.

And most importantly, you’ll get used to coding on a day to day basis.

The Best Resources

Gitconnected

Gitconnected was created by software engineers and developers for future and current software engineers and developers. This is a community with the best tutorial resources online. Also, members share news about programming so you will stay on top of techy things and coding hints.

The awesome part about it is the possibility to friend with other developers and get a job.

CodeGym

CodeGym is a gamified online course which is good even for both beginners, with no Java experience at all, and great mid-level programmers. CodeGym works like a video game; when you solve a problem correctly, you get “dark matter” (glasses that you need to open the next tutorial or level with). It is divided into 40 levels, each of which includes about 15–30 coding tasks, 10–20 Java-tutorials, as well as help docs that will help stay motivated.

Codecademy

Codecademy offers free courses in the Java programming language for beginners and experienced programmers alike. It provides opportunities to work and implement knowledge by providing various projects, such as the creation of a calculator and other applications.

Udemy

Udemy offers Java tutorials from beginner to expert level.

Nowadays, it has become one of the largest platforms that offer many online courses including a few programming languages such as Java, C++, and C.

It provides free video tutorials on how to start programming in Java. These tutorials help students learn more about Java concepts, which are much easier than other tutorials.

Java Revisited

The platform offers a slightly different approach to learning Java. There are tons of practical tutorials that you can access and code with.

They also teach and guide you to work with the code in Java. Therefore, it is more of a mixture of theory and practice. You read the theory, and then you apply it.

Codewars

Codewars is another online platform, which offers a ton of practice.

Although it is more suitable for students with at least some programming experience, Codewars allows you to hone in on your language skills by teaching kata.

It’s possible to code in a browser and compare your solution with others. Each kata has a rank, and each kata is a challenge for other programmers. When you solve more complex tasks, you will receive more sophisticated tasks to improve your coding skills.

This platform differs from other platforms because it allows you to learn and practice in a group.

To sum it up

You are now armed and equipped with strategies and methods to help you learn Java correctly. Generally, the key to learning Java is practice and consistency.

I highly recommend that you start your journey by enrolling for an online course so that you can try it out before proceeding to the next steps of your curriculum.