Programming is the future! Learn to code with programming courses online

Programming is not something everyone can do, it is a skill that needs to be learned and dedicated to over a long period of time. For this reason, the programming profession is in high demand, as there are never enough programmers. They are needed for the creation of websites or e-shops, the number of which is constantly growing. So there is no doubt that the decision to enter the world of programming is a good one. In this article, we won’t tell you how to code, but where and why learn to code. We’ve put together an overview of useful free and paid programming courses online for beginners, where you’ll find out how quickly you can learn to code. Find your online free programming course today!

To start with, it would be a good idea to find out whether you find IT courses completely easy or whether you need more time to learn. However, in most cases this can never be assessed in a completely realistic way. People tend to overestimate themselves or, on the contrary, underestimate themselves. However, there are indicators that can be used to at least roughly estimate one’s own capacity and how long it takes to learn to code:

  • Propositional logic. We didn’t all have this subject at school, but the basics of propositional logic are also used in mathematics. If you were friends with numbers at school, you get a point.
  • Thinking in contexts, causality, abstract imagination. Can you imagine what happens after you enter a command without needing to see it? If your answer is yes, you have a very useful skill for programming.
  • Basic knowledge of computers and information technology. It’s good to at least roughly understand what a server is, that you can use a remote server, but also that you can make one from your own computer. This knowledge will help you when programming in PHP for beginners.
  • Spatial imagination. With this intellectual ability, you’ll find it easier to navigate the architecture of a site that you’ve only imagined in your head so far. You will also find it easier to read existing codes or data structures.

If you haven’t discovered these qualities in yourself yet, it doesn’t automatically mean you don’t have them. Through programming you can discover them in yourself. In the same way, there are many different programming languages – each of which can make it easier or harder to write algorithms and overall programming. Java Programming for Beginners provides a comprehensive look at Java programming basics in the language. The Java course is an ideal way to get started with programming, with an emphasis on simplicity and understanding for those who are at the beginning of their programming journey.

Thanks to modern technology, you can learn online from the comfort of your home. It is not for nothing that it is said that today ignorance is a matter of choice, not of options. After all, there is Google, which offers an endless fount of knowledge and also many programming courses for free for beginners. Whenever we start programming, the first question is what is programming. But our programming courses will tell you much more.

Free programming courses

We’ve made a list of the best websites and learning platforms that offer programming courses online free with a certificate. So if you haven’t been to programming school, you’ll definitely benefit from a programming course. For example, the Java Programming course provides a comprehensive view of the Java programming language for participants regardless of their previous experience. Not all free courses offer a certificate, so we have prepared for you some paid courses that are even in Slovak. IT certificate courses are guaranteed to boost your CV. Choose from options to help you learn to code. Get started with self-learning programming today and check out our tips for programming courses online.

You can also find IT courses for free on Youtube.com

YouTube in general is one of the best educational aids. You’ll find useful IT video tutorials for beginners and advanced users. The freely available video library offers educational videos of all kinds to teach you the basics of programming. You’re guaranteed to find what you need on YouTube. Plus, you can choose, because unlike other platforms and sites, you’ll find dozens of different videos focused on one specific “lesson”. That’s why some people call it an online programming school. Don’t wait and find out how to program with YouTube!

For example, you can type “Java programming courses” or “Java programming for beginners”, “Java course” or any other programming language into the search box. Then just choose from the videos on offer. It may take some time to find a suitable channel and a lecturer that you can easily understand during their explanation. Therefore, there is no harm at all in checking out IT courses online from different people to find the most suitable teacher. So the beginnings of programming will be a bit more challenging, but don’t be discouraged. YouTube is also a good place to find a suitable mentor whose courses you would be willing to pay for later. The way to get started with programming has never been easier.

Super channel with Codecademy free courses

Among the most popular and at the same time the highest quality sites that provide free online programming courses is definitely Codecademy.com. Learning how to code has never been easier. The codecademy courses will teach you everything from HTML and CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby and Python. Python programming is the stepping stone to the world of IT for many. In the end, the only way to find out what to program in is to try all the languages. This website will certainly be enough for you to learn how to program a good website in a relatively short time. The IT courses at Codecademy are simple and interactive. They will give you enough time to study a specific command and understand it. Codecademy boasts that it has taught more than 24 million people how to code, and that number will surely be higher today. Codecademy courses are immediately available to you by simply creating an account via email and password.

Choose the online learning platform Udemy.com

Another online educational platform, where everyone can find something for themselves thanks to the many courses, is Udemy.com. Almost all IT Udemy courses for beginners are free of charge. You’ll also find plenty of tutorials for the more advanced. Some Udemy courses are offered for a fee, but this is more of a nominal amount. Prices are usually around 20 euros. Free IT Udemy courses are taught via video lectures and an interesting option is programming for business – HTML programming for beginners and CSS or introduction to programming in Python. You might also find a guide useful to introduce you to programming and teach you the C++ programming language or C programming for beginners.

Coursera free courses and IT tutorials

Coursera.org was founded in 2012 and has a very broad focus. Over time, this online course provider has grown into a huge technology-education company, offering more than a thousand courses from 119 institutions. The specialty of this site is cooperation with world-class universities such as the University of Washington, Stanford University, the University of Toronto and many others. The advantage is the possibility of teaching not only via computer, but also via smartphone thanks to the mobile application. The Coursera courses are certified not only by universities but also by companies such as Google or IBM. Although they also offer fee-based IT courses, you’ll find a range of free introductory programming courses in a variety of specialisms, some even with a certificate. So Coursera is another way to learn how to code for free.

W3schools courses and free tutorials

On this platform you will find free text tutorials that are accessible without registration. There are JavaScript courses, focusing on learning SQL for beginners, HTML, CSS, PHP, if you are starting to program in Python, jQuery or if you are starting to program in Java. A new feature is a comprehensive video tutorial that covers all the basics of HTML for the price of $10. Page w3schools.com is often referred to as the base for CSS language (Cascading Style Sheets) and HTML programming. You don’t need any previous experience or programming knowledge to take advantage of these free IT w3schools courses. W3schools is therefore an introduction to programming for complete beginners. You’ll get free exercises to learn the basics of programming very easily. The site does support ads, but they are not very intrusive. In addition, it also offers a variety of sophisticated paid programming courses with a certificate.

See also edX Virtual University

Educational page edX.org is like a virtual university. It is a joint project of two world-renowned universities – Harvard and MIT. For the creators of this platform, profit was not the primary concern, and as a result, approximately 60 educational institutions now offer free online programming courses. The platform also includes courses that are taught at the best universities in the world. In addition to universities, various other major organisations also add study materials. Most of the edX courses are free, only the certificate is charged if you need to get it after the course. But if not, you’ll find there a quality education for free. The edX.org environment is very clear, easy to navigate, and the free IT courses are interesting. So you’re guaranteed to find a suitable free online programming course there too.

Interactive online courses available at Code Avengers

Our highly engaging interactive online programming courses teach you how to program games using JavaScript, HTML and CSS, in addition to websites and apps. Courses on Codeavengers.com are designed for a variety of ages – from courses for children as young as 5 years old to courses dedicated to teachers. They are only 12 hours long and you can choose to take them in English, Russian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Portuguese. Activities and projects that teach you a lot are fun and effective. Online programming has never been more accessible.

You can start learning the basics of CSS at css-tricks.com

We wrote about what Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are in the article The Most Used Programming Languages. In short, CSS is responsible for how a website looks. This includes font colour and style, backgrounds, images and their layout. It’s not hard to realize that design has an essentially infinite range of possibilities, and therefore it’s not humanly possible to remember all the codes. There is a great website for such situations CSS-tricks.com. It includes hundreds of short CSS video tutorials so you can quickly figure out how to code what you need.

Programming is the job of the future
Programmer is one of the promising professions of the future.

Free courses vs paid courses

IT courses for free are in most cases not in Slovak or Czech. If your English is at a lower level, you’ll struggle to understand the content of the online programming course. It would also take you an unnecessary amount of time. In this case, it is better to choose one of the Slovak IT academies, the number of which is constantly growing. Although their courses are mostly paid, there are also a few free ones.

Informatika s Mišom (Informatics with Miso)

Many free courses in Slovak are offered by Informatics with Michal. Michal is posting lessons about object-oriented programming, C++, Python and Git on Youtube. He also has an interesting podcast in which he discusses various IT topics, including an interview with our Java programmer Matus.

Slovak online courses for beginner programmers

Find online programming courses on the Street of Code learning platform. All courses are currently free and you can learn OOP programming, Kotlin or how to learn Python programming. You can find them at https://streetofcode.sk/kurzy. The courses also include assignments and quizzes so you can test your newly acquired knowledge.

The guys at Street of Code also have a podcast for aspiring male and female programmers. It has over 100 episodes and talks about all sorts of things that junior programmers come across. Whether it’s the first days on the job, how to improve yourself or how to find a job and prepare for an interview. You can find all their content at https://streetofcode.sk/.

Paid programming courses

VITA educational platform for programmers

VITA is another great option for those interested in programming. This platform offers up to 550+ online accredited courses focusing on different programming languages such as Python, C++, Java, or R. VITA sets itself apart with its hands-on approach to teaching, which is built on the principle of learning by doing. Students learn through real-world projects and real-world examples in a fun way. Courses are suitable not only for beginners, but also for advanced programmers who want to expand their knowledge. Very popular is the annual subscription with access to all courses. In addition to classical programming languages, the platform also covers areas such as IT system and server administration, databases, websites, cybersecurity and data protection, SAP and ABAP, and preparation for professional certifications. Upon successful completion of the courses, students receive a certificate that increases their chances of employment in the IT sector. It is also possible to obtain an accredited certificate or internationally valid certifications for an additional fee. The VITA platform also places emphasis on individual development and helps its graduates achieve success in the professional market. It also provides professional degrees such as BBA, MBA, DBA, MPA and MSc. For more information about the course offerings, please visit vita.sk.

Paid platform for online courses Skillmea

You can find a wide selection of courses, as well as the way they are delivered, at Skillmea.sk. The lecturer, who guides you through the very basics of programming via video tutorials, goes by the nickname Yablko. He explains and teaches in a very simple, clear and understandable way, so that it is perhaps impossible to misunderstand anything. The instructor simply teaches exactly how programming should be taught. It offers the basics of HTML, CSS and PHP programming.

Skillmea offers some courses for free, so you can find out in advance if the lecturer suits you. Just log in on the website and almost every course will offer you a few free lessons. Skillmea offers paid courses at a very reasonable price, with total access costing €49 per month. You can view any lesson as many times as you want during the month. Upon successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate.

GreenFoxAcademy.sk IT courses academy

IT Academy GreenFoxAxademy.sk offers super-intensive courses and evening/weekend courses suitable alongside employment. It is taught online, so the lecturer is with you in real time, even if not physically. During the lesson, they respond to your questions, explain and help you. These specialists are so confident in their training that they offer a full refund of the course fee if, according to the terms of your contract, you fail to find a job within six months of completing the course. You can also get a job with us, we offer a variety of positions with great employee benefits.

Online learning is also available at it-academy.sk

If online distance learning doesn’t suit you, it-academy.sk is the solution for you. The courses are usually organised in a full-time form at their headquarters in Bratislava. The length of the programming courses depends on the difficulty – sometimes it can be several days. The Academy probably has every IT course you can imagine. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certificate or even an accredited certificate from the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. They also offer courses for paid databases such as Oracle.

Why learn programming?

Now you know the answer to the question of how to learn programming. You’ve also got a great list of educational sites, so you don’t have to deal with the additional question of where to learn to code. If you’re wondering why to program and what benefits will it bring you? It is a way to develop critical thinking, create innovation and gain the ability to solve a wide range of problems. Completing IT coding courses for beginners will open the door to interesting and stable job opportunities. Many, if not all, of them will allow you to grow and learn further in the field, provide stable IT jobs and interesting salaries for programmers. Check out our software developer jobs blog for information, tips and advice on professional development and career opportunities.

We also regularly search for IT testers, Java developers, actuaries with different specializations or DevOps engineers. We also offer a tailor-made position as part of the job offer. Check out our latest job offers and find your ideal job in the world of IT. If you’re on the fence about working for us, check out our blog to see how different roles work. You will learn more, for example, about the position of test manager, software developer and others.

 

UI vs UX: What’s the difference?

UX and UI are two acronyms that are often mentioned by programmers and marketers. They are usually referred to as UI UX design, so it’s clear at a glance that they have something to do with design. However, many don’t know in detail what the term UI UX designer means, each of which is a separate profession. What exactly are the professions, what UX stands for and what UI means, and what is the difference between UX and UI?

UX stands for user experience and most often refers to a profession dealing with user experience. It focuses on the user’s experience, feelings and overall first impression when interacting with any system, software, application or website. A UX designer tries to design all the functional elements in the right places so that the user goes through the whole process on the site as comfortably as possible and has the best feeling after leaving the site. The optimal goal is for the customer to return later to repeat the purchase and recommend the brand to friends and acquaintances.

UI is an abbreviation of user interface. UI design deals with the choice of colours, fonts, photos and their layout. It also determines the layout of important elements on the page and, of course, their appearance. These elements must be properly designed and positioned to make sense to the user.

UX and UI for web design

Although UX UI design are familiar terms, some people state them incorrectly or use them synonymously. You ask: What UX designer does? You definitely don’t need to look for UX in the UI, but simply put, UX is in charge of how the system works, and UI is in charge of how the system looks. Thus, UX and UI complement each other when creating websites or apps. Both are essentially about the same thing – meeting the needs and making the user experience more enjoyable.

The purpose is to create a web design that will ensure easy and at the same time maximally efficient use of the system. UX design and UI design are therefore interconnected. In general, a web designer is still a professional who specializes in creating visually appealing and functional websites. And this includes both of the above, for example, if it is a website design, including the preparation of a design manual.

The misconception that customer loyalty to a brand is largely linked to ease and convenience of use, that is with UX, has long been overcome. Today, we know that it creates loyalty along with UI. The quality of a software, website or application is directly proportional to the communication between UX and UI designers, their ability to coordinate and agree, and also to anticipate different situations in advance. UI UX design is full of challenges!

UX and UI differences

In practice, it is sometimes difficult to specify what work a UI and ux designer does and the difference between UI and UX design, as they are very closely related. That’s why a lot of jokes are made about them. For example, if the UI designer asks what size the questionnaire should be to get the customer’s attention, the UX designer will ask if we need the questionnaire at all.

If we wanted to show the difference between UX and UI design with a real-world example, just imagine a woman’s hair straightener. The UX displays its heating to different temperatures, teflon plates and a handle designed to hang when not in use. The UI includes the colour of the straightener and clearly labelled buttons. This is one example of the challenges UX and UI designers have to deal with.

It’s crucial to integrate UX web design early on.

Setting up the UX design of the website and apps should be done from the start with UX designers, the people responsible for UX design. Website owners often mistakenly think that a good UX setup will take a few hours or days and then they’ll never have to go back to it. Well the opposite is true. A UX designer may be a magician in a sense, but even his magic has its limits. Still not clear on what a UX designer does? Let’s take a closer look.

Any proposal for the creation of a website or a change of the existing state is based on data research and testing of options. Data analytics can show exactly how a user moves their mouse around the web, or it can show the web pages that a user has left. If a user isn’t clicking where we want them to click, or is leaving early, something needs to change.

What UX designer does

At the beginning, a survey is carried out to gather as much information as possible. It is easier to do such an overview when editing an existing page. However, if the making of a web starts from scratch, questionnaires, surveys and market analysis are used.

From the collected data, so-called personas are created for the page. They are fictitious persons, visitors to the site, who are supposed to encompass a certain group of people. Their age, occupation, financial security, hobbies, etc. are selected. There can be more than one persona, and the behaviour of users on the site is predicted by them. The UX designer then designs the architecture of the website. At this stage, the UX designer creates the entire logical structure of the future website, links, interconnections and paths through the site.

A wireframe design is created directly during or immediately after the creation of the architecture. The wireframe is the first sketch of the page. It contains only black-and-white areas without images and texts, indicating the different elements on the page. Usually the sections are just connected by crossed lines, so the whole drawing really looks like a wire-frame model or scaffolding.

Wireframing can be created with pencil on paper, which is often the most common first step. The best wireframes are then digitized. This design will help to understand better how the product will appear on computer, tablet and mobile screens. On paper, however, it’s harder to estimate how many elements can fit comfortably on a regular phone.

A UX web designer has three basic goals when creating wireframes:

  • show basic content,
  • draw the layout of the primary structural units,
  • outline and describe the user interface.

The wireframe is then used to create a prototype of the website, which is a “clickable” version of the website without graphics. The prototype is always tested before the graphics are added. The role of any IT tester is to ensure that websites, software applications or systems are working properly and meet the set requirements and specifications. The aim is to see if the site is intuitive, easy to understand, manoeuvrable and functional. This is also a short definition of what is the UX meaning.

 

Creative work of a designer in UX and UI
The structure and appearance of the website is created together by the UX and UI designer.

The task of a UI designer

A UI designer should have a strong aesthetic sense. They decide how the website will look like. A UI designer selects colours, combines them, chooses fonts, button shapes, animations of transitions or effects, in short, everything that is visible to the naked eye on the page. The user interface must have a uniform tone and colour matching, supervising the client’s corporate colours and logos so that the company’s branding is observed. In vain will be the UX designer convinced that the space on the top right is ideal for the cart icon, if according to the client’s rules the logo should be there.

The UI design makes sure that all elements are in the right place, in the right colour and size and that they look visually uniform, aesthetic and functional. If the UI designer is absent, it may show up as too many colours used on the page, poor contrast between the background and the font or an unfortunate font choice. These are all factors that strongly influence the user experience on the web. In a nutshell, what UX means and what UX design focuses on, is understanding the needs and preferences of users. It includes all interactions, impressions and reactions that a user experiences when using a product, service or system.

Problems and tasks of a UX designer

The problems that a UX designer regularly solves are many. Depending on the site from which the visitor leaves prematurely, it may turn out that the website has an annoying CAPTCHA control. The website may lack a filter or have a filter but it is insufficient or confusing. The site may have too many pop-ups or mandatory registration for purchase. All of this can cause customer loss and the goal of the UX designer is to prevent it.

Favourite creative job

UX designer is one of the most popular creative jobs. Their job may not be the easiest, but it’s fun and enjoyable if you like to design. A UX designer needs to be able to read data to design the best website structure that the user will immediately like. In the same way, the UI designer must create the right look for the website or application so that it looks appealing, uniform and meets the client’s requirements. Moreover, the two professions work closely together to jointly design the best possible web or other creation.

Our company is constantly looking for new talented people for these positions. When we find such colleagues, we take care of them properly. See for yourself and check out our great employee benefits. If you are interested to work for us, check out the current job offers in our company.

Job

Graphic Designer

Jobs IT consultant for software testing

Current open offer: UX/UI Developer – Digital Solutions

We are currently offering you a home office or full remote job. If you have experience in frontend application development and knowledge of design standards, speak English or German, join our team. UX and UI design will become the main focus of your work.

You will design and develop innovative solutions and become part of an agile team. You will also implement digital services for the insurance industry. As part of your job, you will work closely with owners and developers.

ISTQB certification as a benefit for IT testers

You can get it for free as one of the company benefits for employees at msg life Slovakia.

Software testing is one of the most essential parts in the development of any program. The task of an IT tester is to detect weaknesses that could pose a risk or make the user’s work unpleasant. Software testing methods vary and are constantly changing as technology evolves. This is why there is a difference in the individual testers’ level. The international ISTQB certification can train them in the process or, on the contrary, test their knowledge. You can get it for free as one of the employee benefits of working at msg life Slovakia.

ISTQB certification (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) is one of the most well-known certifications in the field of software application testing. In each country, certification is covered by the country’s authority, which must meet the ISTQB criteria, meaning it is authorized to carry out certification. After getting this certification, you will not only take your skills to a new level, but they will be accepted outside of Slovakia.

The ISTQB certification process is the same in each country. The course can be taken even without IT experience, but it is always an advantage if the candidate is already familiar with the subject. You can get a basic, advanced or expert level certification. “However, the ISTQB CTFL foundation level is a prerequisite for higher levels of certification,” explains Michal, a business consultant.

The course can be taken online or in person, depending on the candidate’s preference. “For the Platinum partner, ISTQB courses are also done on-site at the company’s headquarters or online at a time agreed by us, if there are enough candidates.” adds Lukas, software tester. Before obtaining a valid certification, the applicant must complete theoretical training supplemented by practical demonstrations.

At the foundation level you can choose to take the course in Slovak or English, higher levels can be taken only in English. “Preparation for the ISTQB certification takes place at least once a week due to the candidates’ workload and one lesson lasts approximately 1.5 hours,” says Michal. Obtaining the certification takes approximately seven weeks.

Job

IT tester medior

Jobs IT consultant for software testing

The course is free

Successful candidates of the course receive a valid certification, which is published in the register of successful candidates on the official ISTQB portal. The recruiter can verify ISTQB certification validity by the candidate’s name. At the moment, this certificate is seen as an advantage at a job interview, but it is also possible to get it afterwards, while you are working with us – even if you have already failed the course once. “In this case, it is no longer necessary to go through the whole preparatory course again,” adds Michal.

“If a candidate is not sure of their knowledge after completing the training, they do not have to go to the next certification date, but at a later date. If they decide to retake the exam, they must, of course, pay the certification fee,” adds Michal. However, this is not the case at msg life Slovakia, where the second attempt is paid for by our company.

ISTQB certification is an advantage for the candidate
Successful candidate of the course will receive an internationally valid certification.

The employer thus increases the professional level of employees and gains a competitive advantage. Successful candidates of the ISTQB certification course will have opportunities for career growth and will become familiar with the tester’s code of ethics.

They do not have to worry that this knowledge will be outdated in a few years’ time. “The basic principles in the field of testing remain more or less unchanged, but the ISTQB of course reflects developments and updates its syllabus. The foundation level, which introduces the candidate to the basic principles, is therefore not time-limited. At some higher levels, certification is already time-limited,” explains Michal.

It is possible to attempt to obtain a certification without completing the course, but it is very unlikely that a candidate will pass the exams without preparation. “There are a number of free learning options available on the Internet, but especially for practical tasks I recommend consulting someone experienced or taking a course,” adds Lukas, a software application tester.

A job where you can grow in your career and keep learning

Thanks to your job at msg life Slovakia you will get the opportunity to get not only the ISTQB software testing certification – you can achieve much more with us. Our competitive advantage is clearly our employee benefits from which each candidate can choose what they enjoy the most. Someone will be interested in regular adrenaline teambuilding, relaxing massages, own fitness center or the possibility to get a MultiSport card. But we offer you something extra – the opportunity to attend regular language courses or various training courses to help you progress.

If you are passionate about IT and have the desire to work on yourself, we are happy to help you in your career development. If you are looking for stable job in the form of a home office, where you can occasionally go to the office for a coffee with colleagues, be sure to check out our job offers in the field of consulting and software testing.

See our latest job offers, send us your CV and join the team that helps us improve the world of insurance!