Who is this course for?

This course is for people with no prior programming experience who want to learn how to become a professional programmer. Experienced programmers who went straight into a higher-level language without ever learning the fundamentals may also find this course useful.

How is this course different to other programming courses?

Most courses skip the fundamentals altogether. They teach you what to type in order to get the desired result, without teaching you what the computer is actually doing, for example how it stores data in memory. This can make students feel like they've learned something quickly, but leads to problems later on when they have to tackle difficult problems or learn a new programming language. Many of these students find their first real job difficult, get disheartened and quit. Learning the fundamentals gives you a much deeper understanding, empowers you to solve difficult problems, and gives you an advantage over other programmers in a competitive job market.

Which programming language does this course teach?

This course uses a language called 'C', and by the end of the course you will be able to program in C, but this is not a course about learning C. We use C as a tool to teach the fundamentals. Technology is constantly changing, and so is the job market, so rather than learning languages you should learn the fundamentals that apply to all languages. Languages such as Python, Java and Golang are based on C, and by the end of this course you will be able to learn those languages yourself in a matter of hours, because you will understand the fundamentals that they are based on.

Other languages hide things from you - for example memory management - to make your job easier, whereas in C you have to learn to do those things yourself. C allows you much more powerful access to the computer's internals, which makes it ideal for learning about those internals. Learning C first gives you a huge advantage when you later come to learn other languages, because you'll have a deep understanding of what the new language is actually doing for you behind the scenes.

What software do I need to take this course?

You don't need any software to take this course. The course gives you your own programming sandbox, directly in the web browser, where you can write and run your code. Your browser must be a recent version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge - don't worry about checking the version number, the sandbox will let you know if your version is too old.

Do I need to be good at mathematics to take this course?

If you can understand something like this:

                                    a = 2
                                    b = 4
                                    c = a + b
                                    what is the value of c ?
                                

and know that the correct answer is 6, then you know enough mathematics to take this course, and you know enough to be a professional programmer.

Is the course difficult?

Completion of the course is achievable by most students with focus and perseverance. It is perhaps more difficult than most introductory programming courses, but this is by design, and ensures that you finish the course with a strong understanding of the fundamentals.

Will I be able to get a job as a programmer after taking this course?

This course is intended to be the first module in a series of other courses that will be available soon, that will take you from a complete beginner all the way to getting your first job as a professional programmer. However, on successful completion of this course you will already have more fundamental knowledge of programming and computer science than many professional programmers, and you'll know enough to be able to study further independently.

Can I try the course before I buy it?

The first five lessons are free to everyone.