Learning how to code just might be the most valuable skill set in 2020 (and beyond) – but it's also incredibly intimidating, especially for folks that are starting from scratch.

So, is it really possible to learn to code in a year? The answer might surprise you.

Right out of the gate I can tell you that it is ABSOLUTELY possible to learn how to code – and code – in just 12 short months. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be able to program advanced applications or code a videogame from top to bottom inside of one year. But if you're looking to learn the fundamentals of coding and programming it isn't going to take you longer than 12 months. It may even happen faster than that!

Thankfully, there are more resources available right now than ever before to teach you how to code even if you are totally brand-new. On top of that, many of these amazing resources are extremely affordable if not 100% free!

Obviously, there are a couple of things that will influence how quickly you are able to learn how to code and how to program. Below we highlight the learning path you’re going to want to focus on if you are serious about shortcutting this process, giving yourself the foundational education you need while saving as much time as possible along the way.

Let's dig right in!

Learn by Doing

The most important thing you can do when learning how to code is fully embrace jumping headfirst into the deep end of the pool.

A lot of people start by reading textbooks, watching YouTube videos, and investing time soaking up the theory behind coding before they start to tinker around with code themselves.

Don't get sucked into that trap.

No, time after time we hear from expert programmers that the fastest way to teach yourself how to code is to actually do it – pick a project you want to start and then begin coding while you learn the fundamentals along the way.

This is going to expose you to the realities of the world of coding and programming in a way that book learning or video courses never could. On top of that, you'll get the instant feedback of learning from your decisions (and your mistakes) as well as the reward of actually building something while you code, too.

Hammer Home the Fundamentals

There are a lot of great resources out there that teach you all kinds of cool things to do with coding shortcuts and hacks, but you'll want to try and avoid diving into those resources until you get a rock solid foundation of the fundamentals under your belt.

New coders and programmers that rush through the fundamentals of coding almost always find themselves severely handicapped later on in their careers.

It's not at all unusual to see these shortcut takers slow down significantly when faced with more challenging coding projects, all because they haven't yet internalized the fundamentals that work across the board.

Avoid that by really sticking to the fundamentals for the first 3 to 4 months of your coding education, even if you start to feel like you are going over the same ground that you already have. Once the fundamentals feel as natural as breathing you'll be ready to progress.

Consider Coding by Hand

Although coding by hand is a lot more time-consuming than coding on a computer there are a lot of developers (including some amazing experts at Google and Apple) that describe coding on a piece of paper as the most important thing they did when they were first learning.

Separating yourself from the computer (and your code from immediate results) really forces you to think through everything that you are writing.

You'll have to consider everything that you put down on the paper, you'll have to think about how it ties into everything else you have written down, and you'll teach yourself how to work through coding problems in your head without seeing instant feedback – allowing you to move more rapidly through coding projects as you get a little more skill under your belt.

Keep the tips and tricks we highlighted above in mind and you won't have to worry about learning how to code in a year. You'll be moving along a lot faster than that!