Programming is one of the most useful skills a person can learn. It’s everywhere, from websites to smartphones and even in hospitals. But programming can also be intimidating for beginners. It’s not like learning a language like Spanish or French, where you simply follow the rules of grammar and vocabulary; programming requires an entirely different type of thinking.

Find a language that works for you

There are lots of programming languages out there, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Some languages are easier to learn than others, and some are more widely used in the industry.

If you’re looking for a language that is easy to learn but also very popular, consider Python or Ruby.

Learn the syntax

To create a program, you need to learn the syntax. Syntax is the set of rules that govern the structure and form of any given language. To build a program in any programming language, you must first know its syntax.

Start with some basic code

So what is code? Code, simply put, is a language. It’s a way for humans to communicate with computers.

It’s best understood by imagining you’re having a dialogue with another human being and asking them questions like: “What time is it?” or “Where am I going?” The answers are delivered in the form of statements: “2:14 PM” or “New York.” Each statement does something—it tells you something new or changes the state of your current knowledge (the time).

This process is essentially how programs work as well. They tell our computer what we want it to do through statements that perform tasks like reading from files or displaying information on screen or writing data to disk drives. The pattern seems simple enough at first glance but there’s more complexity lurking beneath this seemingly basic idea that makes programming challenging for beginners—and even experienced programmers!

Practice over and over again

When you start, programming will be frustrating. It’s hard to get started and it takes time to see improvement. People who have been programming for years still have moments where they feel like they are back at square one.

The best advice I can give you is to keep practising, even if you think that what you are doing doesn’t make sense or doesn’t work the way that others say it does. If something isn’t working for you—and trust me there will be many times when this happens—try something different! Don’t give up just because a particular approach didn’t work out; instead, try another strategy and keep trying until something works for you!

Google your errors, because you will have errors

As you’re learning to program, you will make mistakes. These errors are often a sign that you’re making progress—don’t be afraid of them! Your first program won’t be perfect, and it’s important that you understand why your code doesn’t work.

Google is your friend when it comes to debugging errors. Searching for “error in python” or “error in java” (or whatever language) will usually point you toward an article with advice on how to fix the error and get back on track.