Online Programming Courses vs. Coding Books: Which Is Better for You?

Are you new to coding? In this technologically advanced era, finding any resource you desire to learn from is not very difficult. Almost all books are available at our fingertips in PDF and EPUB formats or even as audiobooks. You are not good at self-learning and want to have an experienced instructor in the field instead of a book? That is also achievable now. There are plenty of online courses and certifications available at affordable rates now. But which one is best for you? Which one will we choose? Here we compare different aspects of the topic of online coding courses vs books and help you choose the learning source that suits you the best.

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Online Coding Courses Vs Books

When you are taking the first steps to the field of coding one of the biggest doubts in your mind might be what is the best source to learn coding from. Some might suggest learning from an instructor is the best. However, some may find it an unnecessary expense as there are so many books available on the internet on the topic of coding. They will tell you that reading coding books and learning by yourself is what builds a knowledgeable and uniquely talented coder.

Both online coding courses and coding books are popular among coding students at present. They cater to different sets of students with different needs and have different learning methods. So always be careful to choose a resource that suits your objectives and ambitions. But please know that there are no shortcuts in the journey that is learning to code. Learning programming is a long journey indeed. The fewer the shortcuts you take in the path of learning better will be the results you get in the end and the better will be your knowledge and practical skills in this field.

So, what should we do? Should we just select a random online course and join it? Or should we just go to a local store and buy a book on coding and start learning? Or should we combine both these resources and learn from both selectively? Will the knowledge offered by different resources complement and support each other? People have different learning methods, some prefer online classes, some books and some like to combine different methods and sources. Let’s learn more about this before deciding for ourselves.

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What are Online Coding Courses?

There was a boom in online courses during the pandemic. So, there are more than enough online certification courses available on the internet today. If you decide that using an online course to learn coding is the best strategy for you, then you will not face much difficulty in finding one suitable for you. The only problem you will face here is that you will have a difficult time choosing from a large number of online courses available. When you are a beginner, it is even difficult to decide where to start from. All these claim to have good quality, awesome results and fast progress. Among all of them, the online full-stack development course offered by the Entri app is one of the best and most productive. This certificate course has all the benefits listed below.

• Recorded sessions
• Live sessions
• Expert teachers
• Capstone projects
• Illinois Tech Certification
• Soft skills training
• Internship guarantee
• Placement support
• Numerous hiring partners

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Pros of Online Courses

There are many advantages to choosing to learn coding from an online course. Some of them are listed below.

Low Cost

Most people will not wish to spend too much money on a study resource while they are just starting in that field. It is the same for coding. But there are many very affordable or even fully free online courses available on the internet now. Beginning your coding learning with an inexpensive course is the best way so that you might not lose much if you find coding not to your taste in the middle of the course and decide to drop it.

Variety of Courses

You can find any course you want to learn in the present-day ed-tech market. There is plenty of variety to choose from when it comes to coding courses. Courses offer general coding knowledge, tutorials on a specific programming language and classes on the tools used by developers. You can choose from them according to your ambitions and objectives. Full-stack development is one of the biggest sectors gaining more popularity in the present day. Entri app offers one of the best Full-stack development courses in the industry. Check out the online full-stack development course offered by the Entri app.

Availability of Latest Topics

We all know that the tech industry is dynamic and ever-changing. This field is evolving constantly. Innovations come up every day. These innovative tools deal with very specific problems and can be a huge help in increasing the productivity of the developers. It takes time to compile the information, write, edit, publish and market books. So, they cannot be released as soon as some new technology is released. The relevance of taking a new course is to keep yourself updated. It is most valuable when one acquires the skill within a short span after the release of the innovation. However online tutorials are easier to make and publish on online platforms.

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Cons of Online Courses

Like any learning source, online courses also have certain cons. Some of them are listed below.

Difficulty in Following

Most of the online courses are given in English language. If you have no sufficient comprehension skills in the English language, then the course might be extremely difficult for you to follow. But if you have a certain level of understanding of English then these online courses in English can also be used for learning listening skills. But there are solutions to this problem too these days.

Many courses come in regional languages with people having that language as their mother tongue as the target audience, you can choose such courses if you are not confident in your English knowledge. So always take a demo class if available and make sure that you can thoroughly understand what the instructor is saying before actually paying the fee and joining the course.

Difficult in Ensuring Quality before Joining

The quality of an online course is almost fully dependent on the quality of the instructor. If the teaching methods of the instructor are not to your taste, then continuing the course is pointless. You can check this by taking demo classes. Another important thing is the difficulty level of the course, the study materials offered by them etc.

But the problem is that in most cases you can gain full access to the contents of the course only after you have paid the full fee. So, we cannot be fully sure that the course is of the quality we desire. Some courses offer a money-back guarantee to eliminate this risk. Some platforms might also have a free trial period before requesting a subscription. In these cases, if you are unsatisfied with the contents then just unsubscribe from the platform.

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What are Coding Books?

The second candidate in our coding courses vs books is the coding books. You can learn by yourself if you have the time and energy to put into it without the help of an instructor. If you and 100% sure that learning without an instructor i.e. self-learning is what works for you, then coding books are the way to go.

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Pros of Coding Books

Like coding courses, coding books also have some benefits. Some of them are listed below.

Sharing

A book is easier to share with others. If you are studying as a group, then all the members in the group can study a single book and then discuss it. You cannot share an online course because the certification will come only in the name of the student who registered. Even if it is just for learning then you will have to share important login details to access the platform, and this might not be always a good idea because of safety issues.

Thorough Introduction and Intensive Learning

Reading programming books can help you become familiar with a subject and pick up vocabulary and concepts related to it. Programming books typically provide you with the big picture and outline best practices. This is useful for a quick start or a different perspective.

No Need for Internet

If you come from a place with less internet accessibility, then it might be very difficult for you to join an online course. Everyone doesn’t have WIFI at home. If you lose the connection amid a live class and the program does not offer the option of accessing the recording of the same class later then that portion is lost for you.  A book will never have this issue. You can take it wherever you want and read it even when there is no internet.

Easily Verifiable Quality

Unlike an online course, when you are at a bookstore, you can quickly check the contents of the books by skimming through them. You can also read the reviews of the book on many sites left by people who already read the book. Some online courses also come with reviews, but it is very rare. So, while buying a book, just open it and read through it to decide whether you like the designs, contents and how the book is structured. It should also be noted that when programming books are published, they are typically subjected to a thorough auditing procedure by industry experts. As a result, these texts are inherently more relevant.

Future Reference

If the topic in coding you are trying to learn is quite static, then the book can be also used for reference in future to refresh your knowledge or in times of doubt. It is often faster to browse through a book and highlight a few pages to see at the same time than to access many video lectures from an online course. Printed text has a significant benefit over film or audio in that it allows you to read a line as many times as you choose.

Furthermore, you may easily go around the material on the same page if you need a fast refresher on what you’ve just read. In this regard, a good book outperforms a video lecture. Another thing is that beginners find it difficult to learn many computer languages. Trustworthy sources are essential for verifying your errors and understanding how to prevent them. Short tutorials on the internet might result in a lack of information.

Relaxation from Screentime

Reading a code book provides a respite from looking at a screen. Many topics can be read more easily on paper than on a typical screen.

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Cons of Coding Books

Some cons come with choosing coding books as a source of learning. Some of them are discussed below.

Size and Storage

Buying a lot of books might not be ideal for studying if you have small storage space or shift houses frequently. They are quite heavy and take up a lot of space. It is a cumbersome task to move them from place to place and arrange and rearrange them. So, think twice before buying lots of heavy books.

Going Out of Date

As we discussed above, the areas in the tech industry are under constant evolution. So, they gain popularity and go out of use very quickly. A book should be a long-term investment. In the case of topics that will become outdated very soon the books become obsolete very soon. So, it is better to take a cheaper online course in this case.

The key to good learning is to find resources that suit your methods, level of knowledge and your living circumstances. But the real learning starts after the course is completed or after the book is read. This learning happens from the practical experience that you gain while doing projects. So always take practising your skills with sample projects seriously. If you are a complete beginner in the coding field joining an online field to get your basics right is ideal. The full-stack development course for the entri app is very much recommended.

Once you have a basic understanding then you can buy a book and delve into deeper and detailed knowledge. In truth, programming books and online classes work best when combined. Books provide you the opportunity to escape and experience a new environment, whereas online courses confine you to a screen. Books can help you improve your craft. You can obtain vitamin D, get some fresh air, and learn programming all at once by reading books.

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Online Coding Courses Vs Books

1. What is better in the topic of Coding Courses vs. books?

Online video and interactive courses are easier to access and get you working hands-on with code quickly; however, programming books are the best for introducing concepts and deeply learning complex topics. Books allow you to zone in and find a state of “slow” thought that video courses do not allow. Online classes are excellent for learning “how-to” and developing your programming muscle memory.

2. What is a benefit that online classes have over books?

The online coding courses are better in having a step-by-step learning process, fast updates in content, and in getting hands-on experience and mentor support.