CodeGym Review: How to Learn Java From Scratch in 2021

Learning programming is a challenging journey because there are a lot of routes you can choose to plan your training. In Java’s case, there are hundreds of books, online courses, and learning platforms designed to empower learners. On top of that, Java is the primary programming language taught in most CS curriculums.  OSTraining offers web languages like javascript and php, but CodeGym offers a unique way to learn Java!

In this post, we will review a popular Java tutorial platform among all-level Java students – Codegym. Programming users typically use it to accompany lecture courses or as a stand alone learning resource.

Let’s find out if CodeGym helps learn Java faster and stay engaged every step of the way.

Platform Driven By Practice

Straight from the homepage, Codegym lets coders know that the platform is laser-focused on hands-on learning. The course comes with over 1,200 practice problems covering all basic Java concepts, from basic syntax to multithreading.

Why is practice-driven learning a good idea?

Students who take CS courses at universities are often overwhelmed by memorizing, retaining, and internalizing theoretical concepts. Most programs don’t spend enough time helping students practice manipulating variables, using data types, and building real-life coding applications using loops, if-else statements, and other syntax components.

At Codegym, entry-level programmers can practice solving hundreds of problems that closely match CS curriculums. This way, by the time of exams or graduations, college students will have a deeper understanding and a layer of applications for all concepts theory learned in class.

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Structured Learning Roadmap

There are so many Java-related resources that students research arguments too deeply, afraid to miss out on important insights. In the long run, hoarding resources usually does more harm than good – a lot of learners start focusing on details of handling loops or classes without having a fundamental understanding of their applications.

That’s why experienced programmers suggest limiting the list of learning tools to 2-3 platforms. To that end, Codegym is a viable option since it offers a structured learning curriculum and combines theoretical explanations with practice problems (that are quite similar to what students typically see at exams or entry-level job interviews).

How much of Java Does Codegym cover?

The course consists of four separate blocks – Java Syntax, Java Core, Java Multithreading, Java Collections. At the time of writing, two more courses are in development – they will cover SQL & Hibernate and JSP & Servlets.

Let’s zoom in on one of the platform’s courses to see by what logic the team used to build the curriculum.

A Java Syntax block elaborates on what variables, classes, and methods are, lays out their applications, and challenges coders with practice problems. These are the concepts 1st year CS students are learning in class. The course has 10 lessons:

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Gamification to Make Coding Fun

While there are Java learners who enjoy the elegance behind the theory of OOP, most tend to space out by the end of a lecture. I often catch students wondering “How will I use this abstract idea?”. That’s why I believe that coding games are a vital part of improving as a programmer.

Codegym does a good job at keeping Java learners engaged, with a catalog of games for all difficulty levels. My favorite is the Java-based Moon Lander. It’s fascinating to be able to design an all-time classic on your own (arguably, it will look even better since graphics camea long way since the 80s). Other titles you might want to check out are The Hungry Snake, or 2048.

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Active Community

A dedicated user community is a key component of a smooth Java learning course. Chances are, there will be problems and concepts that leave you confused. At some point, you might think that the platform offers you the wrong answer to the question. To clear these doubts, programming students should have a place where they can discuss specific resource-related issues.

CodeGym has a user community centered around the platform. Here, you can come across messages like “Two lecturers explain the same idea differently, what the reason?” and many others. In each forum thread, community members help each other by sharing code samples and best practices.

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Easy to use on mobile

Mobile responsivity is another reason to add CodeGym to your list of resources on Java learning resources. The platform is available on Android smartphones, allowing students to access both lectures and solve practice problems in a custom-made IDE on the go.

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Tells success stories that inspire

Finally, CodeGym helps students stay motivated by sharing inspiring programming journeys of other community members. When you struggle to answer practice problems, it’s easy to give up – but before you do, you can read stories about:

• An 18-year-old self-taught student who got a job in software development after completing the CodeGym Java course.
• A programmer who combined learning Java with wearing many other hats – like getting a master’s degree and meeting a significant other.
• A former athlete who became a Java developer and got recruited by a London-based company and relocated to work abroad.

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Final Note

Although Codegym doesn’t have to be the only platform you use to learn Java, the tool is so diverse and well-structured that it could replace many other resources. If you decide to give the platform a try, remember to not rush through lessons and practice problems. Internalizing programming concepts take time – it’s normal to not advance as quickly as you thought.

Finally, sticking to a learning roadmap and being motivated is your responsibility. While Codegym and other resources help keep Java learners engaged by allowing them to fool around with fun Java projects, at the end of the day, you should steer your progress!