Best Reference for Java Programming Beginners

[GamerX23]

I'm an IT student and we recently started programming using java. I'm looking for the best and effective reference to learn Java. It can be books, articles, lectures etc. that you know.

 

[ingtar33]

start writing it. start off small, "i want to make a scientific calculator, type program", then start researching how it's done. Programing is much easier to learn if you do it, and try to figure it out, then have classes to augment your knowledge after the fact; or learn how to do things in ways you didn't know, or to explain what you don't get.

I hate to compare it to cooking but it's a good example. How much cooking can you learn sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher talk about how to cook lasagna? I mean the lesson will help if you TRIED to cook lasagna in the past and failed. atleast then you have some basic knowledge to relate to what the teacher is talking about. But if you've never even cooked an egg before, never made noodles, or bread or tomato sause, and he starts going into it you'll feel pretty lost.

I've talked to people taking coding classes before. I learned C++ and Javascript on the fly while working on a web based game project, worked on it for 2 years, got really good at it. then spoke to people in classes for coding and most of them were lost and confused on day 1 and it only got worse as it went on because they walked into a coding 101 class expecting to be taught the basics where as the curriculum starts assuming you've done SOME coding before (something that causes a lot of people to fail out of culinary school is they're expecting to be taught cooking from ground zero, and the school assumes everyone knows how to cook, its the same for most coding classes).

So I suggest you get enthusiastic and start spending your free time coding if you want to get anything from the class.

 

[ingtar33]

sidenote: there are a LOT of online guides to teach you how to code in pretty much any language. they are free too.