Who It’s For
If you’re a natural problem solver, coding is the way to go due to it’s general accessibility. As well with its way to advance greater problem solving skills.
How to Learn Coding
When it comes to learning how to program, there are several available avenues you can take. For me, I took the UNLV IT Pipeline program. Which is where I learnt C++ while taking freshman year Computer Science courses on campus. This was a big opportunity for me, because it gave me a chance to work deeper with hardware and software on a lower level. This is invaluable programming knowledge for learning concepts and fundamental skills. Though this wasn’t exactly necessary to learn those skills, just due to the nature of programming and there not being one “right path” to take.
Ways to simplify the learning process
A pretty good path to take for learning coding would just be starting a small project. That way, you learn exactly what you need instead of overloading with information that may not be practical to know. The benefit of starting a small project is that you would have something to show for your in programming. You could use this opportunity to automate a simple task you do often to save you time. Or make a small game, or another project that you would be passionate about. Because as long as you’re having fun programming, I guarantee learning will come way faster than just brute force learning.
Studying for an AP CS Exam
When preparing for a class such as CS Principles however, the best ways to study for the exam are just to learn the simplest most abstract version of coding you can, due the nature of the exam being entirely code blocks. Because of this, syntax is completely optional to learn in my opinion, but rather learning the general programming ideas and concepts is most important to getting a good grade (on the MCQ anyway).
Citations
Collegeboard AP Test Information: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/assessment-tips
UNLV IT Pipeline Information: https://niae.sites.unlv.edu/media-video/game-changing-unlv-it-pipeline-program-recognized-at-governors-office-stem-event/
Additional Comp Sci. Tip Information: https://www.computerscience.org/resources/online-class-tips/
Image Sources (in order):
https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/problem-solving.html
https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/10/what-i-learned-teaching-a-stanford-computer-science-class-to-high-school-students/
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles