Here’s the optimal way to learn Java, broken down into easy-to-follow, actionable steps:
Step 1: Master Java Fundamentals
Step 2: Practice by Building Projects
Step 3: Learn to Love Error Messages
Step 4: Get an Internship or a Job as early as possible
Java is a frequent choice among beginner programmers because it's widely used, has lots of support, and not as overwhelming to learn as other languages.
It's also used to build many of the coolest things in the tech landscape, like mobile applications, video games, and other big enterprise software.
There are many ways to learn Java. But, as with everything else, there's an ideal way to learn Java.
Below is the best way to learn the language — informed by our 11 years of teaching programming and adopted by thousands of programmers.
Here's the optimal way to learn Java, broken down into easy-to-follow, actionable steps:
Coding fundamentals are the foundations upon which you will build your programs, and, by extension, your career. They are the most important thing to focus on, whether you're learning Java or anything else.
But what are the fundamental concepts in Java?
It's difficult to say as a beginner — someone just starting to learn Java can be all over the place with their priorities about what to learn.
So, here's what you can do:
Java Fundamentals
You don't have to pay attention to a million things when learning about the fundamentals: only a couple of things.
One, understand the concept and, two, learn the use case of each concept.
Here are a few tips for when learning the fundamentals:
Learn the concept
Start with theory — read a tutorial or our course content about a concept. While doing this, pay attention to the WHAT and HOW of the concept.
If you're learning with Programiz PRO, you'll realize we first explain the WHAT part of the concept.
We then explain HOW to use the concept by explaining the syntax and giving you an example.
When learning new concepts, focus more on understanding the logic and workings of the concept and less on memorizing the syntax.
After this, it's all about using the concept — actually writing code.
Practice writing code
Coding is inherently a practical skill and requires trial-and-error learning. You'll never learn how to code if you never write code yourself.
Recalling your knowledge makes it permanent in your brain.
If you're taking our course, you'll find a challenge at the end of every lesson. You can practice what you just learned without even leaving the browser.
Alongside these, you'll also find quizzes related to the concept you just learned. You'll find a few options to choose from.
Don't worry if you make mistakes in quizzes or challenges — you're a beginner; mistakes are inevitable.
In quizzes, you'll receive hints about why your choice was wrong. In challenges, you'll get an option to see the solution (only after you've made a genuine attempt to solve the challenge yourself).
The point of including quizzes and challenges within the lessons is to make your learning process effective. Only reading concepts is a sure-fire way to face problems later when writing code in real-world situations.
After you have a good grasp of the fundamentals, you now have to combine everything you know and build a project.
Building a project is the best way to understand real-world coding practices. It teaches you the ideal way to approach problems and solve them.
If you check our course-end projects, you'll see we have broken down the project-building process into smaller, manageable chunks, exactly like how project-building works in real life.
First, we figure out how a project works. For instance, this is how we've broken down the workings of a Rock-Paper-Scissors game:
First, we define how the game works:
Then you define the rules:
And finally, you decide a step-by-step method to create the game with Java:
These steps are also what we call Building a Thought Process. Following these steps, you can now write code to build the program.
When building a program, you'll come across a myriad of interesting problems, like generating random numbers or handling a wrong user input. These are part and parcel of every project ever built.
You'll also face a ton of error messages.
At this stage, you can play around with your code as much as you want. You only have to remember two things:
If you're a beginner, it's fair to feel like there's nothing worse in the world than when your code throws an error message.
And while it's true that error messages are annoying, they're also your best friend and teacher.
Error messages contain everything you need to know about the mistakes you've made.
So, learning to embrace getting error messages will make you a better programmer.
Also, here's an observation from our 11-year experience in teaching programming:
There are generally two patterns of how people deal with errors:
Pattern 1: You try solving a challenge, and you discover errors. You try to make changes to your code but encounter other errors. You then leave the challenge, move to a new one, and complete the course.
Pattern 2: You try solving a challenge, and you discover errors. Like before, you try to make changes and encounter other errors. Now, you repeat the same process until you either solve the error or become frustrated with it.
Among the two, we've found that people who display pattern 1 tend to struggle more later in their career.
Why?
Because programming is all about problem-solving. If you're not persistent, you won't solve problems, won't learn how to, and thus struggle later in your career.
So, here's how to deal with error messages:
As for where to look for help, you can try Google or StackOverflow.
With the recent improvements in AI technology, you can also use AI tools (like sensAI) for a more real-time and personalized assistance.
For example, you write this code:
And the compiler throws this error at you:
Now, if you're learning through our course, instead of looking up what this error means on Google, you can simply ask sensAI to explain where you're going wrong.
The AI will provide you with a succinct explanation using your code, like this:
While fixing errors, don't just directly jump to finding solutions. Spend a minimum of 5 minutes trying to solve the error on your own. This way, you will at least understand the error message.
Upon completing your projects and mastering all the important concepts of Java, you're now ready to step into the real world of programming, professionally.
The sooner you start working on real-world projects, the better because there's only so much you can learn on your own.
So, start looking for internships or jobs as early as you possibly can because
But, how to get early internships and jobs? Here's how:
1. Build your Portfolio
Portfolios are proof that you can do what you claim to be able to do. So, build as many projects as you can and host them on GitHub.
If you want to know more about GitHub, visit Git & GitHub Tutorials for Beginners.
A few tips:
2. Gain Certification
Another great way to show employers you're a capable Java programmer is to show them certifications.
That's why, when learning online, go for courses that award you with a certification when you complete the course.
The 'Become a Java Master' certification is only awarded when you complete seven courses within the Java Learning Path:
Besides the ones mentioned above, here are a few additional tips to make your Java learning journey better:
If you habitually read or watch tutorials, we call that being in a tutorial hell.
No matter how much you read or watch tutorials, you won't come closer to mastering Java if you never write code yourself. So, stop watching back-to-back videos on the same concept and write some code yourself.
You don't have to (and can't) memorize all the Java syntax. Not even the most experienced developers do.
A better approach to learning is to understand what each syntax does.
Focus on how to solve the problem at hand logically. If you can figure out a logical way to solve a problem, you can always look up the syntax.
You can also try writing the steps to solve the problem in English before you write the actual Java code. This practice, called pseudocode, is great to put your brain in a problem-solving mindset.
Asking for help is a non-technical skill as important as any technical skill you will learn as a Java programmer.
It can take many forms. It could be googling an error you don't understand, looking things up on StackOverflow, asking a more experienced Java developer, or even leveraging AI tools like sensAI or GitHub Copilot.
One benefit AI tools have over other methods of getting assistance is that they work in real-time. There's no wait time to get answers to your queries.
There will come a time in your learning journey when you don't want to continue anymore. You could be frustrated, whether by the vastness of Java, an error you can't understand, a project you're stuck on, or anything else.
During this phase, feedback from like-minded people who have been through similar situations is of great help.
They will have valuable advice or even neat tricks for you, helping you overcome the phase.
Communities are also a great way to stay on top of the latest developments in the tech industry, something you need to know to progress quickly in your career.
Start your search on Reddit or Discord. They have the best programming communities out there.
Don't code for five hours one day and become idle for the following 3 days. Make it a habit to code daily.
Even if it's just 30 minutes or an hour a day, code daily.
Also, don't give up on a problem until you solve it. This will force you to think outside the box or seek help when you otherwise might not have.
Breaks are essential to maintain focus and retain knowledge in the long run. So, reward yourself with a break every now and then, clear your head, and try to enjoy the process as much as you can.
Suggesting a universal resource for learning to code in Java is difficult because no two people learn the same way. However, this blog has focused on giving you a structured pathway to becoming proficient in Java.
So, if you thrive on having the important things laid out for you and prefer hands-on learning, Programiz PRO is the right resource for you.
Programiz PRO
If you want to learn Java in an interactive way, you can enroll in our Java Learning Path. It comprises courses that take you from the basics of Java to the advanced concepts, and even prepares you for your interviews.
The learning path includes multiple courses for
Similarly, each course teaches you Java with
This course and our entire course catalog are available through a single subscription. And it's free to start - you only have to sign up!
Picking the right resource for yourself is an essential step in your learning journey. It is crucial to keep you motivated, maintain consistency, and make the process fun.
Many factors determine how long you might take to learn Java. But, with a bit of consistency, you can learn the language in three to six months.
We recommend you start looking for Java internships or jobs after about two months.
Yes, you can definitely learn Java on your own. However, you have to nail down your study requirements before you start learning, like the course you pick, the method you learn best with, time of day you learn the best, etc.
Our suggestion is to pick a course that lets you practice as you learn — a hands-on approach — to have a better learning experience.
After learning Java, you can apply for the following internships or jobs:
Yes, Java is a good programming language to start with because it's used widely in the tech industry, has great community support, and has great demand. It's also simple but not-so-simple, striking the perfect balance between being rewarding and challenging.
Learning Java is a rewarding experience. But you should do it the right way to make the most out of your time and effort.
Our experience tells us that hands-on learning is the most effective when learning to code. So, we recommend starting with our Learn Java Basics course — it's intuitive, interactive, and free to start!
