How to Learn How to Be a Software Engineer for Free

Co-authored by Stephen Cognetta, MBA

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Acquiring skills in information technology is a smart way to boost your career. Gaining a degree in software engineering can help you to get jobs with excellent pay, or simply bring more skills to your current job. However, not all people are able to return to school to gain this degree. Luckily, there are a few free courses through excellent universities that offer everyone the chance to study software engineering. You will need to be self-disciplined in order to learn this complicated information on your own. This article will tell you how you can learn to be a software engineer for free.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Taking Online Courses

1
Sign up for a library card at your local branch. Checking out or requesting books like "Beginning Programming For Dummies" and "Hello World! Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners" will acquaint you with the terms and options of software engineering. Once you have established some basic knowledge you can request books about specific programs or types of software engineering.
2
Sign up for the Khan Academy. Two Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduates started this undergraduate tutorial program to help people learn basic college subjects for free, such as software engineering. Download the iTunes application, watch the tutorial videos and do the practice tests.
- You will not receive credit for the tutorials you take; however, once you have an account, you will be able to track your progress with the classes and practice tests.
EXPERT TIP

Ken Koster, MS
Master's Degree, Computer Science, Stanford University
Ken Koster is the Co-founder and CTO of Ceevra, a medical technology company. He has over 15 years of experience programming and leading software teams at Silicon Valley companies. Ken holds a BS and MS in Computer Science from Stanford University.

Ken Koster, MS
Master's Degree, Computer Science, Stanford University

Take all the software classes you can. Ken Koster, a software engineer, says: "There are tons of great resources out there for introductory level software engineering, like Code.org or Khan Academy. You can usually tell very quickly whether you like programming or not."

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3
Review and take online software engineering classes from MIT Open Courseware. MIT offers certain free engineering courses online. You will not be earning credits; however, you will be getting lectures and materials offered from 1 of the best technological universities in the world.
- Ocw.mit.edu offers courses like "Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving," "Introduction to Computer Science and Programming," "Computer Science Mathematics," "Computer Language Engineering" and "Computing and Data Analysis." You may be required to complete prerequisite lower level courses before doing the more advanced options.
4
Check the Opening Learning Initiative at the Carnegie Melon University. This grant-funded program offers courses like computational mathematics, coding, engineering statistics and other courses that are university-level and applicable to learning software engineering. The course materials and instruction are free; however, you will not receive any credit for taking the class.
- Go to [oli.cmu.edu] to look at a course schedule. Classes change regularly, so you can check in both the open and future class sections.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Practicing Software Basics

1
Take practice tests at [wiziq.com/tests/software-engineering]. Through this aggregate, you have options to take tests on your skills as you progress. Organizations like Education For All offer practice with software testing, software engineering basics and knowledge in specific software framework.
- Free Code Camp is another great option if you’re looking for free quizzes.^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Stephen Cognetta, MBA
  Tech Interviewing Coach
  Expert Interview. 21 July 2020.}
2
Find a software engineering mentor. Contact local software engineers and volunteer some free man hours to learn what they do. You may be able to supplement your education with their practical know-how, while donating hours of programming to their own efforts.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Stephen Cognetta, MBA
Tech Interviewing Coach
Expert Interview. 21 July 2020.}
3
Begin working on open source programs. Sites like WordPress and Drupal allow people to create and improve their programs in their spare time. This results in an excellent collaborative effort and extensive programming resources that can help you with your own engineering.
4
Take exams to earn credits if you want to earn a degree. If you want to gain an associate's or bachelor's degree in information technology, you can take the College Board's exams in order to gain college credit by proving your advanced knowledge. If you receive a high score on these tests, the credits will be accepted at 2/3 of American colleges and universities.
- You can also take exams at Excelsior College in order to gain credits. The exams cost approximately $100 and you can receive 3 to 8 credits. If you pass these exams and transfer credits to a university or college the credits themselves will be inexpensive and you will have fewer courses to pay for while studying for your degree.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Can I teach myself to be a software engineer?

Stephen Cognetta, MBA
Tech Interviewing Coach
Stephen Cognetta is the co-founder and CEO of Exponent, a learning platform that helps people prepare for and ace their tech interviews. Stephen specializes in coaching for product management, software engineering, product marketing, management, technical project management, and data science interviews. Stephen holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Princeton University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and an MBA from Stanford University. Prior to founding Exponent, Stephen worked as a Product Manager for Google and co-founded HackMentalHealth.

Stephen Cognetta, MBA

Tech Interviewing Coach

Expert Answer

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Absolutely, self-teaching is a great way to learn and anyone can learn to code if they're passionate and hardworking. It's not an unachievable goal.
Question

How much does it cost to become a software engineer?

Stephen Cognetta, MBA
Tech Interviewing Coach
Stephen Cognetta is the co-founder and CEO of Exponent, a learning platform that helps people prepare for and ace their tech interviews. Stephen specializes in coaching for product management, software engineering, product marketing, management, technical project management, and data science interviews. Stephen holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Princeton University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and an MBA from Stanford University. Prior to founding Exponent, Stephen worked as a Product Manager for Google and co-founded HackMentalHealth.

Stephen Cognetta, MBA

Tech Interviewing Coach

Expert Answer

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It depends on the type of education you want. A college or master's degree is obviously going to cost a lot of money. If you want something cheaper, coding boot camps are typically pretty affordable.
Question

What do software engineers actually do?

Stephen Cognetta, MBA
Tech Interviewing Coach
Stephen Cognetta is the co-founder and CEO of Exponent, a learning platform that helps people prepare for and ace their tech interviews. Stephen specializes in coaching for product management, software engineering, product marketing, management, technical project management, and data science interviews. Stephen holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Princeton University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and an MBA from Stanford University. Prior to founding Exponent, Stephen worked as a Product Manager for Google and co-founded HackMentalHealth.

Stephen Cognetta, MBA

Tech Interviewing Coach

Expert Answer

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Software engineers spend their time coding and programming tech experiences. At its core, it's all about building things. Usually, they work on apps or websites, but there are a variety of fields that need software engineers.