How to: November 7, 2025
1. Learn how cryptography works, and how developers use it to secure both data and communication. freeCodeCamp just published a course that will teach you Python functions for symmetric and asymmetric encryption. You'll learn about SHA-256, AES, RSA, and public / private keys as well. You'll even code your own command-line cryptography tool. (1 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/cryptography-for-beginners-full-python-course-sha-256-aes-rsa-passwords/

2. freeCodeCamp also published a course on building your own 3D games that run in a browser using Three.js and Blender. You'll learn how to model characters, design levels, detect collisions, and make the camera follow your playable character. You'll even deploy your game to the cloud so your friends can play it. (6 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/creative-web-development-with-threejs-and-blender/

3. On this week's podcast I interview a self-taught developer with nearly a decade of software engineering experience. Patrick Hartley had to drop out of college to provide for his family. He taught himself programming while working at a thrift store, getting experience by freelancing and building his own apps. After 10 years as a dev, he turned down opportunities at big tech companies so he could continue working remotely from Oklahoma City. He shares tips for building foundational Python and JavaScript skills, surviving meetings as an introvert, and landing remote roles – even when you're competing with the global developer talent pool. (1 hour watch or listen in your favorite podcast app): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/he-turned-down-a-faang-dev-job-to-keep-working-remotely-with-patrick-hartley-podcast-195/

4. Learn Event-Driven Architecture. freeCodeCamp published this advanced JavaScript handbook that will teach you about Event Loops, Task Queues, Call Stacks, Backpressure, Websockets, Pub/Sub, and more. Take your full stack development skills to the next level and be sure to share this with your developer friends. (full length handbook): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/event-based-architectures-in-javascript-a-handbook-for-devs/

5. freeCodeCamp also published our first ever guitar course. You'll learn beginner music theory concepts like chords and scales. You'll then map them to the guitar fretboard. You'll also learn guitar-specific techniques like barre chords. I learned guitar during the pandemic and am having an absolute blast with it. I hope you will, too. (1 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/guitar-theory-course-for-beginners-learn-fretboard-major-scale-and-triads

Quote of the Week:
*“I'd be happy sitting in a basement coding 8 hours a day. But I'm growing a lot faster trying to be an extrovert.”* — Self-taught Software Engineer Patrick Hartley on this week's freeCodeCamp podcast