How to: Jan 28, 2023
1. freeCodeCamp just published our own university-level course to help you learn Algebra using Python. If you have forgotten much of the Algebra you learned – or if you never really learned it well in the first place – this course is for you. In it, freeCodeCamp instructor Ed Pratowski will teach you how to use Python and Jupyter Notebook to do math. You'll learn all about Variables, Graphing, Cartesian Planes, Factoring, and more. Ed has been teaching math to university students for more than two decades. I think you'll find his teaching style to be clear and memorable. (15 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/college-algebra-course-with-python-code/

2. This course will teach you how to code your own fully-functional Reddit clone. Along the way, you'll learn some React, Firebase, Next.js, Chakra UI, and TypeScript. You'll code a lot of key business logic, including how to handle post deletion, community image customization, voting on posts, and more. (12 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/code-a-reddit-clone-with-react-and-firebase/

3. Wireshark is a powerful computer network analysis tool. You can use it to analyze and "sniff" packets of data. This tutorial will teach you how to use Wireshark to better understand networks. You'll also learn about the 5 Layers Model for networks. (20 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-wireshark-computer-networking/

4. Pre-caching is where you prepare data in advance of serving it to your users. By using this technique, you can speed up the performance of your website or app. This tutorial will teach you key pre-caching concepts. You'll learn how to use pre-caching both on the client side – with browser-based caching – and on the server side – with CDNs. You'll learn the many tradeoffs and best practices involved in achieving fast page loads. (20 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/a-detailed-guide-to-pre-caching/

5. In the age of Netflix and League of Legends, there are plenty of things to keep you from achieving your goals. But don't let a lack of learning resources be one of them. My friend Dhawal compiled an in-depth guide to more than 850 Ivy League university courses that are now freely available online. One of the very best things about the internet: it has made it possible for anyone with an internet connection to learn from world-class professors. I hope some of these courses help you push forward toward your learning goals. (Fully-browsable list): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/

Fact of the Week: As abstract as Algebra may seem, it was invented to solve the practical math problems of the 9th Century. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was an astronomer in Baghdad. He wanted to figure out fair ways to distribute land, salaries, and inheritance.

In the process, he invented Algebra, which comes from the Arabic word al-jabr – roughly translating to "reunion of broken parts." In his book "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing" he described methods for reducing and then balancing equations – a task every student of math can now enjoy.

Also fun fact: the word Algorithm comes from a Latinization of al-Khwarizmi's name.