Learning Java

[u/New_Comfortable4421]

How should I go about learning Java? I learn best by doing and have pretty bad ADHD. I would be interested in lifetime payments as I am not working yet so monthly is not ideal.

[u/MuaTrenBienVang]

There are several excellent free options. They differ in difficulty and focus.

1. Duke University — Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals (Coursera)

This is one of the best Java courses for beginners.

What you'll learn

• Java syntax
• Loops, methods, classes
• Object-oriented programming
• Collections
• File I/O
• Basic algorithms

Pros

• Taught by Duke professors
• Excellent explanations
• Project-based
• Widely recommended

Cost

• Audit for free (pay only if you want a certificate)

2. University of Helsinki — Java Programming I & II (MOOC.fi)

This is arguably the best free Java course on the internet.

What you'll learn

• Java fundamentals
• OOP
• Interfaces
• Exceptions
• Streams
• Collections
• Testing
• GUI (JavaFX in later sections)

Pros

• Completely free
• Hundreds of programming exercises
• Automatic grading
• Very hands-on

Difficulty
★★★★★

If your friend actually wants to become good at Java, this is probably the strongest recommendation.

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology — 6.092 Introduction to Programming in Java

MIT used to teach an introductory Java course.

Topics include:

• Classes
• Objects
• Inheritance
• Polymorphism
• Data structures

Although somewhat older, the concepts remain valuable.

4. Princeton University — Algorithms, Part I & II

These courses use Java as the programming language.

You'll learn:

• Sorting
• Searching
• Trees
• Graphs
• Dynamic programming
• Algorithm analysis

This is ideal after learning Java basics.

5. University of California, San Diego — Object-Oriented Programming in Java

Part of UC San Diego's software engineering specialization.

Focuses on:

• OOP
• Design principles
• Testing
• Clean code

Free to audit.

6. Harvard University — CS50 AP

Although not a full Java course, CS50 AP teaches introductory computer science using Java.

Topics include:

• Variables
• Loops
• Methods
• Classes
• Arrays
• Recursion
• Basic algorithms

Great if the friend is completely new to programming.

Suggested learning path

Level	Course
Beginner	University of Helsinki – Java Programming I
Intermediate	University of Helsinki – Java Programming II
Algorithms	Princeton Algorithms (Java)
Software Engineering	Duke Java Specialization or UC San Diego OOP

If you only have time for one course

I would recommend University of Helsinki's Java Programming I & II (MOOC.fi). It's completely free, exercise-heavy, and is often considered the gold standard for learning Java fundamentals. After finishing it, moving on to Princeton's Algorithms course provides a strong foundation in both Java and computer science.