I'm considering taking Harvard's free CS50 or CS50P course to learn more about programming and computer science. I don't have a specific project or career requirement yet—I mainly want to become more well-rounded and build enough technical background to communicate with people in a future technical role. Has the course been useful for you? If you didn't enjoy it, what other affordable ways would you recommend for learning and practicing?
4 Answers
Pay attention to which version you choose. The main CS course focuses on computer science fundamentals, while the Python-focused course goes more directly into writing Python and skips some of the broader foundation. Starting with the fundamentals and then moving into Python could be a good progression if you want both theory and hands-on practice.
It’s a solid choice if you want a broad understanding of computer science rather than immediately learning one language. Just keep in mind that one course won’t make you an expert. Afterward, choose a language and practice solving small problems or building simple projects so the concepts become practical.
I’m not trying to become an expert yet—more interested in reaching a project-manager level of understanding so I can communicate with technical and business teams. I appreciate the advice.
I took the course before university and found it valuable, especially the sections on data structures, linked lists, dictionaries, and problem solving. The practical exercises make the ideas memorable. The material may have changed since then, but the general approach is still a strong introduction.
CS50 is widely considered one of the better introductory computer science courses. It covers more than just programming syntax and gives you a useful foundation in problem solving, data structures, and how computers work. It can be challenging, though—the problem sets get harder quickly, and the jump from lectures to writing code may feel rough if you’re new. Don’t skip the shorter supplemental lessons or walkthroughs; they help fill in the gaps.
That distinction helps a lot. I’ll probably start with the fundamentals course and follow it with the Python one.