UD CIS Grad Students at Grace Hopper Conference

Struggling to write code from scratch?

January 14, 20253 min read

It was 1999 & I was copying off the kid in front of me AGAIN.

(Hmmm… perhaps as a former professor I shouldn’t admit to this. Read on to see how “cheating” became my inspiration for the fastest way to learn to code from scratch ever created.)

I was in the second row, and the smartest kid in our programming class sat right in front of me. 

You know the type - one of those intuitive geniuses who just GET how to code without being taught.

Since this is 1999, everyone has those really big monitors.

Very easy to see from my seat. 😉

Mind you, I didn’t WANT to cheat. I wanted to know how to do it for myself!

But I was completely lost. And the teacher was hopeless. 

Every day he came in & put a problem on the board.

That was it. That was the extent of his “teaching.” It was learn to do it on your own or flunk out.

I wasn’t going to flunk out. I wanted this for my career!

Fast forward 10 years and 3 CS degrees later…

I FINALLY figured it out - how to write code from scratch on my own.

To do it, I created a system of how to break any coding problem down into manageable chunks, & learn how to use templates to cut your coding time down.

And the best part? It’s WAY easier to learn to code from scratch when you have a clear template to follow.

This system of learning to think like a coder didn’t just help me learn to code from scratch, it’s helped hundreds of students master the art of programming & begin high-paying tech careers.

So much so that I’ve had multiple people tell me they learned more about coding in 2 hours following my system than they learned in 2 years learning on their own on YouTube or with ChatGPT.

In fact, one student learned more in 2 months than in 6 years getting a degree in software engineering.

And hundreds have shared how they never thought they’d be able to learn to code, until learning with our system.


Learning to code from scratch can be simple. It may not be easy, but when you have a system & a template to follow…

It doesn’t need to be that hard.

Once you learn to think like a coder, doors open up.

Job opportunities come to you. Once people know you can code - imagine being INVITED to apply for a position?

And once you know how to code without relying solely on Google or ChatGPT…

It’s the secret to becoming lay-off-proof in tech.


I have exciting news this week… I’m filming a reality show on AppleTV called the Blox!

Here at TechJoy, we’re always looking for ways to serve tech learners best.

And I’ve been working on a brand-new way to finance learning to code & starting a six figure career in tech.

I can’t wait to tell you all about it next week when I get back!

Until then - happy coding, ✌️

Dr. Emily

PS - if you’re already in tech or cybersecurity & you know learning to code can double your salary, text “I’m in!” to (848) 600-5622 & I’ll make sure you’re among the first to hear about our brand new program next week. I’m only going to open it up to a select group of founding members. 😊

Dr. Emily is a tech educator, business owner, singer, and mother of 5. With the TechJoy Career Academy, Dr. Emily is reinventing Tech Ed for the 21st century.

Emily Hill

Dr. Emily is a tech educator, business owner, singer, and mother of 5. With the TechJoy Career Academy, Dr. Emily is reinventing Tech Ed for the 21st century.

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