Learning R with no programming experience can actually be a preferable way of learning it. People with experience in Python, for example, have found it harder to learn R than people with no programming experience.
To learn R with no programming experience, you can watch Youtube videos on the subject, buy a book about R, take a course online, take a workshop, explore forums, etc. You should also practice and experiment with R and immerse yourself in the language.
Throughout this article, I will discuss what R is and why you should choose R over other programming languages. This article will also include specific ways to learn R and the estimated time it will take to learn.
Important Sidenote: We interviewed numerous data science professionals (data scientists, hiring managers, recruiters – you name it) and identified 6 proven steps to follow for becoming a data scientist. Read my article: ‘6 Proven Steps To Becoming a Data Scientist [Complete Guide] for in-depth findings and recommendations! – This is perhaps the most comprehensive article on the subject you will find on the internet!
Table of Contents
What Is R?
R is a programming language and environment that is used for data analysis. It allows someone, a data scientist, for example, to retrieve, analyze, and present data.
In a typical R data analysis project, you will do the following:
- Importing: Whether it is from a database or a file, you will first need to load your data into R by importing it.
- Wrangling: Wrangling includes the process of tidying your data and then transforming it, all in the hopes of getting your data to the exact right format you need it in.
- Tidying: You will need to tidy your data. You must keep it consistent so that each column is a variable, and each row is an observation.
- Transforming: You may need to transform your data depending on what it looks like. You can create new variables, reorder observations, or rename your variables.
- Visualization: Create a graph to help you visualize the data more clearly.
- Running a model: This will also help you to visualize the data better.
- Communicating: Make sure your data is clear enough so you can communicate it well with others.
Why Choose R?
There are many programs that provide data analysis, so why choose R? Here are some reasons why:
- R is free: R is completely free software. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License.
- R is becoming the preferred programming language for data analysis: As R gains popularity, other programming languages, like SAS, for instance, have been losing steam.
- Any programmer can write R: This means that anyone can submit their R code as “packages” or collections of R functions. There is a full library of packages available to anyone.
- R is very versatile: R can be applied to aid in performing a variety of tasks. For instance, with R you can easily perform that task for which you would traditionally have had to rely on tools such as SAS and SPSS.
So, you’ve decided to learn R. That’s a great first step. The next step is to decide how you want to learn the language. Since R is a fairly modern programming language, there are many options when it comes to how you want to approach learning it. Here are a few:
Watch Youtube Videos
Youtube videos are a great source of knowledge for learning almost all sorts of things. You can learn anything from how to use a Canon camera to how to apply eyeshadow properly. The best part is that you can pause the video and replay it as many times as you want.
There is a wide array of videos on Youtube that teach the R language. They range from beginner tutorials to experts.
Buy a Book About R
Books are probably the best way to learn about something. They usually delve deep into their subject. Here are five of the best books about R on Amazon right now:
- R for Dummies: This book, written by Andrie de Vries and Joris Meys, provides step-by-step instructions for learning R, even if you have no programming experience.
- Hands-On Programming with R: This very hands-on approach to learning R allows you to write your own functions and create your own simulations.
- The Art of R Programming: A Tour of Statistical Software Design: This guide to R programming acts as a guided tour from basic to more advanced functions. So, you can stay with it as you move from beginner to novice.
- R Cookbook: Proven Recipes for Data analysis, Statistics, and Graphics: This book acts as a cookbook, providing “recipes” that address certain problems and aim to answer them.
- R Programming: A Step-by-Step Guide for Absolute Beginners: This book is perfect if you have no knowledge of programming. It describes the most basic concepts in a very simple and easy to understand terms.
Take an Online Course
Taking a course is an easy way to immerse yourself in any subject. You can take classes for just about anything nowadays, all without leaving the comfort of your home.
Here are few courses you can sign up for right now to learn R:
- CodeAcademy: Learn R. In this course, you will learn the basics of R. The best part: you don’t need any coding or programming experience to sign up!
- Udemy: R Basics – R Programming Language Introduction. This course is intended completely for beginners. You don’t need any programming knowledge to take this course. It also offers exercises to help you better understand the language.
- Harvard: Data Science: R Basics This course is just the first of Harvard’s many courses on data science. It’s the building block for future studies. It lasts eight weeks and dives deep into the basics of R programming.
Take a Workshop or Boot Camp
In-person workshops and boot camps are great for learning R. You can learn the basics in just a few days, or even hours, and have the benefit of asking your instructor questions if you get stuck.
RStudio offers in-person R intense, 1-2 day workshops that totally immerse you into the world of R.
Explore Forums
Exploring blogs and forums is a great way to understand R. They’re a good way to learn because they’re often written by regular people, not just experts. You can find blog posts that describe R in the most basic terms, and when you get to a more advanced level, there will be blog posts to match your knowledge.
Practice and Experiment
A great way to learn something is to practice and experiment with it in a hands-on way. So, once you watch some videos or buy a book, you’ll need to take the next step, which is actually downloading R. You will need to go to the official site of R programming and begin your download. Once downloaded, you can really immerse yourself in the language, which will ultimately help you better understand R.
How Long Will It Take to Learn R Programming?
Just like any other computer language, like C or Java, there is quite a learning curve. It will take time to learn R. You can learn the basics in just a few hours, but it may take months before you get a full grasp of the language.
How long it takes to learn R also depends on how much you practice. I suggest practicing for at least 1-3 hours a day to fully immerse yourself in R.
Author’s Recommendations: Top Data Science Resources To Consider
Before concluding this article, I wanted to share few top data science resources that I have personally vetted for you. I am confident that you can greatly benefit in your data science journey by considering one or more of these resources.
- DataCamp: If you are a beginner focused towards building the foundational skills in data science, there is no better platform than DataCamp. Under one membership umbrella, DataCamp gives you access to 335+ data science courses. There is absolutely no other platform that comes anywhere close to this. Hence, if building foundational data science skills is your goal: Click Here to Sign Up For DataCamp Today!
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate: If you are looking for a data science credential that has strong industry recognition but does not involve too heavy of an effort: Click Here To Enroll Into The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate Program Today! (To learn more: Check out my full review of this certificate program here)
- MITx MicroMasters Program in Data Science: If you are at a more advanced stage in your data science journey and looking to take your skills to the next level, there is no Non-Degree program better than MIT MicroMasters. Click Here To Enroll Into The MIT MicroMasters Program Today! (To learn more: Check out my full review of the MIT MicroMasters program here)
- Roadmap To Becoming a Data Scientist: If you have decided to become a data science professional but not fully sure how to get started: read my article – 6 Proven Ways To Becoming a Data Scientist. In this article, I share my findings from interviewing 100+ data science professionals at top companies (including – Google, Meta, Amazon, etc.) and give you a full roadmap to becoming a data scientist.
Conclusion
R is a language, and just like any other language, you will need to dedicate some time to learn it. The best ways to learn R is to watch Youtube videos, buy a book, take an online course, take a workshop, and explore blogs and forums. The most important method of learning R, though, is to practice. The more you practice, the better you become!
BEFORE YOU GO: Don’t forget to check out my latest article – 6 Proven Steps To Becoming a Data Scientist [Complete Guide]. We interviewed numerous data science professionals (data scientists, hiring managers, recruiters – you name it) and created this comprehensive guide to help you land that perfect data science job.
Affiliate Disclosure: We participate in several affiliate programs and may be compensated if you make a purchase using our referral link, at no additional cost to you. You can, however, trust the integrity of our recommendation. Affiliate programs exist even for products that we are not recommending. We only choose to recommend you the products that we actually believe in.
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