Programming in C# for Complete Beginners

Learn enterprise programming. Get solid foundations of your career with C#, starting at absolutely zero, you'll learn every thing you need and gain confidence in your skills with exercises and projects that test you. 

Hours

Beginner

  Last Updated
June 2025

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This course includes:

  • Access to private discord community
  • lessons, videos, code-alongs, exercises, solutions, projects, and more
  • Unlimited access to all courses, webinars, office hours and resources

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Prerequisites:

No previous experience in programming is needed! We'll guide you through everything you need to know.

Overview

Curriculum

Mentor

FAQs

What we'll cover...

  • The difference between C# and .NET
  • Branching and Looping Statements
  • Installing and configuring your development tools
  • Arrays
  • Declaring and using variables
  • Debugging Basics
  • The difference between C# and .NET
  • Branching and Looping Statements
  • Installing and configuring your tools
  • Arrays
  • Declaring and using variables
  • Debugging Basics

Stop Second-Guessing Your First Programming Language Choice!

You're not alone! We're on social media, we see the endless debates about "what language to learn first?". It's overwhelming. Aspiring developers waste precious time paralyzed by fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Here's what we've learned after teaching thousands of developers
Your first language matters less than building a solid foundation of understanding how computers and applications work, and C# strikes the best balance between computer science and productivity.

Build a Foundation with Less Struggle
Other languages throw you into the deep end or hide important concepts behind "beginner-friendly" shortcuts and frameworks. C# teaches you to think like a programmer from day one. Its clear syntax and strong typing system catch your mistakes before they become bad habits, giving you the confidence to write real code that actually works.

One Language, Endless Possibilities
C# has the tooling, versatility, and enterprise support that opens every door. Build websites, mobile apps, desktop software, games, and even AI applications all with the same language. You're not just learning to code! You're learning to solve problems across any platform.

The Job Market Loves C# Developers
Let's be honest, you're probably learning to code because you want opportunities. C# consistently ranks among the highest-paying programming languages, with companies like Microsoft, Progressive Insurance, JP Morgan Chase, and thousands of enterprises actively hiring C# developers. You're not just learning; you're investing in your future earning potential.

Microsoft Has Your Back
Unlike languages maintained by small communities or driven by trends, C# is backed by Microsoft's massive ecosystem. This means exceptional tools (Visual Studio is free and powerful), comprehensive documentation, and a learning path that's actually designed for success. Enterprises feel confidence putting C# and .NET in their stack because they know it will be stable and well-supported.

Let’s go from “Hello, World”
to “Hire me.”

Start learning C# the way
 pros actually use it.

Curriculum Outline

Programming is like building with Lego blocks 
Small pieces can be used creatively to make more complex and beautiful structures. This course gives you the fundamental building blocks: variables to store information, loops to handle repetition, conditions to make decisions, and arrays to organize data. Master these fundamentals, and you'll be ready to tackle the more sophisticated patterns of object-oriented programming.

Module 1: Getting Started

  • Let's get you set up with the right tools and understand how .NET applications are created and run.
  • Welcome!
  • .NET vs C#
  • Choosing an IDE
  • Installing and Configuring Visual Studio
  • Installing and Configuring JetBrains Rider
  • Installing and Configuring Visual Studio Code
  • Getting the Course Materials from GitHub
  • What Makes a Good Developer?
  • Quiz: .NET vs C#

Module 2: Hello, World!

  • Create your first C# program and get familiar with your development environment.
  • Hello, World! (Visual Studio Community)
  • Overview of the Visual Studio IDE
  • Task: Turn off Nullable Warnings
  • Hello, World! (JetBrains Rider)
  • Hello, World! (Visual Studio Code)

Module 3: Types & Variables

  • Learn about C#'s type system, variables, and how to work with primitive types and strings effectively.
  • Strings and Writing to the Console
  • Comments and My First Variable
  • Exercise: First and Last Name
  • Solution: First and Last Name
  • Types and Primitives
  • Quiz: Types, Variables and Primitives
  • Parsing Strings
  • Exercise: Area Calculator
  • Solution: Area Calculator
  • Formatting Strings
  • Math Operators in C#
  • Examining the Console Type
  • Exercise: Tip Calculator
  • Solution: Tip Calculator
  • Quiz: Strings & Parsing

Module 4: Conditional Branching

  • True or False? Make decisions in your code with if statements, switch statements, and conditional operators.
  • Conditional Operators
  • The If Statement
  • The Random Type
  • Higher or Lower?
  • Exercise: Temperature Conversion
  • Solution: Temperature Conversion
  • Refactor: Temperature Conversion
  • The Switch Statement
  • Exercise: HTTP Status Codes
  • Solution: HTTP Status Codes
  • The Ternary Operator
  • Quiz: Conditional Statements

Module 5: Loops

  • Learn to repeat code efficiently with different types of loops and understand debugging techniques.
  • While and Do While Loops
  • Persistent Tip Calculator
  • Exercise: Running Total
  • Solution: Running Total
  • Breakpoints & Debugging
  • TryParse() and Input Validation
  • For Loops
  • Min, Max, Skip
  • Exercise: Expanding Min, Max, Skip
  • Solution: Min, Max, Skip
  • Factors
  • Nested Loops
  • Exercise: Fizzbuzz
  • Solution: Fizzbuzz
  • The DateTime Type Revisited
  • Exercise: Recurring Meeting
  • Solution: Recurring Meetings
  • Quiz: Loops and DateTime

Module 6: Arrays

  • Discover how to work with collections of data using arrays and advanced string manipulation techniques.
  • The Array Type
  • Dice Statistics
  • Exercise: High, Low, Average
  • Solution: High, Low, Average
  • Advanced Strings
  • Exercise: Reverse String
  • Solution: Reverse String
  • Quiz: Arrays

Module 7: Capstone Projects

  • Apply everything you've learned in comprehensive projects and prepare for Object Oriented Programming in C#.
  • Project: Airport Locker Rental
  • Solution: Airport Locker Rental
  • Practice Minis
  • Next Steps

How We Build Developers

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Written Lessons That Actually Make Sense

Our written content explains complex concepts in plain English, with real examples you can quickly apply. You'll understand not just what to do, but why pros make the decisions we do.

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Hands-On Practice That Builds Confidence

Every concept comes with code samples and exercises. You can't learn to play guitar without putting your fingers on the strings and you can't learn to code without writing a lot of code!
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Videos That Show, Don't Just Tell

You'll see how professional developers think, debug, and refactor code. These aren't just lectures, but applied theory. See concepts actually used together!
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Rigorous Capstone Projects That Prove Your Skills

You'll build substantial applications that demonstrate your ability to architect solutions, handle complexity, and deliver professional-quality code.

Join developers who chose...

depth over speed,
understanding over memorization, and 
professional skills over participation certificates.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this course for?

Complete beginners! This course starts from zero, installing all of the tools and frameworks from scratch and begins with "Hello, World".

Why does it take 60 hours for beginner content?

Skill Foundry is more than tutorials! This course has exercises, quizzes, code-a-longs, and two capstone projects. In addition, we explain not just how, but also why things work the way they do. Buckle up, because you're going to learn some lower level details about how applications work that will transfer to other languages and domains.

Is C# difficult to learn?

No matter what language you pick to start with, you will be learning programming concepts and syntax at the same time. C# strikes a good balance between being approachable but still requiring solid fundamentals. Once you learn C#, you will find learning many other programming languages much easier!

What if I get stuck?

Getting stuck is a normal part of the learning process. To become a skilled developer you must retrain how your brain approaches problems. Whenever you get stuck, pop into the Discord community where a Skill Foundry mentor will answer all of your questions!

Can I use AI tools?

We recommend that you avoid using AI tools until you master the fundamentals. AI is not skilled enough to write all of the code in professional environments, but it is quite capable of doing the fundamentals like those in this course. If you use AI to skip the fundamentals, eventually you will get stuck and be unable to advance to more complex skills.

Also, you won't get to use AI in a technical interview, so if your goal is a job, you must be able to code without using AI tools!

Don't worry! When you master the fundamentals, using AI tools later isn't difficult, because your understanding will enable you to write detailed, technical prompts.

About the Author

Eric Wise

Software Architect | Mentor | Entrepreneur
Eric isn't just another online instructor, he's a veteran software architect, multi-time tech entrepreneur, and someone who's been in every corner of the industry from tech start ups, big corporations, and freelancing.
But what makes Eric truly special is his legendary ability to explain complex concepts in ways that actually stick.

Forge your Future. Learn to Code.

You can’t fast-forward time, but you can stop wasting it.

Join now and start making real progress.

Start today.

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Monthly Plan

$75/month

  • Full access to all courses and learning paths
  • Learn at your own pace. No deadlines or pressure
  •  Regular content updates and new project releases
  • Access to our supportive Discord community
  • Help from the Skill Foundry team when you need it

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Annual Plan

$600/year

  • All monthly plan benefits
  • Access 24/7 to all courses and updates