7 free classes from Bill Gates' favorite websites that you can sign up for right now to teach yourself to code

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These online courses are free and take less than an hour each to complete.

• If you find yourself at home with a lot of free time on your hands, consider learning the basics of coding.
• Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates told Time he loves Khan Academy and Code.org.
• Here are seven free online courses on everything from JavaScript to SQL from the platforms recommended by Bill Gates.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

To help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, millions of people across the globe are practicing social distancing and staying indoors. If you find yourself at home with hours of free time and don't know how to spend it, consider taking up an in-demand skill: coding. The great news is, there are plenty of resources out there to learn. But which class should you choose?

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Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who taught himself how to code, shared with Time a few online learning platforms he personally loves. They include Khan Academy and Code.org, which each have hundreds of videos and classes in computer programming.

"Their videos are a tremendous resource on topics ranging from basic arithmetic to complicated subjects like electrical engineering," Gates said of Khan Academy.

Here are seven coding classes from some of his favorite platforms that are perfect for beginners.