Beginning Programming

Hey /prog/

I've been trying to get into programming for awhile, but I usually get nowhere. Had a lot of free time recently and I'd rather not spend it all at 4chan.

I'm pretty sure I've got the main concepts and basics down but I never practice, so I always end up forgetting or never really appreciating the stuff I read.

What are some basic programs you'd recommend for a beginner? If I had some set goals to practice my programming, maybe I could accomplish something.

>>16
Functional programming languages are great for learning about algorithms, but only indirectly useful for learning about programming.
For beginners, I'd recommend combining Scheme with C, focusing mostly on the C.