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.

>>21
This is not a troll, there's nothing wrong with Java if you get into programming to make programs that are used by real people in the real world, as opposed to what you guys are doing (nothing)