My name is Corey, I'm 22 years old, and I'm new to these forums. I'm also new to coding. I've been doing very simple HTML and CSS for a while, editing my Myspace skins, Tumblr, etc.

I am currently just starting my associates' degree in Web Programming, but I haven't started any courses yet that actually involve programming, nor will I in the near future.

I want to take an active approach. I love messing around with HTML and CSS. I want to make my own website, including Javascript and whatever else. I don't want any handouts or anything, but I would really appreciate some opinions from experienced coders:

I want to eventually work for a major online based company such as Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo!, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.

I want to start coding my own website for now, and I want to be able to implement cooler and more advanced concepts as I go along. With that, here are some questions that I have..

What languages should I start with?

What languages should I learn after that?

There is a lot of information to understand and know how to use per language.. what is the best way to go about learning a language? Or, what are some different methods I can try?

What are some good books I can buy?

What are some good free sources? (I currently use w3.org, but it's a bit too encyclopedia-like, it's difficult to absorb the information)

Your responses are welcome and appreciated, and please also feel free to let me know if there is anything else you would recommend or any thoughts you have that aren't related to my questions.