If you're just learning to swim, it is a good practice to either have a coach or a friend who knows how to swim with you at all times. So whenever you're training in the water, you can be sure that there's always someone watching your back. Being Mentally Prepared In order to learn how to swim, you have to prepare yourself mentally. This comes before actually stepping inside the swimming pool. Clearing any doubts or apprehension is the key to becoming a good swimmer. So get yourself enrolled for the lessons, talk to a friend of yours who knows how to swim, and/or ask someone to join with you to learn; and of course, don't give up. Your Movements Inside the Water Stand in the shallow part of the pool, and keep your hands in the water. Now start moving your arms around as gently as possible. This way, without moving ahead, you will learn the arm movements. Slowly, bend your knees and submerge your body till the neck, and get comfortable with the pressure on your body. Wearing the Goggles Your sight is very important while swimming, and to learn how to see under water, you need to be comfortable with the goggles on. So whenever you're in the pool, place the goggles over your eyes and don't take them off. The practice of seeing through the goggles in and out of the water is very important. And if your goggles begin to get foggy, let some water in. The water will splash over the goggles, and will remove the fog. Controlling Your Breathing While swimming, it is crucial that you exhale freely in the water. For beginners, the first instinct is to hold the breath when inside. This is wrong because you won't be able to complete the strokes properly, and won't really propel much ahead. So with your coach or friend, in shallow end, place your face inside water, and exhale through your nose. While you do this, hum from your mouth. As you exhale from the nose, bubbles will come out and you will feel as if you are sighing. As you get better at it, completely submerge your body and practice this. Learning in Bits and Pieces Don't try to learn the entire stroke all at once; break it up into sections. Learn your arm movements first, or practice kicking with your legs, if you prefer. The point is that you can't jump in the water and manage to move your entire body at once. These tips are not just for you to read, but to help you understand your role as a swimmer. Of course, a coach will give you helpful suggestions and advice to assist you, but in the end, it is your responsibility to understand and apply them properly to aid yourself. All the best!