This post was originally published on July 17, 2020 on my blog.
Happy Friday to all who celebrate it! Despite it being a very short week, I feel l...
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I guess it is different for everyone. Since march I've spent at least a few hours most days working thru codecademy and other online tutorials and I haven't learned a single thing, literally. I can't even do beginner tutorials anywhere else because I have no idea what to do. I would have given up 20 times by now because I HATE non sense gibberish and trying to make sense of it.
The bad news is I have to learn JavaScript to learn react/vue/angle/whatever these things are people use now because every single job wants someone to do that now.
Also, I started my career not ever touching, or even knowing React/Vue/Angular existed. I studied C#/.NET in an online bootcamp and started as a JR Dev at a consultant company. Not sure about every job, there are plenty of Dev jobs out there that don't even touch front end development. Or just do basic HTML/CSS and a little bit of JavaScript with Wordpress. Or even backend Database development.
Sure these JS frameworks are popular. But thinking that it's required to get a dev job puts you in the mindframe to panic and learn something just because it's valuable to others, and not necessarily valuable to you. Find a language that's interesting to you and learn it. Especially if you are struggling with programming concepts, find a language that you like the syntax of, that you find the documentation to be easy to read through (Python has great documentation.) And just learn.
I’ve been searching for a design or dev job for over a year, everyone has said because i don’t know all these weird languages and even the project managers use javascript. I really like html and css but now everyone uses javascript to write html and css...it is so confusing. I don’t like programming at all...but that is how life is. I might be more interested in it if i understood how it’s actually used but all the explainations are over my head. Someone else suggested learning python before javascript..i can’t figure out what python does. Objects?
Yeah, there is a lot to learn. And every job will have different requirements.
Yes, Angular, Vue, React are very popular requirements. But I think you should start at JavaScript. I was wrong to assume and push Typescript on you. So please forgive me for adding to your confusion.
The coding train is geared towards younger students, but it's a great tool to get into JavaScript. And you don't have to download anything. I highly recommend just grinding with that and see what you think, then just start experimenting. Find something you would enjoy doing. Like creating a site, or making a program that calculates something useful for you. Start small, and just get messy with the code.
I would be more than happy to help you think through the blocks you run into. I am sure most people would. But for the sake of your own sanity, take a step back from learning programming just to meet a job requirement and get some foundational concepts down and a bit of experience in one language before branching out.
Truth me told, the easiest way to describe Angular/Vue/React and the technologies that "replace" HTML, CSS. They DON'T replace CSS or HTML they compile down to HTML/CSS. That means that you aren't wasting your time learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript before learning these other technologies. Most companies, if they see that you worked hard to get down the basics, will invest in you to get into those technologies.
Thank you for breaking down and explaining the technologies...it's is helpful to see how they work together. Thank you for the coding train link as well, I'll give this a try. I worry a lot whenever i see computer programming and math terms... maybe that's why nothing make sense to me.
Originally I was excited about javaScript because it seems to be so popular for UX and UI designers for adding interactivity to the web....visual behaviors and enhancements. So far everything has to do with data and weird math equations...stuff I never liked or learned how to do. Maybe JavaScript isn't for me. I'll try out the videos and maybe something will help.
Or you could use Typescript which is an easier entry point, and you can use it with Angular/React/Vue, because it complies down to JS.
I am often amazed by the amount of things that made no sense whatsoever when I was first introduced to them and a few days, weeks or even months later something finally clicked and I understood why it was all about.
Learning to code, like learning anything in life, really, is a continuous journey that only ends when you decide to stop learning.
I remember when I first started learning Angular. I was so lost, and as a Jr I just used others code as reference to see what "worked". Now I am back in Angular after 3 years of not touching it and things have clicked from my experience with JS, and React. It's funny, it's only when I start explaining something to a SR that I surprise myself with the knowledge I've obtained.
Great post and encouragement. I've been a programmer since 2016, and have worked professionally the past three years. I can say, the more I learn, the more I realize I have only scratched the surface. That being said, learning how to problem solve like a programmer makes it easier to see JavaScript and other languages as a tool set, one that allows you to read the manual when you forget what a tool does. I still wouldn't call myself proficient in any one language, but I have gotten more confident in programming, and I can pick up a new programming language well enough to work through it with some assistance from a senior dev.
Love your perspective and attitude!
Good post; and absolutely: no-one should be giving up after three weeks!
As a beginner it's really important to bear in mind that different people learn at different rates and respond better to different styles of teaching/learning. For some people things can just click; whilst for others they have to work over a concept a few times before it really sinks in. Some people like to have everything explained and to have properly understood before starting; whilst others want to get stuck in and figure things out as they go...
For anyone who is struggling it's important not to be discouraged. Do consider whether your source of learning is the best style for your needs. Try a few different approaches until you find one that works well for you.
Another really important point is that the fundamental principles of programming are fairly standard; so even if your end goal is to be working in TypeScript with Angular/React you can learn some basic principles from other languages that might be more fun to start with or give a more immediate response. For example there are 'drag and drop' languages like Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) where you can learn some of the basic logic patterns that are applied in all languages. I personally made good progress (many years ago) with Processing (processing.org) because the visual output was something that interested me. That's Java-based; but I'm now a senior developer working mostly with JS/Typescript.
Finally, don't just learn to use a framework or library. These are always changing; but if you have a good grasp of programming fundamentals you should find it easy enough to switch when the next Big Framework comes along... (But if you want a head start try Svelte - the most beginner-friendly framework I have ever worked with: svelte.dev/tutorial/basics)