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Monica
Monica

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Yelpcamp - My first fullstack project

I originally bought the Udemy course "Web Developer Bootcamp" back in 2017, but life got in the way. I have made it through the first half three times, but I was already quite comfortable with front-end and JavaScript basics, so it was just a comfortable place for me to be stuck in "tutorial hell". I had always wavered about pushing into the unknown of backend development with NodeJS. I'm so happy I finally made it through.

If you're not familiar with the course, the capstone project is a fullstack application called "YelpCamp" where you can add, view and review campsites. Besides the final project of CS50, this is my first foray into fullstack web apps.

Cons:

  • Semi-outdated material: If you're looking for a course on ES6 and React this is not it. The course uses Bootstrap (both 3 + 4), callbacks, and jQuery. There are 1 or 2 additional/new modules on newer tech, but it is not at the forefront.
  • Accelerates in pace after the backend section. I discuss this more below, but you're not going to get a lot of detail on the inner workings of passportJS, express, or MongoDB. I have been taking the time to read the docs on the side for better understanding.

Pros:

  • Takes you from zero to a full-stack web app in a methodical and easy-to-follow manner. Actually, there are loads of positive reviews all over the web so I am not going to go crazy here. If the course is on sale, and you are a beginner/early-intermediate in web development, it's a good one.
  • Friendly and helpful community: the course has its own Discord chat which is quite active and quick to respond, even though the course is several years old! A mix of experienced developers and TAs are there to help you with questions in and out of the course's scope.

??:

  • It teaches you how to use technology in a practical "bootcamp-style" manner. You don't spend much time on the docs for express, mongodb, mongoose, passport - but you are still able to implement them. I think it's a good taster, but you will not have a rich understanding by completing the course.

What's next?

Well, in response to a previous post I have made a helluva Trello board. I took inspiration from many who came before me, trying to organize my learning and process. However, it is NOT perfect and I would really appreciate any feedback. I'm going to learn deeper into some of the topics introduced in the course, and finally fix up my portfolio.

Find the course here: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-web-developer-bootcamp
I am not affiliated in any way with Udemy or this course

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