I have my Responsive Web Design Cert, and just have the Intermediate Algorithms and Projects portions to complete to get my JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Cert.
However, I am finding these intermediate algorithms to be challenging and it seems like I will need a number of external resources( articles, books,etc) before completing the section in whole ( and being confident about the skills).
My question is if it is OK for me to start the Front end Libraries section and work through SASS, React, Redux, and Projects, while grinding through JavaScript on the side? ( already have the bootstrap and jquery portions finished from the older, legacy, Free code camp)
My goal is to be job ready ASAP. Just don’t want to screw with the system by jumping around so much.
Based on my experience I will suggest you to go step by step don’t rush up, as freeCodeCamp exercises are structured in way that you’ll have to implement your previous excercise’s learning to solve upcoming challenges in some way or other.
When you think you’re making baby steps don’t really make mistake as considering this challenges as trivial this are foundations of web development. And you can’t really build a tall building in a weak foundation though.
Bonus Tips:
Revise exercises in timely intervals.
If you really want to dive in to react I suggest you to go back and forth as you’ll find it helpful.
I think when people learn JavaScript they feel like they need to learn Angularjs, Reactjs, KnockOutjs because other people are talking about it.
Here is a little story. When I was starting out in programming I was learning, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and Angularjs. I was so happy I was learning and I was going to show everyone my new skills. So what did I decided to do? Build a website!
I was hacking away for 2 weeks and when I went to view all of my code I realized there was no JavaScript in it…. Hmmm… I must have overlooked something…… But the website was finished…. I was lost. So I went to a local meet up and talked to one of the Angularjs engineers about my website and he told me “if you don’t need it then don’t use it. Just stick with mastering HTML and CSS until you find something they can’t do. Then you move on to JavaScript and frameworks”.
Well, the thing about all these js libraries, like React…is that they are all built on JS. If you can get js down, then picking up and using any library for it is just another step…if you learn one, you can learn any of them.
I was already solid with html/css and felt pretty confident with js before I touched React, but I believe you dont need super deep knowledge to be able to learn React. Something to keep in mind though, html/css is just layout and style…if your project will have any interactivity to it at all, you will need js. If you want to be able to do more with react than just render pages, you will need a good understanding of js.
Btw, js is hard…esp if its your first language, cause youre not just learning syntax, you’re also learning the data structures and algorithms that go into the logic. So you are not alone…its a steep learning curve…everyone felt that pain with their first language, I promise. If your goal is in a career in web dev, then html/css/js is the bare minimum… any of the js libraries are good to know, but not as important as knowing the basics.
I’ve learned React before being confortable using Javascript and knowing well ES6 (expecially the keyword this, bind, deconstructing, DOM manipulation).
I had completed the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures but rushed through it and this before the curriculum update. After the update I skimmed through this section once again, I completed it in a matter of days.
Learning React was still hard to learn on freeCodeCamp. At some point I started writing down the code, trying to teach myself things and trying to understand every single detail. I am not sure whether it was an effective way of learning React or not but watching a video and building a project helped me a bunch more.
After finishing learning React and Redux on FCC I also read the whole documentation on the official website.
PS: As if it wasn’t enough after some time I went through React and Redux on FCC once again.
I started my journey on freeCodeCamp on April but I had already started learning HTML and CSS months before. Plus I had already learned to code at school but mostly in other programming languages not taught on freeCodeCamp.
I am still here after completing 766 challenges and doing some small projects along the way. I still don’t feel job ready.
I wish I could have told myself that learning well Javascript before starting picking up new different things was essential.
Everyone feels they don’t need that much time to learn to code. I spent every day most of my time trying to learn to code (I don’t have any friends) but still didn’t feel like getting there.
So much truth in this…when I was studying on my own, I was putting in about 10-15hrs a day…felt like I still had a long way to go, went to bootcamp where I put in 10+ hours a day still between school and studies. Still felt like I had a long way to go. In truth, somewhere along the way, I did get it, it was just imposters syndrome and my head still feeling like I wasnt ready.
But for sure, its worth it to put in the time to learn the basics, skimming past it now only means you’ll need to go back to it and grasp it later. I found myself skipping around and doing other things instead of JS for a bit there, because it was such a struggle for me and I was dying to move on to something else, but I kept hitting mental roadblocks because my foundational knowledge wasnt all there. Once I dug my heels in, determined to get JS down, then I found that other things I learned and worked on were infinitely easier to understand and work through.