How useful is FreeCodeCamp really?

Hey everyone,

So I am beginning my journey to learn programming as jobs are opening up at work. And I really want to progress my career.

https://trackeasy.fun/usps/ https://showbox.tools/

Now the basic list I want to go down to secure at least a secondment to this new job is

HTML CSS JScript/JQuery C#

Now a few people have recommended CodeCademy, Free Code Camp and also the Odin Project.

I have heard best things about FreeCodeCamp and quite bad things about CodeCademy - As it is apprently to hand holding and doesn’t give you the skills to go away, set up a dev environment and create somehting. More just teaching you syntax… So that is off the table.

Now have any of you used FreeCodeCamp? Will it be worth it to go through this course? As I am kind of scared of being left only with syntax reading skills. Rather than practical knowledge.

Do any of you guys have experience with FreeCodeCamp or even the Odin Project?

I have Googled around and they both seem very indepth! But what do you lot think? Are they going to give me useful skills to go away and maky my own things? Or will I be left with Syntax reading skills only :slight_smile:

THIS is FreeCodeCamp…

welcome to the FreeCodeCamp forum!
the FreeCodeCamp curriculum is as useful as you make it. Do you want to finish it as soon as possible and just copy and paste the answers? not much useful.

Will you take each topic and try to understand all the code in the editor, and then after you solve it look at the example solutions and if you don’t understand something do generous use of the Read-Search-Ask method? much better!

The Odin Project is also a web-development course that is open source. The Odin Project makes you create a local environment before coding and code there, it is a different approach.
FreeCodeCamp you have an in browser editor and just start coding with first lesson.

And also they teach different things - as much as front end is always just HTML, CSS, JavaScript and frameworks (there is a certain variety here too), for back-end there is a decent rose of possibilities. The Odin Project focus much on Ruby on Rails, and FreeCodeCamp instead teaches JavaScript also for backend in the form of NodeJS.

Hi there,
I would recommend you to go for React/Angular/Vue, instead of going for JQuery or if you learn JQuery learn one of those too. JQuery used to be fine in the past now usually it s used when you want something really simple. Nowadays we have a better access to DOM operations and Javascript evolved so that most of the stuff you can do easy with JQuery you can do it easy with JS too, ultimately it s up to you.
FCC is nice for practice and some basics, but I recommend along with FCC to also follow a course that explains at a deep lvl that programming language. FCC is really good to practice, to solve those algorithm problems and make projects as they are quite important since you will work with more real life stuff.

The question is how proficient of a programmer do you want?
It is a long journey and information is vast.

FreeCodeCamp will get you started, but you have to put in the time and effort to master the skill. It gives you quick definition of what certain code does, it is up to you to explore indepth what they can really do.

FreeCodeCamp is ideal if you already know some code, because you can simple skim through it and still understand it. For new comer, a lot of people is stuck on the learning rollercoaster blasting through every section in 1-2 days just to find out they don’t really know how to put all of it together.

In the end is how you put it into practice, and how much are you willing to invest to solve a problem.

I concur with @Cowwy . It depends on where your starting off. if your completely new to programming of any sort FCC is a good starting point. It will take those 300 hours per section and more to really grok it.

You will have to research beyond FCC as well. Sites like mdn https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/ are invaluable.

In the end this is a huge field with a vast amount to learn. If you do use FCC and go through the challenges that are presented you may be seduced into thinking its easier than it really is. Make sure you complete all the projects at the end of each set off challenges. its in completing these projects that I think you will really start to gain understanding as well the motivation and requirement for further reasearch. In short there really is no quick and easy path.

I personally feel that the material on FCC is coherent and well put together and can form the kernel of your first year or so study in this field.

I would recommend you to go for React/Angular/Vue, instead of going for JQuery or if you learn JQuery learn one of those too

Right, but it’s still useful to learn the basics of JQ because there is a lot of it out there. (And FCC also covers React.)

FCC is nice for practice and some basics, but I recommend along with FCC to also follow a course that explains at a deep lvl that programming language.

Agreed. I always say that FCC is a good framework for learning, but you’re going to need little side quests and research to fill in the gaps. And after FCC there’s going to need to be a lot of continued learning.