I'm a JavaScript beginner

JavaScript
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Hi everyone. As the title of the post says I’m a beginner in JavaScript. I started the JavaScript Algorithms and Basic Data Structures course a few weeks ago and I have made it through the Basic JavaScript, ES6, Regular Expressions, and Debugging modules. I’m currently roughly halfway through the Basic Data Structures module.

I seem to be grasping the concepts pretty well. Most of it is making sense to me and I think there was only one instance where I just couldn’t figure something out and I copied and pasted the solution to just get by it.

As I stated above, I feel like I’m grasping the concepts pretty well (the beginner stuff anyway) but if I try to write a file from scratch I’m lost. I feel like supplementing my learning with making my own projects would help tremendously. So my question is, am I actually understanding what’s going on and I just haven’t gotten far enough along to really start making a legitimate practice project or should I be able to do something already and maybe I’m not understanding as much as I thought I was?

Just one example would be that in an else if statement I understand that it is evaluating data and returning another type of data based on if what is evaluating is true or false. But where my issue comes in is how does that integrate into a web app? Just using else if as an example here but my question remains the same.

If I’m making no sense here I apologize. I’m just trying to get a better understanding of how to apply the concepts I’ve learned into an actual project. I’ve always been very interested in coding and since I’ve really been focusing on trying to learn the right way I’ve found that I enjoy it more than I thought I even did and I want to make a career out of it. I’m just kind of stuck at this point on where to go to improve on what I already know.

1 Like
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Hi,

I was in same position as yours.

From my learnings experiences; I suggest try below once you’re done with FCC

Don’t worry at first; you will find it difficult to digest concepts but you need to just practice, practice and practice more till you’re confident.

Try out Pomedoro, Flash Cards techniques as well.

Best,
Vikram

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if anybody gives you another good tutorial that would help you very well, don’t take it, because you would find yourself watching and rewatching tutorials over and over again, and that would not even help you.

i want you to do these two things, first
i want you to follow a coding session on youtube

for example, search youtube for “build a full web application with vanilla javascript”

now follow that tutorial step by step, and at the end of the tutorial, you would know how to use javascript in your project.

secondly i want you to pick up a javascript framework

learn a javascript, it would help you to understand javascript and how to use it in your project.

i bet you , you won’t remain the same after taking these steps, you can bet a cup of coffee on it.
waiting to hear your positive response

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Hi Derrick,

I felt the same way and still feel like this most of the time, but as you go on with your studies it slowly opens a basic understanding. It is a tricky logic/syntax and I get stuck regularly, but I also got these WOW moments when I understood some of these concepts and there is so much more to learn, I am still at the beginning.

I can recommend building your own projects instead of just following tutorials and a good teacher which you can ask if you get stuck is pure gold.

Check out Top 11 (and more!) Must-Know JavaScript Functions here:

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I am in that same boat and even after 1 years scratch my head most of the time. I do realize what I am feeling is the same as when I started with HTML. Then it repeated with CSS and guest what it does slowly sink in.

I didn’t have a grand Eureka moment just many little ones out of the blue. Like omatsola mentioned there are many tutorials. But finding someone that brings the information into the area of your brain that holds it, is the trick.

Many people make good tutorials and others teach through their explanation of the material they present. I found reading about the fundamentals and finding a video that utilized them was best for me. I also needed to start following projects even though I was not sure of what was going on.

If I may offer one person that help me with his approach to explaining JavaScript fundamentals. Then he also provides JavaScript projects and is free. He offers paid content on Udemy but please listen to him explain. His free content on You Tube.

His name is John Smilga and his You Tube channel is called Code Addict. He is like that cool highschool science or math teacher that got you to understand stuff. That other teachers couldn’t, if you know what I mean ??

They connect with something that makes you feel comfortable learning what is very hard to understand. It feels like he is mentoring you as you work though the projects. Making the basic have a home … I spent 1 year chasing my tail and in 3 months following him and Codesmith’s free You Tube content.

Seen light years of understanding. The Codesmith videos use a white board to explode functions, loops and arrays. Then you walk though following the THREAD the JavaScript engine uses to execute the problem. YOU SEE the code in action and if you are mechanical by nature like me. Helped greatly … I love taking things a part motors, transmissions, fixing things.

That help me big time understand what JavaScript is doing. Take the time and invest a few hours with him and Codesmiths approach. Memorizing Eloquent JavaScript or a 9 week boot camp doesn’t work for a lot of people.

How it is explained and presented has a lot to do with what you will be able to achieve.
John Smilga com … he offers a discount on his Udemy stuff and has been on freeCodeCamp as a instructor.

https://www.youtube.com/c/CodingAddict/playlists

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWrQZnG8l0E5hMTpzCK8WjP3nJ93jUEyk

Worth the time, I have been at this for 2 years combined with HTML, CSS and 2D Game Engines. A few hours with each is why I am ready for the next 10 or more.

It is a journey and as soon as you feel comfortable it has another set of hurdles to throw at you. That is what excites me, it will continue to challenge you and frustrate the hell out of you. It a cool way … most don’t like that feeling.

Peace …

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