How far along are you?
How many hours per week do you put into it?
How do you like the guide in comparison to other guides/programs?
Any tips?
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Which one are you referring to? I’m following the web dev with computer science foundations guide, and I’m almost done with tier 1. I’ve never counted how many hours per week I put into it, but I’m sure it’s well over 20. In comparison to other programs and guides, I’d say it’s superb. It all started to show when I started working on some projects. I think it teaches you so much stuff that’s hard to find elsewhere and in such a structured way. The knowledge you gain from the guides really does help tremendously.
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I’m in the CS50 part of Tier 1 (web development guide, though at this point the material’s identical to the computer science one), having started with no tech/coding experience or background at all. I think it’s excellent, because it forces you to engage immediately with the foundational material instead of relying on Codepen, script libraries, etc. At first I was puzzled about why CS50 comes after the first few YDKJS books, but struggling through YDKJS first is making CS50 easier because I now already have an understanding of loops, if-else conditionals, etc., instead of trying to grasp those and the basics of C at the same time. If you were stuck in “Fine, I passed this FCC challenge level but still have no clear picture of what I’m doing or why” (as I was), and you learn best when given the big picture, this is the way to go. Just be prepared, if you’re a complete newcomer like me, to read and re-read more than once, and as P1tx says, to not be in a rush to finish it all by a short deadline. I know it’s working because not only are certain (very basic) concepts that once made me bang my head against a wall starting to click, but even when I’m lost in a maze it’s actually starting to be fun.
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Started this but kind of went on a tangent with the learning lol ( I have learnt so much like this tbf.)
Doing the Web Development + Computer Science guide and I’m in Tier 1 doing Week 4 of CS50 now. So far the guide has been awesome and it has given me a good structure to follow and deepen my knowledge (I had the problem of always being jumping from resource to resource and doing loads of tutorials and then when I needed to code something, my mind would blank). I think the guide is probably one of the best resources you will find around the internet but be prepared to work hard in it and to bang your head into a wall sometimes 
(I probably do around 10-15 hours per week when I have free time from Med School)
I’ve been following the Computer Science guide - mostly - since mid-January. Mostly - because I’m using the guides in a way that makes sense for me and aligns with my learning goals, and that means that I’m occasionally doing things out of order, or skipping projects, or even taking breaks and working on other things.
I’m probably spending close to 30 hours a week programming (ballpark) - but not all of that time is devoted to the guide, and I’ve had periods where I’ve not been able to program for several days in a row.
The guides are a fantastic resource. I don’t know that I’d recommend them to total beginners (although I’ve heard from total beginners who are working through them successfully). I already had a bit of experience when I first started them, and I think my recommendation would be to consider working through FCC up to the first few JavaScript projects before starting the guides. Or else to find some other beginner-friendly supplement that will help you get started - because the YDKJS books aren’t really written for beginners.
I’m close to finishing Tier 1 of the CS guide. I’m hoping to be done with Tier 1 by the end of this week, with the possible exception of the CS50 final project (which I may end up just skipping - at least until I’m ready to take a “productive break” from the guide and don’t already have a side project in the works). Since starting the guide, my skills have improved a lot. Having a plan for what to do next has also made my learning more efficient - I’m not wasting time looking for resources, or trying to figure out which resources are best, or worrying about when to start learning about X technique or Y tool. When I’m not sure what to do next, I go back to the guides and start working on the next item.
I’ve not noticed any gaps - not yet, anyway. I have noticed the guides filling in gaps in my knowledge that I didn’t know existed. That, by itself, makes them worthwhile.
My recommendations: Take your time. Write code and make projects even when the guides don’t tell you to, just to practice what you’re learning. And have fun. I’d also recommend keeping some sort of daily progress log. It’s motivating, and it also helps to be able to look back and see how far you’ve come. I keep mine on GitHub - and adding and committing posts to the log was really what made GitHub start to “click” for me.
I’m just sort of working through the ydkj stuff while going through the beta fCC links.
sloooow and easy