When it comes to Javascript and beyond I'm not sure if I'm truly learning or blindly following directions

1

When it comes to HTML and CSS I feel like I have a good grasp of it, that I can build a website from scratch and completely break down each tag and element, explaining why I chose every single one. I don’t have everything memorized and I’d probably need a cheatsheet, but I’d know what I was looking for on the cheatsheet and why I wanted to use it.

Javascript is where I plateau. I think I get some of it, but sometimes I’m not sure if I really get it or if I’m just blindly typing whatever I’m told. Aside from freeCodeCamp I’m also using CodeAcademy and will use other resources as well. I completed the basic Javascript and SASS courses at CodeAcademy, but I’m not sure if I could write the code for those languages for scratch. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’d use them as extensively as I’d use HTML/CSS.

I don’t think CodeAcademy explains things the best, so I will be studying Javascript some more, and I’d probably need more refreshers than usual. But it’s really tough, and I hope I’m able to understand it like I can HTML and CSS.

1 Like
2

Have you started working on the free code camp projects? I’ve learned a lot more from fcc projects than Codecademy tutorials.

3

Have you started any of the algorithm challenges yet? You will quickly learn how much JS you know. Also, the projects are really good at finding your deficiencies. The problem with learning a knew programming language, is that if you don’t have any projects to apply that knowledge to, you’ll forget it. So, I would recommend checking out the algorithms challenges. If that isn’t enough, try leetcode.com.

4

I’m only on the JQuery section of the Front End Development Certification map, I still haven’t done the projects yet.

5

do you know any other programming languages? the logic of a program seems to be pretty consistent regardless of language-- not that I know a lot of languages, I would only admit to ‘knowing’ three different programming languages. But I would also add that JS is somewhat illogical to me in that it runs asynchronously making me have to stop and troubleshoot a lot to figure out why my program is executing the way it is.

But the first programming language I learned was taught the same way FCC teaches JS: practice drills and projects. So I think the approach of following FCC’s lessons/challenges is a proven one.

6

Nope, don’t know any other programming languages.

7

This series really helped me understand jQuery. It’s pretty inclusive, so you don’t really need to finish the jQuery part on FCC if you don’t want to. https://www.lynda.com/jQuery-tutorials/Welcome/494389/539689-4.html