Where to Practice?

You Can Do This!
1

Looking for some advice:
About a year ago I ran through the HTML/CSS course here and completed the tribute site.
It was basic, but I was proud that I had taught myself how to do it.

Having completed that, I wanted to learn Javascript as I figured that was the next extension to get my websites to do something more.

I started taking classes pursuing my degree in Java and put down the Javascript for a while.

Now, I’m mostly through my second class with Java and I’m comfortable with most of what I’ve learned.

Looking back on what I learned here with HTML and CSS, if you asked me to build my website again, I don’t know that I could. Which means I couldn’t functionally answer questions about it in an interview.

I wish there was somewhere to go where I could get practice questions to answer a couple times weekly to stay fresh with the skills I develop. Also, I’ve found that some of the app’s that have you select answers in multiple choice options don’t really do much for retention, I need to be typing it in.

I have a login for GitHub, but I really am not sure how to find projects I could really contribute to with my limited experience. (Ive tried, and I really don’t know how to) Also, I look forward to getting feedback on code that maybe isn’t perfect, but I don’t want to create an issue for someones GItHub project.

HackerRank has some stuff, specifically for beginners. This is a great example of what I’m referring to, but they don’t offer HTML/CSS, they are pretty limited in what these challenges are available for.

Any advice would be great.

My background: I’m 37 and halfway through obtaining my associates in Computer Information Systems, pursuing my A+ through Professor Messer’s youtube video’s, and I have an analyst job as a student intern managing software licenses. I’ve worked in retail for 15 years and I’m attempting a mid-stream pivot to increase my EP and get better work-life balance from work. Eventually, my goal is to find something where I can work remotely. (Advice on this would be very welcome as well)

Thanks!

3

The best way to retain is to repeat, this could be re-doing projects you did, but forgot how to do, or do something “new”.

I personally always work on side projects for 2 main reasons

  1. Re-enforce the basics
  2. Learn something new

Most of my side projects usually lean on existing knowledge I already know I have, but mix in some new tech, approaches, techniques I want to learn.

I especially recommend building things if your goal is to brush up on HTML/CSS. If your design skills aren’t that great where you can think up a great looking side from scratch, I’d suggest taking a simple/basic site and trying to replicate it as practice.

The only problem with “practicing” HTML/CSS in a hackerrank-like environment is HTML/CSS are mainly standards which rely mostly on reference and experience. This isn’t like practicing a programming language which not only has syntax, but provides a ground for things like design patterns, algorithms and data structures.

If you want to brush up on HTML/CSS, go build a front-end site using those technologies to get the most out of the time you spend :smile:

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