So I just completed the the front-end curriculum and got to the projects. I haven’t begun any yet, but wondered, is it normal to go back through lessons in the curriculum while working on the projects for refresh?
I opened the first project (the Tribute page) and sat there like “did I even learn anything? Where should I start?!”
That being said, I’ve loved the training so far and feel like I am learning a lot, but as soon as I opened the projects I feel like everything fell out of my head.
TL;DR Is it normal to go back through the curriculum while working on projects?
It’s probably pretty normal.
With a better understanding also comes an ability to ask better questions. Sometimes when you go to look something up, you don’t even know how to frame your related question. After more exposure to the things you’re concerned with, however, you can start to make more effective inquiries. So, yeah going back to the curriculum when you’re in a better position to understand what’s being taught, is quite worth your while.
TOTALLY NORMAL! There were points in the projects where I thought, wow, I want to build a flexbox (or whatever) but I totally forget how! And I would just work through several of those challenges again.
If there are challenges where you know you’re going to want to refer to the solutions again, you could jot them down in a notebook, which really helps cement it in the brain. Alternately you could save it in a codepen, or take a screenshot… whatever works for you!
I would say it’s pretty normal. Whenever I build something new I find myself going back to previous code to refresh my memory of how I did something in particular or just to copy a reusable piece of code. I imagine checking previous code to refresh your memory becomes less necessary with the experience if you work with the same technologies.
I agree with all the other comments. I’ve been through some of the material half a dozen times or more. I think repetition is key to really learning something once the concept is understood.
Thank you all for the feedback! I was just hoping it wasn’t something anyone considered wrong or something like an “open book test”.
I feel comfortable that i’ll get accustomed to everything once I do it and do it and do it again but this first time I left the curriculum I felt overwhelmed!
From what I’ve gathered in the community, working as a developer will always be an open book test! Learning how to research answers and ask for help when you need it is one of the most important skills.
Definitely! I felt the exact same way. I had to keep looking at the example project and it felt like copying and I felt like I didn’t learn anything also. I found that each project gets easier though and you can go back and look at your own assignments to see what you did or how you made a feature instead of looking at the examples.
What I found works best for me is:
Don’t sweat if you can’t remember how to do something like a navbar for example. Just look at another project where you made one or google it and you will get some good examples. Then implement it into your project. I find by working this way, I figure out how to do things and it sticks in my memory.
Also just try to set up the project any way you can even if it isn’t the correct way. Use margin, padding, etc to push things around. Do as much as you can and then start googling and looking at other work to see other ways you can do it.
I just completed the technical documentation project and it went much more smoothly. Just jump in and build the project step by step and google when you need help or ask here.
There were points in the projects where I thought, wow, I want to build a flexbox (or whatever) but I totally forget how! And I would just work through several of those challenges again.
Learning how to research answers and ask for help when you need it is one of the most important skills.