Learning to Code in 2023
So I guess there could be a better time to start trying to code than after mass tech layoffs, and with constant talk of AI coming to take out developers, starting with Junior Devs. Fortunately I happen to be in a position where I’m doing this because it’s something I’ve always had interest in and I just want to do it.
I kept saying that it would be great if somebody made a program that did X… Why isn’t there an app that can do Y? So I figured, let’s see if I can make it myself. After a bit of searching, and reading I decided to start with freeCodeCamp.org and The Odin Project.
I like the approach freeCodeCamp takes in that they’re really able to take you from step 1 to putting together a functional, if not necessarily elegant, webpage. I did start with the responsive web design path, and while I was very happy with the experience overall, at many points I felt as if they were hand-holding a bit too much, or practically showing you what the answer is, then simply having you type it out yourself. Because of this, I would find times where I would know exactly what to type, but had no idea why that was the right thing to do. This led me to checking out the other site I used first stepping into HTML and CSS…
The Odin Project was a bit of a different animal, and I liked it. Right out the gate, TOP had me doing things I didn’t even do back when I was a Comp Sci undergrad (granted that was a long, long time ago). Immediately you’re being taught to start getting comfortable with version control, here you’re introduced to Git and GitHub. You’re learning things like how to navigate around your computer using the Terminal, reminiscent of the old DOS days. It’s empowering in a strange way, because it almost feels like the curtain is being pulled back for you, and you’re being brought in on this secret world behind the scenes of the computers you interact with so often. Yet now, you’re on the other side, and you’re the one in the back, working in a world unseen by so many.
Moving forward I do have several projects in mind already. I’ve begun work on a couple, but I’m also still quite new to JavaScript, so there’s not only the learning curve but simply learning what it can and can’t do. So far, JS is certainly my favorite piece of the puzzle, but more about that in the next post.