Hello everyone!
As most of you know, I’ve been learning web development over the last year after going to my first hackathon which initially got me interested in full-stack. The resources I’ve used so far are mostly online (and free!! :D). They’ve significantly helped me improve my skills so, I thought I would share them here for anyone interested in learning web development and doesn’t know where to start. So, here they are:
1) Free Code Camp
It goes without saying that most people starting to learn coding are familiar with free code camp. It is an online platform where you can learn frontend development, data visualization, backend development, and much more by completing short challenges in each section. The greatest thing about FCC is that after each couple of sections, there is a projects section with multiple projects that help you apply what you’ve learned in the previous sections and connect everything together. The projects get more challenging as you progress through the material “map” but you could always find help and inspiration on the online forums. This is very helpful especially if you are a beginner and you want to start building your portfolio! Also, you earn certifications along the way and, at the very end, you could work on projects for nonprofits to further build your portfolio (how cool is this?!). However, I personally did not find the material on some of the topics to be enough for solid understanding so I looked for another resource to complement it with.
2) The Web Developer Bootcamp — by Colt Steele
This course is available on Udemy for originally $199.99 but don’t panic, it is usually on sale for $10 or $12. I got it when it was on sale and I used it to complement FCC. Like it is named, the course is really detailed and takes you through full-stack development step by step so it is good for any programming level. The first half of the course is about front-end (HTML, CSS, and Javascript) with a couple of fun projects for you to build such as a color guessing game and a to-do list. The other half teaches you backend (node.js, express), API calls, and databases. During the second half, you also get to create a full-stack web app that uses all of the main concepts you’ve learned in the course.
3) Internet 101 — Khan Academy
This may seem like basic networking stuff but if I hadn’t watched this playlist I wouldn’t have been able to answer questions about the material in one of the interviews I’ve gone through. I was asked about what happens after you enter a URL in the browser, DNS, and IP addresses. The playlist is very fun to watch and the short videos have many creative visuals to help you understand the topics better and get intrigued by the material. These topics are essential for any developer, computer science student, or anyone who wants to understand how the internet works in general.
4) HTML & CSS, Javascript & JQuery — by Jon Duckett
This resource is a must-have in any developer’s library!! These book series serve as a great reference when you want to quickly review one of the concepts! Although you can definitely use them as your primary source of learning, I didn’t. For me, I relied more on online courses and used the books when I felt iffy on a specific topic. This is mainly because I got introduced to them later in my learning journey, after I had already started using other resources. However, the explanation is extremely good, simple, and logical. Also, I love how the books were designed (you feel like you’re reading a magazine not a textbook! :D).
5) Hackathons
If you want to learn a new skill, go to a hackathon! Seriously! Hackathons are essentially weekend-long bootcamps in which you do nothing but learn new stuff, put your skills (and newly acquired skills) into action, and socialize with other people passionate about tech. You’ll be inspired by the amount of energy that can be in those kind of events and you’ll learn in them more than you’ll learn in a month on your own. Even if you don’t want to build a project, you could attend many or all of the workshops. Never get discouraged to go to a hackathon even if you think you’re not good enough, because that’s NOT true. People who attend those events range from absolutely zero programming knowledge to programming guru so everyone is welcome. I’ve been to 4 hackathons so far and I don’t regret a single one of them! I’ve learned a ton in every one of them and just when I feel like I’ve already learned a lot, another hackathon comes to prove me wrong! :D
Personally, I’m still using most of these resources to continue my learning journey and improve my development skills. A little over a year ago, I had zero knowledge of full-stack programming and now, I am much better. I didn’t spend time every single day on learning new material, which, in retrospect, had I done, I would’ve gained even more knowledge by now. However, It’s all about your schedule and how much learning you could fit into it.
I hope this post gave you some sense of direction if you want to learn web development and if you don’t, I hope it gave you an insight into my own individual journey.
Happy Learning! :)
