Over the course of the last few weeks I’ve been sharpening up my Web Coding. I’ve covered HTML, CSS and Javascript and if they sound like jibberish to you, rest assured they aren’t . They’re all components that go into building every website you visit. This journey has got me thinking though what are some of the things I wished I knew when I started out? Here are my thoughts
Coding takes time
The first few weeks of this course I was a man possessed. I’d get up and go through weeks worth of material in a matter of days (admittedly these were 3-4 hour lectures). This was all in the vain hope that if I got through things quickly then I’d be able to get onto other things. The problem with this line of thinking was that when it came to doing the practical’s I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. I’d end up spending more time either re-watching the lectures or trawling through forums to get clarification on things. While this was useful, it also meant that I’d get confused or frustrated and have to start from scratch.
More often than not the answers were in the lecture material I was so eager to get through. If I had just taken the time then and there to get to grips with it then I would have saved myself a lot of time in the long run.
Javascript is worth the time you put in
By the time I had reached the Javascript section of the course, I had learnt my first lesson. I was taking my time and trying to absorb as much as I could. That was until I hit Java and it was like suddenly hitting a brick wall. Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out the logic, how do you write it and the forum’s just couldn’t help. I’d get even more confused by what I was reading.
Then something happened looking through the forums I saw a discussion about the assignment I had been set and as I read it, I started to understand bits of it. I could see how certain bits were broken down and how they operated. I was able to complete the assignment and hand it in to my relief. Now I am by no means a Javascript expert (in coding terms I’m still a newbie). But, I can now adapt and change code I need if I have a reliable source (W3 has come in clutch). I’ve still got a lot to learn but I’m on my way.
Over confidence may get in your way
When I started these courses I thought I knew a fair amount of web development. Having done a little coding I thought I could get through it fairly quickly. See the first section for how that turned out. I was then humbled by Javascript . Looking back, my overconfidence was getting in my own way a little. Since I was used to doing it a certain way, I never really thought about the work that had actually gone into developing the tools I used every day. Now I have the utmost respect for the people who came before me and the tools that they used. I can also look at a web page and quickly figure out what bits are html, CSS and Javascript. Doing this now keeps me on my toes and I’m constantly learning.
So those are just some of the things I’ve learnt through this course. Some of it was technical and some of it was personal but both challenged me. If you want more articles like this one then why don’t you check out our Blog page? We publish articles every week so it’s worthwhile following us on Facebook, Twitter or checking back in with us regularly.
