So I started my 100daysfcode on the 8th of June and today marks 100 days of coding (I think). My journey so far has been confusing. A lot of trials and errors. I started not knowing what I actually wanted to achieve. All I had in mind was to change my career path. I figured learning how to code would afford me more opportunities than my degree in insurance, which isn't even good enough to get a decent job. Rather than spending that time, finance and effort accumulating professional certification I thought to fancy my chances learning something I deem to be the future--programming. One of my major prompt to getting started was a friend who got an internship without any prior degree in computer science. He is a self-taught programmer and he encouraged me to do the same.
My major challenge was getting a laptop. I had so many responsibilities that often eat deep into my income. Plus, I didn't want to get something cheap. I was fortunate to get a loan from some friends that enabled me to get a decent laptop. It saved me the hassle of saving for one. I probably would still be trying to save up for a laptop if I did not take the loan option. Though I have to pay through my nose for it, I consider all the experience and knowledge I have gathered during these past 3months worth more.
I had a lot of expectations getting into this new field. I had watched many people's success story.
How I became a web developer in 3months
Learn Javascript in two weeks
I thought I would replicate such feats within this timeframe given my curiosity and passion to learn. The first month was quite eventfully. My entry point was C#. I found a C# course on skillshare where I learnt basic programming concepts. I switched to python which seemed easier than C#. I never did anything with them.
At some point, I needed some structure. I was basically learning random things without being able to apply them. After much research, I discovered freecodecamp which has been my guide. I followed their course diligently for some time until I got stuck. Then I opted for video-based tutorials which made my learning experience better.
Through July and August, I tried to master my HTML and CSS skill. I also dappled into JavaScript which I will spend the next 100daysofcode mastering.. unfortunately, I did not turn out to be the super programmer in 3months. In fact, I still feel very inadequate but nevertheless, I have come a long way. Rather than rush through courses, I decided to spend more time perfecting my knowledge on core concepts. I believe it will do me good in the long run.
Two tutors I have found very instrumental in my growth will be The Net Ninaj and Traversy Media on youtube. I did buy The Net Ninaj's JavaScript course about a month ago because I loved how he explains things. Traversy on the other hand has a lot of useful projects on his YouTube page and I only started to practise when I began watching him. Most new programmers get stuck in tutorial hell which slows their progress. Personally, if I had spent more time doing code-alongs I will be better off than going through a course several times.
For the next 100 days, I will be focused on JavaScript while I perfect my CSS skill via code-alongs. I believe the next 100 days will be more productive. First of all, I am familiar with a lot of programming concepts. My major task is to consolidate and apply my knowledge.
I never thought I would say this but I am enjoying the process, even more than I enjoy writing these days. I have no doubt that this is my future. Cheers!