JavaScript Projects and More!

mml6076Passion

Hi everybody! 

 

I hope everyone is having a successful start to their second semester! 

 

For this semester I am sticking with the same passion blog topic that I had in the first semester, which is computer programming. Last semester I enrolled in several programming classes and did a lot of reading and research on the topic. Over the break I spent a lot of my time involved in one of the classes I had enrolled in last semester and that class is the Complete JavaScript Course 2021: From Zero to Expert which is on Udemy and was created by Jonas Schmedtmann. 

JavaScript is a programming language that is really useful for creating websites and web applications. It is a language that is used by many software development firms and is a fun language to start with when you are first learning to code. I have found it fairly intuitive and very enjoyable. The course I am currently taking starts, like it says in the title, at zero. It starts with the very basics of the language and gradually builds up into complex topics like object-oriented programming and the call stack and memory heap. This course does a good job of teaching me how to program with JavaScript while also giving me the basics of how computers read language and has introduced me to some of the basics of computer science. 

 

Through this course I have been introduced to many programming challenges. The challenges are like mini homework assignments that are created by the instructor and that I use to improve my understanding and skills with the language. These are really helpful as it forces me to check that I understand the material that is being covered in the lectures. 

In addition to the challenges, this course has a ton of incredible projects that I have been able to work through with the instructor. This is easily my favorite part of the course. Through the course I have had the chance to create game applications, web-applications and websites. Instead of teaching me just how to program, like the freeCodecamp courses last semester taught me, this course showed me why the code I was learning was useful and how it could be used to create beautiful web applications. 

 

 

In addition to this course, I spent time reading about how to code and what the best strategies were when creating an application. The two books I spent the most time reading were Refactoring UI and Cracking the Coding Interview. 

 

Refactoring UI pretty much explains how to go about implementing a design and creating a web page. When designing a web page, you do not have to think about the order that you make different styles and components, however when programming you do. This book explains how to turn a design into a program by explaining the order you should create components in, when you should style them, when you should add functionality to them, and more. This was really helpful for me because, while it seems like it would be easy to create a webpage once you know how to code and have created a design, it is not. The order you create the components of the web page, and the order you add different features to them, is extremely important to have a successful web application. 

Cracking the Coding Interview is a must have for anyone learning how to code. This book offers you a ton of information about some of the more complex programming topics and also has 189 different programming interview questions that are worked through to help you learn what it takes to get a job in software engineering. I have not read the whole thing but I have read bits and pieces and it has been super helpful in my process. 

All in all I felt that I had a very successful break in terms of computer programming. I was able to learn a ton and advance my skills, all while simultaneously preparing myself for my first semester of computer science classes. I am super excited to get to continue sharing my journey with you guys, and I am excited to begin telling you about the work I do in my computer science class for Penn State and the new projects I create through my online Udemy course!

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3 thoughts on “JavaScript Projects and More!”

  1. Dude your energy for this topic is getting me pumped up and I kinda wanna learn this stuff now. I applaud you for continuing to read all those books you mentioned and continue practicing your skills with JavaScript and programming in general over the winter break cause I didn’t do anything of academic importance at all. It’s been really cool to see the progress you have made on your journey to learning all of this over the last semester and I really do hope you stick with this and continue learning about something you are so passionate about.

    1. Honestly I know absolutely nothing about computers or programming or JavaScript, but the way you spoke about it made it super interesting. I liked how you talked about it seriously because I can really tell you know what you’re talking about. At the same time it felt personable and natural which made it a good read. Also, the way you included your pictures was definitely effective and helped me understand what you were talking about. It’s pretty admirable to talk about something that not many people know about, and inform them so easily. In my class last semester no one really wrote so much information while keeping it interesting and a good read – haha kudos to you. Anyways, I’m looking forward to reading your future blog posts and hearing updates about your progress!

  2. I have always thought that coding was something super neat and that I would love to learn how to do, but I’ve always been wildly intimidated by it since I’m not a STEM person by any means; there’s a reason, for sure, why I’m majoring in CAMS and English and not Biology or Food Science! You provide a lot of great guidance for someone who wants to get into coding but isn’t sure where to start, and you made in the course from Udemy really welcoming! I’m not sure I’ll be ready to read a book about coding without feeling completely overwhelmed for a really long time, but now I know a few recommendations for whenever (if ever) I get to the point where I would feel comfortable! I’m looking forward to reading even more about coding as you continue your journey! I’m sure you’re going to make a lot of interesting projects through the semester!

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