Note: This is part 2 of a 2 part series of posts. Here is the the first part.
The Odin Project
I will credit the Odin Project as the biggest contributor to my recent learning, not only because it's free and maintained by a very good community, not just because it offers a comprehensive course that could literally take you from Zero to Hired in web development, but because it taught me to be independent and confident. It taught me to work like I was already on the job and it showed me what it takes to be a real web developer. That's a boost of confidence you can't get elsewhere while still maintaining a self-paced schedule.
The Odin Project has a different approach to other online courses. For each lesson, you'll have to read what they provide and then you'll be asked to read from other resources (which they linked). Some of these will include written tutorials, YouTube videos, and official documentation of whatever tool or technology you're learning. You'll be exposed to multiple sources on the same topic--just like when you're stuck on a problem and will have to search various sources on the web.
In other words, you'll be working like an Engineer - with a workflow and coding environment similar to that of a Pro. You'll be on the job before you get one, and that's important as you'll have an idea of how it feels like on the job. The best engineers are not those who know everything (no one does), but those who can search efficiently and know how to ask the right questions. I've known people with whom this came naturally as they possess a logical and mathematically inclined mind - I wasn't as gifted in that area as I had always relied on teammates (a bad crutch), but I was able to develop it through this course.
In between lessons, you'll be asked to submit a Project which you'll have to make on your own. This is the important part. This is the step that kicks you out of Tutorial Hell and isekai's you into the real world of problem-solving through code.
The no-hand-holding approach helped me appreciate my projects more and helped solidify my learning. If there's something you didn't understand during the theory/studying phase then just wait for the project to nail the concept to your brain (revisiting topics you already read is highly encouraged). This method makes you feel less helpless and less dumb when you're able to build something from the ground up.
What you'll gain is the pride of having built something with your own hands. That's the stuff that keeps you motivated.
Pros:
No hand-holding
Teaches you to research on your own
Guides you on setting up your own environment
You get to learn the version control software called git/github, which is a tool that's just as important as any other programming language
Takes you from the very beginning to the hiring process, should you wish to finish it
Cons:
Asks you to read a lot, which can feel really boring at times
- I've listed this as a Con, but let me emphasize that being able to sift through boring technical documents is a necessary skill that you should learn. Most Tech/Science people don't do any fancy and entertaining writing. Technical details are usually laid down flat and with a very different tone from your usual TikTok clickbait. Learn to live with it and you'll succeed.
Some Advice
The Odin Project will tell you this during their orientation, and I'll vouch for its effectiveness. It's okay to skim through concepts and the written tutorials at the start because when it's time to work on Projects, you'll need those tools and concepts to build your application. When that time comes, re-read and re-learn the concepts you previously skimmed through.
Learning how to code is more seamless when you get your hands dirty--when you're solving a problem on your own. At that stage, it will be like solving a puzzle, it will come naturally, and it will be fun!
More details for The Odin Project
The first part of the course is called the Foundations Course - as the name suggests, this will prepare you for all the foundational knowledge you'll need to be a working developer
The second part a diverging path, so you'll have to choose one or the other - The JavaScript Path and the Ruby on Rails path. I chose the former, but you can't go wrong with either. What you should choose and the reasoning behind them is not in the scope of this blog because I don't know Ruby.
When To Move On to the next part (Full Stack Open)
Unlike the previous part, I don't have definitive advice on when you should move on to the next course. I trust that you'll have enough knowledge once you get through both courses and you will have learned the aspects of what you like and what you don't like in the field of Web Development.
There's a Fork in the road... which one will you choose, Oh Brave Adventurer?
Front-end Development (working on user interfaces)
Back-end Development (working on server applications and database management)
Full Stack (both of the above)
As for me, I chose to move on after finishing Odin's To Do List App Project since by then, I already learned the fundamentals of JavaScript. The career path I have chosen for myself is in Front-end, so I selected topics accordingly and left out what I don't need for now. Because, you know...
...the learning doesn't stop!
From this point on, I'll be talking about Front End Development
Why did I choose it? Because it's the most hire-able field at this time. Front-end will get your foot in the door and get you a job. After that, you can pursue other fields as you like depending on the opportunities in front of you. Other programming fields will need to know front-end in some for anyway so it is a safe place to start. (Also, I don't know any free source that focuses solely on back-end anyway)
If you chose another path at this stage, tell us about it. I'd be curious to know what you did.
Anyway, after you get your fill of The Odin Project, I now suggest you move on to...
Full Stack Open
Full Stack Open is a course that was created by the University of Helsinki in Finland. The best part about it is that it's free for everyone, and you can request official credits/grades once you finish. I myself haven't tried it because my current goal is to get hired.
The Full Stack Open course is somewhere between the Odin Project and freecodecamp, in that the course material is mostly on the website (no source hopping) but the material is carefully paced and well-made. Each new jump in difficulty is very manageable, and it almost feels like you're climbing on a well-built set of stairs. The challenge is still there, but it's better than any course I've tried in both school and online.
Pros:
Very well paced
Projects and examples sufficiently challenging
Well write Cons:
I'd advise a base understanding of HTML/CSS/JavaScript/modern developer tools before you start this course, but that's why this is step three in my roadmap!
But wait! There's a Caveat
A caveat on what advice I can give at this moment: because I've only finished the first three parts of the course out of 12 parts. The reason is that I'm learning React.js and Front-end, and the rest of the material tackles the back-end along with industry best practices. I'm certain I'd like to do the next parts in the future, but I'm now focused on practicing my React skills (also getting hired) before moving on to rest.
As of this writing, I'm building up my portfolio with React projects and sending out my Resume
A few things about React.js (their docs are gooood)
As of right now, React.js is the JavaScript framework with the most market-share, so that's what I'm learning. Before starting, however, I came across the fantastic React.js docs, which do a great job of teaching you the basics of the framework/library. I'd suggest going through that first before going through the Full Stack Open course.
On the topic of Data Structures and Algorithms
I did not touch on this topic because I've bumped it down in priority. Although it is important, I am currently looking for work in a market that doesn't do Leetcode style interviews (at least that's what I'm told). My goal isn't to get into FAANG (yet) so i'll have to move this on for later, because as we all know...
The learning, doesn't, freaking, stop!
Fly You Fools!
If you've managed to make it through this far, then you'll have accumulated the skills, knowledge, and confidence to find your path forward. I myself will stick to my path and will wave every now and then in this blog to share more about my knowledge, learning, and the mistakes that I've made that I'd like for you to avoid.
Whatever path you take. I hope you find success. Good luck on your journey!