Table of contents
Introduction
So, I've completed the legendary freeCodeCamp's Responsive Web Design curriculum! That was another time-consuming task, finally crossed on my to-do list. In this article, I'll share with you my story on how I started learning using this curriculum, my review and thoughts as a beginner in this field about this curriculum, and how I dealt with stuff like procrastination, losing motivation, and so on.
My Story
I started this course about two months ago, and was already frustrated knowing that this curriculum took 300 hours on average to complete! I mean, I don't have that much time... and commitment! I only spared about 1 hour everyday to learn to code. Mathematically speaking, 300 hours divided by 1 hour of learning everyday equals to 300 days of learning everyday to complete this curriculum!
Turns out, I completed this curriculum faster than I thought it would take. In about two months, I completed this whole thing: absorbed a lot of information, did all of the projects, googling a lot of stuff, learning a lot of new things, including some life lesson I should say. Of course, I don't say you need to complete this course quickly, or in under 3 months they say. Everyone learns at their own pace, and it's not a competition! I somehow finished this course in 2 months, thanks to my little experience about HTML and CSS by watching some tutorials on YouTube. I did the first two "chapters" in under a week!
Now, after an easy week, things started to get way harder, and everything went downhill from that on. School starts, and things started to become busy. I got higher priorities stuff to do everyday, and that means less time for coding. I even skipped some days because I was too busy that time! Lessons started to get harder, and I lost motivation.
Took a break from freeCodeCamp for a week or so, and I decided to get back. I wrote down the plan, to commit at least 15 minutes on regular day, and 2 hours on weekends and holidays, to learn to code. It went well, and I end up finishing this course, and earned my certificate!
My Review
This curriculum is fantastic! It gives you all you need to start building websites on your own. It's an incredible structured resource if you're looking to become a web developer. And best of all, it's completely free! That's what I love about freeCodeCamp.
It's also perfect for complete beginners, who have no idea what HTML is. This curriculum teaches you HTML, CSS, and how to design beautiful responsive websites, as well as accessibility and best practices!
However, it won't be that easy, especially if you are a complete beginner. There will be times where your code just won't work, or your website just won't look how you expected it to be. It's all normal, and it's part of the learning process. Don't give up! Look for solutions online, use the freeCodeCamp's forum, or ask for help online. If you started to feel stressed about it, take a break for a while, and come back for it later.
Remember, consistency is key. Practice daily, regularly, and stick to a schedule if possible. Write down what you've learned, and apply them. Try to practice making websites on your own, and if it doesn't go as well as your expectations, try Googling them or ask for help online! Or just start over again! Or abandoned it if you don't feel like continuing it, like what I did! Please don't follow that one.
I recommend learning from various sources. My main resource to learn is freeCodeCamp, but I regularly watch some YouTube videos and read the docs online, and play some CSS games online like Flexbox Froggy and Grid Garden. All are good stuff.
Anyway, that will be it for now. Good luck on your journey!