Tips for Getting Started With JavaScript

‍Have you been studying JavaScript and web development for a while now but you feel like you are not really learning anything? Or maybe you have been thinking about getting started with it but can't get past the basics? Perhaps the fundamentals make sense, but when you are faced with an empty code editor, everything seems impossible. You are not the only one. Coding is difficult and takes a certain mindset to master. In this blog, learn five tips to help you along in your studies learning Javascript

‍Be it the most entry-level developers or experienced programming specialists; JavaScript is a staple skill for all developers. The 2022 Developer Survey by Stack Overflow found that it is the most used and popular programming language in the world.

Unfortunately, learning web development and JavaScript is no walk in the park. Sometimes, it can get pretty tough and you may feel like you are not able to retain any information or apply what you’ve learned to real projects. To make life a little easier for you, we have put together a five tips guide to learning and mastering JavaScript.

Tip 1: Know Your Why

If you are just starting on the language, it can be a great idea to reflect on why you want to learn Javascript and what you hope to achieve with it. Maybe you want a better job. Maybe you want to build a product. Maybe you are fascinated by computational models. Whatever the reason is, you ought to know it from the outset and use it as motivation to stay on course during difficult times. There are many courses that teach Javascript, but the surest route to success is one filled with intrinsic motivation.

Tip 2: Take the Road Well-Traveled

While learning Javascript can be difficult, the good news is that many others have learned before you. The path to mastery of the programming language is well documented and there are numerous free and paid resources online that can get you there. The project-based approach is the best way to solidify your knowledge, but good resources will nudge you in the right direction first.

Some resources that I like for learning Javascript are:

• [Udemy Course] The Complete Javascript Course: From Zero To Expert
• [Book] Eloquent Javascript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming

When in doubt, read a book. But make sure that the book you are sticking to is not too advanced for your level otherwise it will only fry your brains. It needs to be written in easy language that you can understand and apply without any confusion. Books can help you a lot in polishing the information that you already know but just can't recall

Tip 3: Always Be Building Projects

If you get stuck in the tutorial hell then it can become very difficult for you to get out of it. You will end up watching a lot of tutorials and feeling like you will never know enough to start a real-world project. But this is not the case. It is better if you start with the fundamentals and proceed to real projects without wasting too much time in the tutorial.

This is a very crucial tip since it is going to decide your learning curve. Just avoid the relentless amount of tutorials and focus on the fundamentals until you get to the projects.

The key is to never follow more than two materials or courses on the topic. And always practice as you go. Simply put, do not proceed before putting everything that you learn through tutorials into practice. Once you get a hold of the fundamentals, start on your project. Don’t get distracted by that cool new framework. Don’t think, “if I just learned X technology then I could build my dream app.” Instead think, “Let me try building my dream app now with what I know.”

Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around. How much software do you know gets released and then NEVER UPDATED? That’s right, none. Also, if a software job is what you are aiming for, remember that most companies built tools on technology that is probably no longer in vogue. Solid fundamentals in Javascript allow you to adopt any framework, maximizing your potential to land a great job.

It might feel a little daunting and impossible at first. Start small and iterate. Once you start working on a project, you will realize that you are learning more through actual work and practice than by following the tutorials.

Tip 4: Learn Problem Solving

You can become an able developer only if you can put your learned knowledge into practice. Otherwise, there is simply no point in watching the endless amount of tutorials. However, this transition from following a step-by-step tutorial to developing something from scratch is not always an easy one.

You might feel a little overwhelmed and confused. This is the reason why you need to learn problem-solving skills rather than taking refuge in tutorials. If you keep on reaching out for tutorials, you won't be able to solve problems and errors on your own which is a necessary skill for all developers. Why do you think FAANG all have technical problem solving in their interviews?

Tip 5: Read the Documentation

Learning to read the documentation is an extremely underrated skill but it can help you in understanding the programming language better and faster. Documentation makes you understand how things actually work (as the developers intended) rather than just telling you the basics to get you to start coding. Moreover, you hone those problem-solving skills that you’ve been working on so diligently.

Through learning to read documentation, you will also discover best practices of JavaScript which is going to make your codes more efficient. If you don’t know the best practices, you will risk learning bad habits that you will have to expend effort unlearning later on in your learning journey.

Have you ever wondered “why someone is so good at what they do?”

Well, it might be because most of them get used to reading the documentation and have got a better grasp on the subject matter.

At the end of the day, it is always your practice that is going to make you a better developer. We hope that these tips will help you in getting started with JavaScript.