Impressions and thoughts after the JavaScript 30 Course

I am currently learning about web development and, in the midst of indecision and a huge amount of learning options, I decided to try out the JavaScript 30 course offered for free by Wes Bos.

As a short description, the course is designed to offer a daily exercise that is completed through regular JavaScript (albeit the ECMAScript 6 version), instead of the myriad of libraries found on the web.

I have just completed the course and I can now share some impressions and thoughts about it.

The Good

First up, the quality is top notch. Wes has good production value and you can easily get the source files from his GitHub. Most of them have start and finished versions, allowing you to skip writing lengthy filler portions and delve into the actual challenge. At the end, if things aren’t working, you can compare with the final editions and see if you missed something.

The variety of the exercises is also really wide. Some have more practical applications than others, but I can see myself using the interactive clock or the countdown website, while implementing aspects like the sticky navigation bar. There are also some demonstrations with a high wow factor, like the Speech or Webcam detection that will certainly show the power of JavaScript nowadays.

Of course, another important aspect is the fact that the whole course is completely free. You just register on the website and it will be added to your account. You can then view the exercises through the custom interface.

I also like the fact that in most exercises, Wes ends with possible ways of customizing the end result or with enhancements that can be made to augment the whole thing, challenging viewers to figure stuff out.

The slightly-less-good

Simply put, the course has no bad sides, in my opinion, but there are some not-so-good elements. First up, I would have liked for Wes to issue a few more challenges and guidance for users. I would peg my experience as beginner to intermediate and just by hearing the premise of some of those exercises would make my head spin. I would have loved for Wes to explain the end product and then hint at some of the ways it can be achieved. After, viewers would be challenged to figure it out and then return for the final solution.

I understand that this workflow may not be for everyone and I am certainly making some complaints about something that’s completely free, but, again, this is just something that stood out for me.

Conclusion

I really liked the JavaScript 30 course. It’s free, it’s thorough, and it’s up to date with ES6, which is picking up steam around the world. I will be going through his other courses in the future but I think I will jump back to FreeCodeCamp and continue the journey that I put on hold there.

You can check out my GitHub repo with all the solutions, as well as an interactive page with the exercises in action on my website.