Getting started and forging a plan
My path to web development, part 1
Getting started
I’ve always considered myself as somewhat of a “geek’. You know, good with technology. So obviously I wanted to start programming. I wanted to make websites, something great and beautiful that actual people would want to use. For a long time, however, this was just a vague idea in the back of my mind, something I would probably never do. Why? Because it seemed like such a complicated thing; I would never be good enough to do something that complex, right?
But someday, I stumbled upon one of those sites where you can learn to code online for free and I decided to try one of the courses. I still remember it. It was maybe two years ago, a basic JavaScript course on codecademy. The course was great and I learned a lot about the basics of programming. When I was done, however, I had no idea what to do next. Should I learn another language? What can I actually do with my new skills? If you are reading this, you might actually be in the same situation as I was back then. I had no idea what was what. Which language serves which purpose or even what is the difference between a language and a framework. What did all those fancy terms mean?
I’ve got to be honest here, I really tried to be productive when I started. I told myself: “I’ll work X amount of time each day.” I even stuck to my schedule for a while. But then I felt so lost that I dropped it all. Someday, however, I saw a thread on my Reddit feed that talked about learning to code. I clicked on it and discovered The Odin Project. Yes, another website where you can learn to code for free. I went and checked it out and was really impressed with what I was seeing and reading. There was an actual plan, a path to follow. My end goal, at the beginning, was to build websites and for the first time ever, someone gave me a map to actually get there.
So this is how, about 8 months ago, I started to carve my path to web development with a map in hand. When you first get on The Odin Project, you get face to face with the curriculum. I’ll be honest with you right now, it really does seem like a mountain at first. They help you to get started and install all kinds of things on your computer. If you are using Windows, they will even make you install another operating system. They get you to quickly start working with the command line, which can be scary on its own, and setup your computer in a way that is optimal for programming. This all seems like a bit much at first, but trust me, this is all well worth it! Just 8 months later and I have decided to completely embrace this whole programmer thing and only have Linux installed on my computer now.
Then, you will start to learn, starting with the basics, increasing in difficulty and complexity as time goes on. I got to admit that during those 8 months, I had both ups and downs in my productivity and my motivation. I even skipped a project to come back to it later because I was not seeing the end of it! But for some reason, no matter what, I kept coming back to it. I remember when I had to force myself into a routine to actually get things done in the beginning. Well, this time is over. There is something intrinsically gratifying about programming. You get stuck on some seriously complex problem and when you finally get past it, you get such a satisfactory feeling that the only thing you can do is come back for more. You quickly get addicted to this feeling of “leveling up”.
My initial end goal when I first started was to build websites, nothing more and nothing less. But the more I learn new stuff the more I feel empowered to do more. Programming is now a tool I can use to help me in my everyday life. I can create stuff to help me, entertain me and even work for me. The more I learn, the more complete my toolbox feels. A good example for this is when I had a design idea in my head for about a week. I jumped on codepen and created an element with this design idea using HTML and CSS. Programming helped me there because I have exactly zero drawing skills. Now it is backed up and ready to be used in a future project.
But now, eight months down the road, I feel like my end goal is evolving. I am starting to dream about a possible future job in the industry and I would really like to use this new found passion to help others find design solutions, make their businesses thrive with new websites and even help others launching brand new ideas!
The plan
For this to work however I’ve realized that I need more than the curriculum, I also need a personal plan and I have come up with the following;
- Spend as much time as possible learning.
- Build a concrete thing that show the extent of my knowledge.
- Make contacts in the industry.
1. Spend as much time as possible learning
I feel like I have this step fairly nailed down. Depending on the week, I can put about 30 hours into it. Some of this time is spent learning brand new stuff, but most of it is spent actually creating stuff. This is where the curriculum really shines; you learn and then build projects using those new found powers. But I also took the habit to learn in many different ways. I read some books that are not part of the required reading for The Odin Project and I listen to Podcasts, tons of them. They are really great to listen to on long car rides or when doing chores and they also are a great source of entertainment. Those resources are great when you are eager to learn but don’t have access to your development environment.
2. Build a concrete thing to show the extend of my knowledge
This is a crucial step for my plan. As I will not have any degree, I need an actual project to show my skills. This is why I will build a portfolio website using all the techniques I learned both on The Odin Project and on my own. I will need to make this portfolio really amazing to “make up” for my lack of a “traditional” scholarship path.
3. Make contacts in the industry
This step requires a completely different way of thinking than both previous steps. To make this step work, I need to put myself out of my comfort zone, meet people, ask questions and actually show my work. You can build the prettiest of websites, if you don’t show them to people, you won’t get anywhere. So I decided recently to be more present on social networks. A great place to start for me is The Odin Project chat room (come say hi here). As you might have guessed, this blog series that I’m starting is another way for me to be more in touch with the community. By the way, if you are a social butterfly, this step should be easy for you. There is a multitude of ways to meet people in this field; there are probably regular meet ups in your city, or at least in a city near you, there are also open source projects you can contribute to, there are slack channels, Gitter channels, forums, subReddits, etc… There is no lack of social interactions.
There is also an underlying goal of those blog posts that I’m currently working on; practicing my English and getting into the habit of writing. Those are two things that I have been thinking a lot about lately. My first language is French, although I consider myself fairly fluent in English, practicing regularly will make me better. I want to publish those blog posts once at week at the beginning, then adapt my rhythm to what I have to say.
Well, there it is. I can say that programming has been quite the journey so far. I learned a lot about a new subject and a brand new way of thinking about stuff and problems. I even learned about myself. I feel like I have made so much progress so far, and there is so much more to come. The road ahead is bumpy and muddy but with my plan now etched into my brain, I feel motivated like I haven’t been in years! In the following parts, I will highlight each part of my plan as it’s going on. In the mean-time, feel free to contact me to talk about starting to learn programming and overcoming those bumps on the road!
