One Month In
It’s already been a month here at Array, and so much has happened. Our class spent the first part of the month with HTML and CSS, and one of the fruits of our labor was getting our HTML5 certification through W3Schools. I’m starting to feel acclimated in this world of web and software development, but I’m also feeling I’ve barely skimmed the surface of this new world. It has been an exciting and challenging first month, but I’ve loved every moment of it.
In addition to HTML and CSS, we also learned command lines, Git, and GitHub, which enabled us to set up repositories for our projects. This was good because I have started to work on a few projects on my own, and it’s very useful to have them up on Git and GitHub.
With the foundational knowledge of HTML and CSS under my belt, I was able to work on a couple of webpage design projects. One of the web design concepts that I was focusing on was to make my webpages mobile responsive (without using any framework tools). I recreated a couple of webpage forms and made them mobile responsive. As a side project, I also took a 90’s website, Warner Bros’ Space Jam, and modernized the homepage.
The last two weeks of class we were introduced to JavaScript, and really getting into the world of computer programming. This was definitely a whole another level from HTML and CSS. So far, I think I was up to the challenge. Working with JavaScript (or doing programming in general) really challenges my logical problem-solving skills, and I really enjoy being challenged in that aspect. To test myself further with the computer programming skills I’ve learned so far (and also my mathematics skills), I started tackling the problems at Project Euler. These are some of the most challenging problems I’ve faced, as I’ve had to identify and evaluate the problem, come up with the logical and mathematic algorithm for the solution, and then translate the algorithm into codes. When I was able to solve each problem, it was an extremely rewarding experience that provided me with many learning opportunities. I’ve started to create a webpage with the each Euler’s problem that I’ve solved. To take each of the solved problems further, I’m trying to create each solution so that they accepts user inputs and output results based on the user inputs.
Overall, I’m feeling very excited about everything I’m learning. It’s all very mentally challenging, and it’s all been very rewarding. After a month, I think I’ve made the right decision to start this new path into software development. I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be at Array.
