Whenever I tell someone I’m a web designer; I assume they think I’m a programmer of some kind. And I totally get it; my friends and family still conflate web design with computer programming.
While I have extensive knowledge of HTML and CSS (which is essential for designing a website), there is one technology that is not critical for web design: Javascript.
While it may not be required for web design, making your own apps sounds like a lot of fun. And learning JavaScript can take your web design skills to new heights, which is why I’m endeavoring to, finally, learn JS. And I plan to do it in record time.
Fortunately, you don’t need to go to college to learn JavaScript. All you need is the willingness to learn.
But how can we go about learning JavaScript? And fast? If you’re interested in learning JavaScript, below are a few of the most popular methods of learning this language.
Why Javascript?
Before diving deeper into how to learn javascript, let me tell you a little bit about what javascript is and why you will want to learn this language.
JavaScript is a programing language that web developers use JavaScript to create the “front end” of a website, which is the component that website users can view and interact with.
A website’s dynamic capabilities are enhanced by the use of JavaScript. With only HTML and CSS, a website is essentially static and unchangeable. JavaScript is responsible for everything from auto-correcting to slideshows to interactive graphics. Besides automating activities that would otherwise have to be done manually, it also enables a website to respond in real-time to a visitor’s actions.
However, JavaScript’s attraction isn’t only limited to its functionalities. Because it’s so easy to pick up and use, it’s often the first programming language newbies pick up when they begin their careers. It’s quick, adaptable, and can even help you find and repair issues through its browser support features.
As a result, JavaScript is widely used in the web development industry and is an important skill to have if you want to work in the field. As a matter of fact, according to the 2020 Emerging Jobs Report (U.S.), 72% of tech firms looking to employ engineers are looking for JavaScript experts.
So, if you’re looking for a language to learn, this one is it.
How to learn Javascript
Below are a few recommended methods to help you learn Javascript.
- Courses and videos
- Coding books
- Learning to code Bootcamps
- Meetings & Events
Courses
Flexible online courses may be the solution for you if you’re interested in self-guided learning or don’t have the time to enroll in a formal Bootcamp program.
There are many free services that you can use, and there are some paid options as well. Keep in mind that “paid” doesn’t necessarily mean “better.” However, free sites and apps tend to lack direction and do not provide as much assistance as their more expensive counterparts.
If you’re self-motivated, an online course might be right for you. Below are two options to consider.
FreeCodeCamp – Introduction to JavaScript (Free)
Aspiring programmers with little or no previous understanding of JavaScript are encouraged to enroll in this course. After each unit of study, students are given a coding exam to show and reinforce their understanding of the material.
While Freecodecamp is really amazing, and you’re going to help you learn, it’s not video-based. It kind of just starts with you quoting right off the bat. But it doesn’t really dive deeper into the theory of what you’re doing. If you want some more background information on how the script works, consider a more formal video course like the one below.
Udemy – The Web Developer Bootcamp 2022
The web developer Bootcamp by Colt Steele is my personal favorite course on web development. It is constantly updated, and cold makes things so easy to understand. This is by far the most popular web development course on udemy. With over 200,000 reviews and a rating of 4.7, this is one you just have to check out.
Mozilla Development Network (MDN) JavaScript tutorial (Free)
The Mozilla Development Network or MDN is essentially a library of documentation for anything web development-related. They have some of the best JavaScript documentation and tutorials on the web. So much so that if you search for anything JavaScript-related, odds are you’re going to get an answer from the MDN documentation. While it’s not actually a course in itself, you can read the documentation at your own pace and learn everything there is to know about JavaScript.
An additional benefit is that this is consistently updated and has much more information than a course or book could ever hope to contain.
Books
If you’re more of a traditional learner, books are a great way to start learning JS, consider the books below to help you get started on your journey. Among the many books on programming, these are some of the best for beginners who wish to learn JavaScript.
JavaScript & JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development
This is a personal favorite. This book comes as a two-pack. One book contains the CSS and HTML chapters, and the other contains JavaScript and Dive deeper into the jQuery library. This book is really stunning. It’s easy to read, it’s Illustrated beautifully, it’s got very thick pages, and it makes for an excellent coffee table book. Below are two photos of the copy I have it home.
Even if you decide to learn JavaScript through Bootcamp or an online course, I strongly suggest buying this book regardless. It just looks super neat, and there’s something that you just can’t replace about having a physical copy of the knowledge for trying to learn.
if you’re interested in these books, click here to check them out on Amazon.
Coding Bootcamp
If self-education isn’t for you and you’d like a little extra guidance in your journey, along with a certificate of completion to make you feel more accomplished, a coding boot camp may be the best option for you.
Boot camps have gained popularity in recent years as a way to obtain tech skills rapidly and without investing the time or money typically required by standard four-year university programs, or getting a big student loan.
According to a 2019 Course Report analysis, enrollment for virtual boot camp programs climbed 171 percent between 2018 and 2019, while the coding boot camp market as a whole grew by 49 percent over the same time period.
Most coding boot camps follow a part-time or full-time schedule. A typical boot camp lasts between a few weeks and a few months.
Taking a coding boot camp may be worth your while if you’re looking for a quick way to learn JavaScript. A JavaScript-only boot camp is hard to come by, but if you can learn other useful skills while honing your JavaScript abilities, why not?
Bootcamps may sound great, but there is one major drawback. They are extremely expensive. Two of the most popular coding boot camps are:
- Flatiron School – $17,000 for on-campus courses.
- General Assembly – 15,950 for on-campus courses.
They both have online education available. But if you’re going to pay so much, don’t you want to have face-to-face interaction with other students.
Another drawback to coding boot camps is that they are often only available in major cities. Small towns and small cities won’t have in-person boot camps available. Or it’s very unlikely that they will. So you’re most likely stuck with a digital version of that nearly $10,000 Bootcamp you signed up for, which in my opinion, is not worth it.
Join a meetup group and make friends
Let’s face it. Even if you learn everything, there is something you need to know about JS. You still need it to stick in your head. And there is no better way to reinforce what you have learned than to talk about it with others.
I remember the first time I tried to learn JavaScript. I would constantly forget what I had learned. It felt like it never really stuck. I have no doubt that that’s because I didn’t have people to talk about it with. And I didn’t have a project that I was working on with another person.
Often, computer languages won’t tell you what’s wrong with your code. You just have to figure it out. Having a person to ping-pong ideas with and to double-check your code will really help you when you’re ready to pull out your hair because something isn’t working properly.
Consider finding a mentor. Someone who is better than you at JavaScript can guide you along your path. This person could also help you with debugging, but there will also be someone that you can look up to in your journey.
Meetup.com is a great place to find groups for anything you’re interested in.
Consider signing up to Stack overflow, where you can have long discussions about topics related to JavaScript.The key is to make friends and get social with your coding education. I truly believe that this was the one element that prevented me from learning and mastering JavaScript.
Conclusion
There are multiple ways to learn JavaScript. Some are paid, While others are free. Some take a long time, and methods promise quicker regardless of which coding education option you choose. It’s extremely important to stick with it. Trust the process. And get social and make friends. Only then will you be able to enjoy the process, and when you enjoy the process, learning is inevitable.