I’m a big believer that the easiest way to go about learning web development is to first learn HTML, then CSS, then front-end JavaScript, and finally, use your front-end skills to write JavaScript on the server-side. Once you’ve mastered these areas, you can move on to another programming language.
In some future posts, I’ll talk more about those other programming languages, such as PHP, Dart (mobile app development), Rust, Python, etc. in order to give my coding and web development category of posts more of a programming/web development feel, as opposed to just web development. So, if you’re interested in working with some other server-side languages, fret not. Those posts will be coming soon.
Note: This post will be an overview of some of my favorite tips for web developers who are just starting out learning web development. In future posts, I will expound upon each individual topic
General Tips and Advice For Learning Web Development
The first thing I want to mention is that many of the resources listed are overlapping or even redundant as far as their focus goes. This was very much intentional. Growing up, I was taught that in order to move something from short-term memory to long-term memory, it takes roughly 8 repetitions. Now, this number can vary depending on a few other factors, but I’ve found it to be a pretty solid rule-of-thumb for learning just about anything, including web development. The point is, you must repeat the actions consciously and intentionally if you want to actually learn the information. If you want to learn more about repetition and memory, I would recommend reading this great article from Memorise.org
My own learning process can be broken into six parts: reading, watching, listening, writing, drawing, and practicing. If I can do all six, then I do all six. My goal is to make sure I’ve experienced the information in as many ways as possible. I find that this really hammers the information into my long-term memory. I don’t stop at just completing the six either. If I’m at all shaky with the information, then I will repeat the process or some of the process, at the least. Typically, I’ll revisit a subject multiple times. We all learn different things at different rates, so repeat as necessary.
You can also play around with different orders. I don’t necessarily follow this exact order of operations, so feel free to watch before you read, or watch and write and draw before you read, etc. And there might not be any opportunity to draw what you’re learning at all. It’s all very flexible. What I want to get across though, is that you take your time and try to dissect the information in as many ways as you possibly can.
Learn One Thing At A Time
The next tip I have for learning web development is to learn one thing at a time. I don’t mean that you have to master the information before you can move onto something else, but try to get a really good understanding of what’s going on before you move on. When I first started, I was frantic with my learning. I wanted to learn everything right away, and so I bounced from topic to topic just trying to learn enough to get by. But what I found is that I had to keep going back to information I should have previously learned. It was inefficiency at its finest.
Revisit information you’ve already learned. This goes back to what I said about not having to master information before you move on. Eventually, you will move on. At some point, you’ll come to an intersection where your brain will need to work on something new to avoid burning out, but you won’t feel like stopping your learning completely. This is when it’s a good idea to move on to a new subject.
However, be sure to go back and review the older subjects. Even today, I constantly find myself needing to reference older material that I’ve reviewed countless times before. This will definitely happen to you, so don’t feel bad when it does. Just keep going back to older topics. Every time you do, you’ll feel like you have a better grasp on the material and that you’re one step closer to mastery and learning web development.
Take Breaks
Take breaks! I’m sure you’ve heard about the Pomodoro technique, and you may have even tried it before. It’s a great way to structure the learning process, but it’s not a perfect science. The technique, if you haven’t any experience with it, goes like this: study for 25 minutes, take a short break (usually 5 minutes), and repeat four times. After the fourth time, take a longer break (maybe 15 minutes), and then repeat the whole thing over and over. When I learn, I follow these guidelines loosely. Often times, I’ll increase the learning time to 40 minutes. Forty minutes of learning, then a 5 minute break. Repeat. Repeat. 40 minutes of learning, then a 15 minute break.
During my breaks, I’ll usually spend the time getting up and stretching, doing a few dishes, cleaning something, folding laundry, etc. In essence, I use the break to do something mindless that I’ve done a million times before in order to a) be productive b) rest my mind and c) come up with answers. “C” might have caught you off guard a little bit, but if you’ve ever come up with a great idea while in the shower or on the toilet (I’m sorry, but it happens), then you’re familiar with the idea.
Doing mindless things, things where we can put our mind on autopilot, essentially frees up disc space in our brains and give them room to operate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone over and over and over something, but I’m completely stuck on a problem or a bug in my program. At that point, I’ll usually get up and start to do one of these “mindless” things, and almost miraculously, while I’m scrubbing a pot or folding a fitted sheet (I always save my long break for that one), I come up with the answer to my problem. If I don’t, then I know that I need to employ the next and final tactic on this list.
Sleep
Sleep on it. If you’re absolutely stuck on a topic, subject, bug, or what-have-you, it might be the right time to admit defeat (only temporarily) and move on to something else. I’ve been there a thousand times. I’m trying to fix a bug for hours on end, and I’m just not getting anywhere with it. It’s during these times, that I decide to quit working on it for the day and put some sleep in between the problem and the solution.
Similar to the idea that doing mindless things helps to free space, sleep actually does something similar. But not only does sleep free up some disc space, it’s what the brain does with the space that’s even more remarkable. During sleep, your brain continues to process information from the previous day. So, you’re brain continues to work on the problem you were having, creating connections necessary to solve it, without you actively having to do a thing. Use the knowledge we have of the brain to your advantage.
Okay, I lied. I have one more tip, but it’s a quick one. If you’re serious about learning web development, be consistent and persistent. The best way to retain the information you learn is to consistently be learning. Work on it every single day. Anyone can succeed in learning web development and programming, but not everyone will put in the time to do so. Be the one who does.