On The Way To Code

[onthewaytocode-blog]

Node.js

slowly, i am learning to understand Node.js.

recommend the teamtreehouse course

i got really confused by the code school course...and i switched to teamtreehouse.

now i finished 2 projected on teamtreehouse. and have a little better understanding.

i plan to finish the basic express course on teamtreehouse, then go back to code school to finish the Node.js course.

[onthewaytocode-blog]

code wars

everyday i do challenges on codewars.com

(i sometimes pronounce code [kod] wars funny like cold [kold] wars, and i don’t feel comfortable about it...)

as today, i just ranked up to 6 kyu.

and i was very happy about it.

code wars can be a bit annoying sometimes.

and sometimes i would just stare at the question, not understanding what exactly the challenge wants me to solve.

but it is still a good website to do challenges, keep you going, practicing.

and to be honest with you, ranking up does make me feel good.

sometimes i read other people’s solutions after i solve a challenge. and realized what a monkey i had been...

i would write so much when someone just simply solved it using two lines of code. and the best part (worst to me, being a monkey) is that...that two lines are easy to read!

it was nice to read others’ codes. and i learnt from that too. but i always rather to solve it on my own first.

and improve my code later on.

remember, JavaScript is your “tool.” you need to practice to use the tool to make something. it is also your “language.” if you don’t speak it, soon you will forget how to. just like my French.

i studied French from age 14-19,

not just few courses that i took,

it was 5 years of majoring French (language itself, and literature).

and i came to New York, and i forgot about French.

but at the same time, don’t forget to rest. rest as much as you can.

[onthewaytocode-blog]

you don’t know JS

as i’ve mentioned before, 

i was reading Eloquent JavaScript.

i found chapter 6 helpful, but really difficult for me to read through.

it is about object.

and somehow, object is my weakness...

after reading chapter 6 of Eloquent JavaScript for 3 days without any progress, i decided to try something else.

and that’s when “You Don’t Know JS” came in.

“this & OBJECT PROTOTYPES” is a book in this series.

by Kyle Simpson.

you can find the online resource here 

i normally read on the subway, on my way to work and way home.

so around 30 mins a day.

i read really slow, and i find myself not being able to focus after 5 pages.

so...

i plan to at least finish the book before 2/20. 

(yes, it takes a long time for me to finish reading a book.)

[onthewaytocode-blog]

how i learnt (and keep learning)

my husband first recommended codecademy.com 

he suggested me to start learning JavaScript if i want to apply to a coding boot camp, which was Fullstack Academy in my mind at that time.

i registered to codecademy.com, and did a few sessions.

but i had no idea what i was doing.

i was able to follow the instruction and write the codes.

but i did not understand them at all.

to me, it was copying others’ code allover again.

i had to find something else. i had to learn from somewhere else.

and one day, i got a deal-news email (yes, i subscribe to those, i love shopping and stuff going on sale is even better.)

courses on udemy.com are on sale!

all the courses are on sale for only $15. i had no idea that’s expensive or cheap.

so i watched a few free videos from a few courses.

then i decided, i would spend $15 on this one.

“JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts” by Anthony Alicea

i used Brackets (http://brackets.io/) for Mac and Chrome, as Alicea suggested in his videos.

i practice coding while watching the videos, that was helpful.

my opinion, $15 was well spent.

at least i finally understand a little about the “grammar” of JavaScript.

what is syntax, why there’s an error, put ; at where...etc.

maybe you can learn all that somewhere else for free.

but i like watching videos a lot...much much more than reading. (unfortunately)

so that was a good beginning to me.

then i went back to codecademy.com

and everything made much more sense.

i finished codecademy.com JavaScript course.

as Fullstack Academy admission page suggested, i should do some coding challenges from coderbyte.com

and i had no idea how to solve them. 

that was very discouraging, believe me.

i thought i learnt all those fundamental “tools” of JavaScript and i was ready to use them to solve some challenges. i was apparently not ready.

thankfully, my husband jumped in and helped.

slowly, i learnt how to use those tools and solve simple challenges.

but one important thing to point out.

i should not always ask him when i have a challenge that i cannot solve.

i should always try to solve it (try really hard), then Google it, then ask him.

if i started to depend on letting him teach me how to solve something, i will never learn to find out answers on my own.

and that is a very important thing. i need to learn to find answers.

sometimes i found the answers, but i still didn’t understand, then i would ask him.

having someone who is a software engineer in you life, but learn not to depend on him every time you have a problem about coding... that’s also not an easy thing to do. but i’m glad that i follow through.

i read Eloquent JavaScript chapter 1-4 (also was suggested by Fullstack Academy), and a book called JavaScript: The Good Parts (my husband gave me the book one day, didn’t say much, just left it on my desk, he knew i would know what to do.)

Eloquent JavaScript is a bit hard to read, but be patient and you’ll learn a lot from it. JavaScript: The Good Parts is much easier to read, but not as detailed i would say. you get the general ideas. both are essential to me.

remember that i said i don’t really like to read?

i still don’t, but reading these books really help a lot.

so i read them, still, reading them.

I am close to finish reading Eloquent JavaScript chapter 5, hopefully i can finish it on my way home today, while i’m on the train.

chapter 5 was recommended by Karen, the person interviewed me.

she was right, chapter 5 is good. 

oh, right, i applied to Grace Hopper Academy, and i just got the acceptance email yesterday. but let’s talk about that later.

the last thing.

right now, everyday i do codewars.com and freecodecamp.com, keep on practicing JavaScript (on code wars), and learn a little HTML and CSS (on free code camp).

one less important thing is...

i started to do all these in mid November 2015.

i have a full time job and i teach on Saturdays.

plus i cook, clean, play with my cat every night.

and i am a woman, just by the way.

[onthewaytocode-blog]

so i decided to...

before you start reading my blog, please note that i don’t necessary write in correct grammar or proper English. Only read it if you can bare with my “ESL”.   

i thought first i would talk a little about myself, but if i start from the very beginning, you might get drifted away.

yet, do i want you to read? i suppose at this moment, i actually do.

so, here.

spending almost 10 years of my life in the apparel industry,

i came to a point that i don’t see myself growing anymore in it.

i was unhappy for a good while, especially after my 29th birthday.

re-thinking about my life and future,

what do i want?

it is not a random decision to “try” learning to code.

my husband spent his good time in Fullstack Academy and found a great job.

but that’s also not a good reason for me to just learn to code “because of i want to have a good job.” (also, my current job isn’t bad, not excellent, but not bad at all.)

i have to find it interesting, i have to have passion about it.

i have to feel natural when doing it.

i thought of the time when i was making my own artist website.

yes, i was a student artist.

i didn’t like any of the templates, so i thought, what if i make one from scratch?

with design and art background, i know exactly what i want my website to look like.

and i happened to have DreamWeaver.

so i did some research and voilà! i did it.

i had no idea what is what, but by changing numbers and copying others’ codes, i ended up with a nice clean looking website that i was happy about.

i enjoyed doing it.

and that’s why i decided to learn to code.

by remembering that moment of joy, that proud feeling.

let me just give myself a chance, let me try.

and again, since “do, or do not, there is no try.”

so i dare to say, let me do it.