CODE | PROGRAMMING | STUDYBLR

I find a lot of interesting and enjoying things in life. But, besides all the natural stuff, I really love to code, study code, watch other people code. So, this is my blog all about.

[vladcpp-blog]

End of the 1st week!

This week was full of learning. I’ve been struggling to keep myself focused on HTML and CSS only this week so I can properly develop the syntax in my head. But, I’ve also put my hands on some Javascript/JQuery. 

As a first impression, this is exactly how I thought it would be: annoyingly easy in the beginning. I ran through all of the tutorials on HTML and CSS and even on most part of the beginning in Javascript(due to my C/C++ experience). In the end, I made a break and started some projects and here is where the hard part comes in. I’ve completed one project using only HTML and CSS, but now, on my second project(in which I have to build a portfolio page) I really have some issues. Nevertheless, I’m not stoping, I seem to like web dev for now so I’m gonna continue, especially when I get to backend and DOM manipulation(which involves actual programming, the thing I’m actually very good at xD).

Things I’ve learned this week:

HTML - basic syntax

CSS - basic syntax

CSS - Bootstrap

JQuery - access elements/basic usage

Javascript - basic syntax, not involving DOM manipulation

Tutorials completed:

Codeacademy - Learn HTML, Make a website

FreeCodeCamp progress: HTML5 and CSS, Responsive Design with Bootstrap, JQuery, Build a Tribute Page - all completed

Code School - Try GIt

SoloLearn - HTML

Goals:

Complete the FreeCodeCamp bootcamp - I really like their style and the fact that they make you do projects, which actually take a while for a beginner web developer.

Start THE WEB DEVELOPER BOOTCAMP by Colt Steele - I am very excited about this bootcamp. I heard many good things about it and dargaCode, whose web dev resources on GitHub helped me a lot and still do, also took it.

Continue to do projects - This is obviously the best and, imo, the only way to learn programming/web dev. I also have a friend who’s working as a front-end web dev and he actually accepted to give me some projects and review my code, which is a big plus and motivation.

[vladcpp-blog]

Starting off!

So it’s been 3 days now and things are going pretty well.

I’ve started to read darga’s entire blog again to build up some motivation and get some more resources for my studies.

Notes:

-> Is Git & GitHub worth learning this early on? In his blog he states that he “should’ve learned much earlier” so I started to learn from CodeSchool’s Try Git course. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the point of it, although I work very much and I am pretty confident in my skills with the Terminal. Also, he always commited his projects from diff websites(like Khan Academy) to GitHub. I don’t really see the point in that because these projects are, in my opinion, too easy and brainless to put them there(maybe I don’t have a correct perspective on GitHub tough..)

-> This week is mainly focused on HTML & CSS. My coding/programming skills are showing off, especially in this introductory courses and I’m going through them very easy and fast. I’m currently taking courses on multiple websites such as CodeAcademy, Khan, Free Code Camp and I will make a summarize post at the end of the week.

[vladcpp-blog]

Preparing for my first official developer job!

I’m currently a student, learning about CS & programming. I feel that I’ve reached a level where I am confident about my programming skills so that I can apply for jobs. So this is my objective. At the beginning of this summer I want to begin my professional career as a software developer. I mainly plan to get a job as a game programmer, but any programming job will do as I am eager to further develop my skills and see how the market is.

In order to be 100% prepared for interviews, I’m starting a few things:

- Reading “Cracking the Coding Interview” by  GAYLE L. MCDOWELL and taking notes;

- Challenges on HackerRank;

- Challenges on CodeWars;

At the end of every week from now on I will post my progress.

I have 5 months ahead until the beginning of summer.

[vladcpp-blog]

3rd Chapter - Done!

Main topics I studied:

IF - ELSE statement;

Loops (while, do while, for);

More data types (mainly pointers);

Conversions(Casts);

Logic operators(&&, ||, ^, &, |, !).

Chapter 2 Quiz(30 mins, 10 questions):

 I like that they are getting much harder from one chapter to another. Still easy.

Chapter 2 Assessment(45 mins, 20 questions):

  Like the quiz, it gets a lot harder and complicated. This one put my mind to the test. Like 90% of the questions were “what’s the output of this code?” so I had to process every line in my head.

Nothing new this time.

[vladcpp-blog]

2nd Chapter - Done!

Main topics I studied:

Floating point numbers (float);

Arithmetic operators(binary +, - | unary +, - | ++, – | /, *, % );

Char data type;

printf() | scanf().

Chapter 2 Quiz(30 mins, 10 questions):

  After the last chapter I was somewhat disappointed because it was too easy. But this one was much better, I actually made a mistake at one exercise. Overall, a satisfying quiz which, again, focused on the important stuff.

Chapter 2 Assessment(45 mins, 20 questions):

  I was kinda scared from the last chapter but this was much better. The exam had many “what does this code do?” type of questions which really puts your mind to work. I’m beginning to like it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t learn anything new aside from what I already knew. Or should I say “fortunately”?

[vladcpp-blog]

1st Chapter - Done!

   As I imagined, I went really quick through this one. No difficulties at all.

Main topics I studied:

• Languages, difference between natural and programming languages;

• Compiler;

• What’s a header file and a brief about functions;

• Variables, focusing on the int data type.

Chapter 1 Quiz(30 mins, 10 questions):

   It was easy, comfortable and I liked that it focuses on the main things which you should master after reading the course materials.

Chapter 1 Assessment(30 mins, 10 questions):

   Big disappointment here! The questions and their order were EXACTLY the same as the quiz. I hope this is an individual case and is mainly due to the fact that this chapter is not such as relevant to the C language as it is about languages and programming in general.

Things I didn’t know before:

(After going through this chapter I decided to add this new section to my posts. This emphasizes the fact that you can always find out new things!)

-> Adding “0″ in front of an int will act as the octal value;

                int a = 0123 means that a = 83.

-> Adding “0x”/ “0X” in front of an int will act as the hexadecimal value;

                int a = 0x123 means that a = 291.

-> Some compilers don’t allow nested comments.

[vladcpp-blog]

My first post!

   So, this is it.. my first serious encounter with blogging. Why “serious” ? Because I had some failed attempts in the past but this time.. THIS TIME I want to succeed and when I say that I mean it. So, this time I made a list with everything that motivates me to start a blog and the final objectives I want to achieve through blogging:

1. Keeping track of my progress

    I want this to be a “studyblr” oriented type of blog. For many years I watched other people doing this and I strongly believe it is a very good way to keep track of your studies, to see how far you went and so on.. Of course, for that to happen, I need to remember to post.

2. Acknowledge this progress

   Everyone has eventually struggle with this. You wake up one day and you feel like you don’t know shit about the field you are in, or you are tired of it or you think that you reached your limit in learning. The fact is that this a temporary feeling and maybe, just maybe, by reading the journey of this blog I’ll be able to confront it easier.

3. Improve my english

   Damn.. we all know this language is a “must-have” in any field. I am not a native so by writing in english, I hope to be more fluent and even think in this language.

4. I want Tumblr to act as some sort of a database for my projects

   When I eventually start some big projects on my own, such as making a game, I want to have a dedicated space where I can describe the process and talk with other people about it.

What is the real motivation to start a blog?

   In the past, I found that I always failed to maintain a post routine due to the fact that I didn’t know what should I write about.. I mean, I was learning some C programming, but I was too lazy to organize the things I was learning so I can make a post on Tumblr out of it.

   This time, I will really struggle not to be lazy. For organization purposes, I want to start something from scratch so I can post an entire activity from A to Z.