“3 n00b tips for new JavaScript Developers”
About a week into our JavaScript lectures, a classmate in my cohort asked an instructor: “What is the coolest thing you can do in JavaScript in 15 minutes?”
The instructor responded: “JavaScript? 15 minutes?….. Cry… Crying is about all you can do with JavaScript in 15 minutes.”
After a brief period of laughter, we quickly realized that this was a harsh truth. Whether you are new to programming, or have past experience with other languages, JavaScript can become very overwhelming as you start to dive in. In this blog, I will list a few approaches I took to tackle the JavaScript portion of our Software Engineering course, after me too personally being curled up in the fetal position crying in the shower many evenings.
1) console.log(everything)
Yes, you read that right. Log…. EVERYTHING. Do not underestimate the power of developer tools. Use the built in “debugger”. It is very important to understand YOUR code in JavaScript, even with some programming experience. JS can be very daunting, especially if you come from a background in languages like Ruby, which has a lot of rules and conventions in place, making it much easier to debug and follow. Every JavaScript developer is different, and has a different way of doing things. This is why it is important to code “line by line” instead of “function by function”, especially when starting out. You are going to want to understand what every line of code does as you go, to further cement the concepts that you are learning and applying. This rule goes even if you are following a code-along or project tutorial. Understand the code…. or you can quickly find yourself completely lost, with no end in sight, and no idea where to begin when debugging your issues.
2) If you can think it, you can say it.
And if you can say it, you can type it. This concept is actually a skill. A skill that a lot of developers are either lacking, or don’t know how to tap into. If you have a question, and you can think about how to ask that question, just type the damn question into the search bar…. Google. Is. Your. Best. Friend.
The MDN documentation for JavaScript concepts and implementations is incredibly informative and extensive. There is also an INSANE amount of community support for JavaScript whether its through Stack Overflow, blogs, technical forums, etc. Chances are, if you can’t figure out the problem through the MDN documentation alone, there is someone out there who has had the same question as you, and the exact solution is posted for you to literally copy and paste. If you still aren’t quite sure why your solution is working, refer to my first tip above ^^^^.
3) You suck. Embrace it
And not only do you suck, you will never be good. Just accept it. If you think you are good at JavaScript and you understand the language, well, you’re just flat out wrong. Thinking that you are going to become a “JavaScript Master” or something is such an unrealistic goal to set for yourself, and can come with some pretty serious adverse effects. JavaScript can quickly and easily send even the most talented programmers spiraling into the never-ending abyss that we call “Imposter Syndrome.” Once you start to get into your own head, it can get much harder to get out of it. I will say it again: take things slow. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Slow and steady wins the JavaScript race. You will get the job done. It wont be pretty, but at least you won’t be pulling your hair out along the way. Unlike many other languages, there are multiple ways to code the solution you are looking for. So do what works for you, do your best to understand your code, finish your project, and then run as far away from this programming language as you can.
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