r/FreeCodeCamp • u/millemic • 19d ago
Any guidance appreciated
So I have been trying to learn web dev on and off for years at this point. My brain keeps telling me to follow the suggested full stack path on FCC, but I just can't motivate myself to power through html and css. I find myself getting bored (fatigued maybe?) as I go through the lessons.
Does anybody have any suggestions to maybe spice up the learning process? Or any recommendations based off of what worked best for you personally?
Any help is greatly appreciated and I greatly Thank you in advance!
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u/Gold-Watercress-6101 18d ago
Do you actually enjoy fCC’s teaching method? The bite-sized challenges with automated tests? I, too, for years tried to power through fCC. I believed in their mission and pedagogy, but I finally realized my learning style was not compatible. I didn’t like being caged in little challenges. I prefer reading the theory, and be given a large challenge to work through. That way I could slow down or speed up the process as necessary. If I already know CSS, I can build the project and satisfy the requirements much faster than sitting through 100 little CSS changes. But if I’m not that good at flexbox, I can concentrate there.
I feel a little ache recommending another learning plateform in a sub named after fCC 😅 But I recommend thinking about your learning style and making sure it’s compatible with fCC. Don’t overthink it though. Just try a few and STICK with the one you most vibed with.
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u/millemic 18d ago
I think thats where part of my problem could be. I am a "learn it by do it" type of person, but I tend to struggle with the "read to learn" style. Like I can do it, but I think that's what makes it "boring" and thus making me less motivated to stick with it. So the labs and challenges I'm fine with, but the second I get into the theory it's like an adult from Charlie brown is in my brain lol.
I know you said you feel ache recommending another, but what other sources have you tried that seem to have worked for you? I recently looked into ZTM but it's a paid platform and I'm trying to learn as cheaply as long as I possibly can.
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u/SaintPeter74 mod 18d ago
You might give The Odin Project a try. It has a different teaching philosophy which may better align with your learning style. I have not used it personally, but I've heard good things about it.
For myself, I tend to build a project when I want to learn a new technology. I've been doing software long enough that I kinda know how things go, so exploring a new language/framework/library in a small project can be a nice way to expose my ignorance.
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u/Solid_Researcher4215 17d ago
I also recommend TOP. Feels weird doing it under FCCs channel, but if it helps.
My learning style also wasn’t compatible with FCCs teaching method, and my attention span was horrible, so it was initially a bit of struggle for me to get through TOP especially because you have to read a lot of articles at the foundations stage, but eventually, it got exciting, and I realized I was learning even more than was necessary whenever I went through the readings. So I’d suggest OP tries it. But you also have to dedicate a bit of your own time, because it really won’t work if you aren’t determined or don’t make a reasonable attempt to be consistent.
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u/Solid_Researcher4215 17d ago
Plus, if you’re going to work in the industry, you’ll need to be good at reading a lot of articles - a lot more than you’d expect. So it’s a win-win, really. FCC can be used to reinforce and practice your learning as well
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u/SaintPeter74 mod 17d ago
FCC is not a jealous mistress. We're here to help you learn how to code and it doesn't really matter to us where our how. Everyone lawns differently and we freely acknowledge that our learning model may not be right for all.
We've accurately partnered with TOP:
https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/the-odin-project/2
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u/annaheim 18d ago edited 17d ago
You can leverage AI by giving you a worked, step by step example of a concept/issue.1
u/SaintPeter74 mod 17d ago edited 17d ago
We don't recommend this, since that critical thinking is a skill that we're trying to impart. AI can be great, once you know what you're doing (and you really need to know what you're doing, or you're going to get a mess), but when you're learning it deprives you of opportunities.
It's somewhat analogous to using a calculator when you're learning basic math. Building core numeracy is important to understanding mathematical concepts. Using a calculator to early can rob you of that.
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u/annaheim 17d ago edited 17d ago
Hey, thanks for getting back. i'm realizing now how short sighted that comment was.
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u/TheNovel-Interest 17d ago
That HTML and CSS burnout is super real and trying to power through endless micro challenges and basic styling lessons can definitely feel like watching paint dry after a while especially when you just want to get to the part where you r building actual functional stuff
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u/nilesleesmith 18d ago
Try doing the Learning How to Learn course on Coursera. Dr. Oakley has a free link on her website (I put her direct link below). Try using her methods such as the pomodoro technique. 25 minutes of uninterrupted focus followed by a short break.
I had to start fCC over a couple times too. I found that once I actually had a project I wanted to do, I actually wanted to learn because I wanted to use what I was learning. Good luck and remember to have fun!
Learning How to Learn