I think that the first step is the hardest one. I spent a lot of time thinking about which topic should be the first one to study, should I go for the low hanging fruit or for the most difficult topic.
There are so many interesting tools to learn, we live in an incredible time to be a software developer. Almost every part of our lives is now related to a software product in some way, so as programmers we can contribute so much.
Which will be the first goal?
I have decided to go for the freeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design Certification.
This program includes CSS, HTML and Javascript topics along with responsiveness, accessibility, and visual design concepts, so I think that I will learn a lot.
Why responsive web design?
I’ve been a Java developer since 2010, a full stack developer, but I consider backend as my strongest skill so I want to improve my frontend knowledge.
In the time that I have been in the IT industry, Javascript and frontend, in general, has changed so much, I still remember those days when we have to make Ajax request using the XMLHttpRequest object, then jQuery came in and changed the game. Now we have a myriad of frameworks and Javascript can run on the server.
Right now Javascript is a very interesting language with a vibrant community, it is worth it to dedicate some time to learn more about it and be up to date with the most recent tendencies, besides that, as Java developer I will be able to use this knowledge in my job and contribute more.
Why freeCodeCamp?
There are two big reasons for choosing freeCodeCamp as the resource for this endeavor:
- It includes the possibility to make a contribution to nonprofits: as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, developers can have a huge impact on people’s lives, so it better be a positive impact and if I can contribute while learning it is a win-win deal.
- It is free: Javascript is evolving really fast, in the past I have bought framework books that end up being obsolete very fast, freeCodeCamp is still being updated and it is free, so it is a great option.
Closing thoughts
I’m excited to see what I can learn and I will be able to create once I finish with this certification.
I will share with you my opinions and achievements with this course, hopefully, I can motivate someone to start this path.
Best regards, keep learning.