Dateline 4-30-2016

Just yesterday I was explaining that one of the reasons I switched my focus from learning web development to searching of a second job was due to the fact that I struggled a bit with the action script programing languages.

I'm fine with the design coding because you can visually see what every line of code does but when it comes to languages like Javascript and PHP everything happens behind the scenes so it was hard for me to past the concepts and really see what is happening with the code. This left me feeling like it was going to take a lot longer to learn this new trade than I initially planned. 

Part of the problem was, the very first class that I took was an all encompassing web development class and even though it was a beginners class there was far too much new information to be able to master it all.

I think problem is the wrong term though because I was able to follow along and make it through the entire course with some pretty solid finished project pages. I also now have a better idea of how everything works together and courses I need to take to improve areas where I am not a strong.

Yesterday I completed a stand alone Javascript for beginners course and started a course focused on PHP. Both of these courses broke the programing language down to the simplest terms I now I have a way better grasp of what I am actually doing and rather than just following along with the instructor, I'm beginning to find that I can finish some of the assignments without any guidance at all.

That said, I think I took the classes in the right order. I think, if I didn't have the more advanced projects in my mind from the full web development class I wouldn't have a reference to understand how and where I would use these simple samples.

Granted, I'm still nowhere near being an expert but I do feel much more confident moving forward. I now need to finish the PHP course and then I'm going to start a different all encompassing web development class to see how much I've improved.

I really hope that coding becomes a second language to me some day. I would love to be able to just sit down and build websites with the same stream of conscious approach that I use in my writing. 

As always, I'll keep you posted on my progress,

- The Wicker Breaker