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Kevin Chau
5,874 PointsAre you simply having trouble with the JavaScript course? Lectures? Materials? Notes?
I want to know if the Javascript course is fundamentally flawed. I'm taking the Ruby on Rails track and have been blindsided by the lack of teachers notes and workspace interaction. I started with HTML and didn't feel lost at all and could work straight through it for hours. I took the ruby basics in one sitting, but the Intro to Programming and Javascript Foundations are not sticking with me. I've found them irritating and I keep finding myself returning to the video over and over again.
EDIT: Before I wrote that I was in Javascript Basics. It has been correct to Javascript Foundations
3 Answers
Gavin Ralston
28,770 PointsIn the Front End Developer track they added newer courses like JavaScript Basics
The courses you're looking at right now are pretty engaging, but I think if you're just starting out the ones taught by Mr. McFarland will be far easier to digest.
In fact, I might suggest looking at the Front End Developer series first, as the Rails course is going to increase in complexity rather quickly toward the end when you start building projects. It's worth doing, but I think you'll find the foundational stuff in the Front End series more helpful for other courses/tracks.
Kevin Chau
5,874 PointsMy mistake, the course I'm in is Javascript Foundations.
Gavin Ralston
28,770 PointsTake a look in the Treehouse library for the other JS courses if you'd like to stick with the Rails track for now. You can follow the JavaScript Basics one there, which both Robert and I agree would be a lot easier to digest. You can also look at the JQuery basics course, too, which may help to let some programming concepts sink in, too.
Kevin Chau
5,874 PointsI think I'll take a stab at the JS Basics course. This isn't my first time taking online programming classes, but repetition is good practice. Thank you!
Gavin Ralston
28,770 PointsI think you're making a good choice. It might be the "basics" but that's probably the best way to get down the syntax. I felt pretty comfortable with the Foundations series but, like yourself, it wasn't my first exposure to programming. :)
Robert Richey
Courses Plus Student 16,352 PointsHi Kevin,
I found JavaScript Basics to be a delightful learning experience and really enjoyed the teaching style and explanations by Dave McFarland to help me learn the material. But, I can sympathize with hitting walls - I do it a lot. My advice is to perhaps change focus to another topic for a while - help your brain switch gears.
Maybe try Python Basics taught by Kenneth Love, another teacher I really enjoy learning from. The idea here is that many programming concepts will overlap with other languages. The syntax is different, but you'll gain the benefit of having it explained in a way that may help when you decide to return to JavaScript.
Kind Regards
Gavin Ralston
28,770 PointsPython Basics is another great one.
The JavaScript lessons in the Rails track are still very helpful, but I can definitely see how some of the ideas in those courses would get in the way of truly fundamental learning of JS.
I also think the Front End Development track reorganizing will be helpful. The JQuery basics coming before the more tedious DOM traversal with pure JS could help a bit, too.
Robert Richey
Courses Plus Student 16,352 PointsI failed at understanding JavaScript for a long time until I learned jQuery - then JavaScript started making sense.