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Neil Anuskiewicz
11,007 PointsNext step after I complete the Frontend Dev Course?
I work in a technical role at a tech company but one that doesn't require much coding beyond the odd bit of HTML or CSS here and there. I'm happy with my work but I've long wanted to learn to code as I've felt I've not really understood software fully and coding seems a route to increasing that understanding. My practical goals were soon displaced by the realization that coding is actually fun! So I want to learn more.
I expect I'll finish my Frontend program within a couple months and will be ready to learn more but want to have some goals, maybe I could get good enough at this to create interesting things whether through present or future work or even just side projects that are useful to others. Once I started learning programming, I groked for the first time how much work has gone into creating web-based utilities that do everything from return DNS zone file information to returning recipes that fit a certain criteria. It's fascinating and I'd like to contribute something something useful.
Anyway, though I know very little about it, I'm drawn to learn Python next after I complete the Frontend program, though the main application at my work is Ruby on Rails framework on the backend and Javascript et al on the frontend, so I had thought'd I'd start in on that next but for some reason, my gut tells me that learning Python would be more fun and more immediately (within months of starting to learn it) useful.
I'd love advice on what my next step should when I've completed Treehouse's program? I'm open to all suggestions, including those that have nothing to do with what language I learn next as maybe that's not even the best next step to immediately jump into a fresh course like that. Thanks.
Neil
2 Answers
jason chan
31,009 PointsYou have to do personal projects. You can't just finish the track. You can try the javascript full stack track afterward. Pick up photoshop and illustrator from the design track. More and more javascript.
Or you can give mobile app dev tracks a chance.
Javascript gets pretty deep. OOP, MVC, functional, ES6, async javascript. Probably takes several years to master javascript alone.
Python is backend django. HTML, CSS, and Javascript is front. But javascript can be back because of node, express, and mongo.
KEEP IT MEAN.
It's ruby, then ruby on rails. Ruby is the core language. Rails is a framework. You'll see the difference in a few months.
Neil Anuskiewicz
11,007 PointsHi Jason, thanks for your input. You make a really good point. I'm so focused on finishing the course that I've neglected the most important part, which is to apply the learnings to some real projects! Thanks for the reminder. I guess I get distracted by shiny objects and all the cool stuff I could learn on treehouse.
Anyway, I'll take your advice and dig a bit deeper on JavaScript, get some things done with it, maybe learn node.
I know about Ruby vs. Ruby on Rails. The company I work uses Rails as the framework here, which is perhaps a reason I should put learning it on my list. That said, I'm more interested in Python for some reason. I think I need to forget about these other languages and frameworks and focus on learning and applying the Frontend stuff, then maybe the answers will come to me on what I should learn next. Maybe in a few months or so or maybe it's a year.
Neil Anuskiewicz
11,007 PointsI've got to focus on the track but my mind keeps wandering to projects I could do, etc. It's hard to do self directed learning. You have to stay focused! Well, I do! No teacher saying stay with it, no don't think about that other language named after a snake, no don't get up for a snack yet again.
BTW, what do you mean by KEEP IT MEAN?
Neil Anuskiewicz
11,007 PointsJason, I want to keep it MEAN (Mongo, Express, Angular and Node), however, now I'm curious enough to at least take a look at the Ruby language and the Ruby on Rails framework. I might start the Ruby course and start the Ruby language course and the Rails Track. It's probably not ideal to start and not finish things but I don't know if I want to get too deep into this and forget about my plan to keep it MEAN!
Neil Anuskiewicz
11,007 PointsJason and Mike, I'm proud to be able to report that I've 100% completed the Frontend Dev track and feel proud of that. I agree that I now have to do some personal projects. It's great as I traveled down to headquarters of my company and the devs showed me the source code for what they were working on -- it's Ruby on Rails but still I could at least follow the code and understand, which was fun.
One of our devs told me I should make a database (SQL) course next on my list and a couple of the devs suggested I take the Ruby language and Ruby on Rails framework. We're a Ruby on Rails shop and these were backend devs I was talking with. Our company does have Frontend Devs too, I just happened to get into a discussion with some of the backend devs. I really like developers. In general, they seem to be very smart, well rounded, interesting people.
Mike Hickman
19,817 PointsMike Hickman
19,817 PointsHi Neil,
To answer your question, pretty sure Jason is saying "keep it MEAN" as in, using the MEAN stack for development. This is made up of Mongo, Express, Angular and Node. Do a little research into it and see if this is a stack that would benefit you. There are lots and lots (and lots) of videos, blogs and tutorials on it.
Good luck with your learning!
Mike