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Ryan Nordyke
905 PointsShould I stick with a track or apply what I'm learning in a library course
I am several hours into the iOS Swift 1.0 track. I'm getting to the point where I'm forgetting things and getting a little bored. Would it be bad to take a detour and try to apply some of what I'm learning in one of the Build an App library courses? I really want to see results, even if it's small achievements, so I know that I'm growing and moving forward in learning app development. Any advice on this would be great
3 Answers
Jennifer Nordell
Treehouse TeacherI'd say go for it. You can always switch back! And there's nothing worse in programming than getting discouraged. It's the most sure-fire way to walk away from it. One thing about learning multiple languages and multiple ways of implementing solutions is that over time you'll see patterns emerging. While different languages may write things differently, a lot of the coding that's done follows the same logic.
For instance, I just finished a Node.js module here and then followed up with an Express.js. When I'd gotten done with the Node.js things were quite fuzzy. But when I did the Express.js some things that had been previously covered in Node.js suddenly clicked for me. It's those light bulb moments that you're after.
Hope this helps! And whatever you do, don't give up. That's never the answer
Jay Padzensky
4,731 PointsHey Ryan!
I've never been a fan of the word "should." Ultimately, you know yourself and your learning style best, so if you feel like you might get board simply following the track, do yourself a favor and start practicing outside of it. As Jennifer noted, boredom, complacency, and frustration tend to be the biggest reasons people walk away from coding. Do what makes you feel the best about coding and retaining/practicing your new found skills and you can't go wrong. Happy coding!
Ryan Nordyke
905 PointsThis is a huge help, and exactly what I needed to hear to pick me up and keep going. Thank you both.