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Dalton Walsh
9,635 PointsWhich Tech degree? Front End Web Development or Full Stack JavaScript?
I'm working at an agency as a Junior Front End Dev but we only do HTML emails here which are easy but boring.
I want to learn more to get a more challenging job with more money.
The problem is that I already know basic HTML/CSS and a bit more advanced HTMl/CSS but no javascript/Wordpress/PHP.
I just dont know if the Front End Web Development degree will be worth it if i'm only going to learn most of what I know now?
Does anyone have any more information about what is actually taught and what projects you have to complete on the course?
Thanks, Dalton
4 Answers
Ryan Dudley
Treehouse Project ReviewerI will try to give some insight the best I can, hopefully this gives you a better idea of what you can expect (at least in the Front-End Degree.)
This degree has a good mix of HTML/CSS and JavaScript. It starts out with basic css/html, using some of the same courses found in the non-techdegree front-end track. So if you have already completed these courses prior to signing up for the techdegree, you are not required to re-do them. You simply have to complete the project to show your understanding of the concepts, and can move on from there. This might reduce the time it will take you to finish the degree, and save you a bit of money in the long run.
That being said it also has courses within the degree for adding interactivity to these concepts you probably already know, using JavaScript / jQuery and jQuery plugins. Later on in the track there is also a section for AJAX and Gulp.js so I would say there is a decent amount of JavaScript related content to be learned in this degree as well, although it may not be as extensive as the fullstack javascript degree.
This degree tries to balance between basic interactivity and design/layout. They teach stuff like creating SVG's and animating them with CSS. They also teach Front-End performance optimization and using CSS preprocessor's like SASS to enhance your workflow, as well as stuff like creating HTML video and audio players. This is complemented by the various JS/jQuery/AJAX/Gulp courses, which although they are not advanced courses like you would probably find in the full stack degree, are still informative and useful.
I guess my suggestion would be, if you want a good combination of design/layout and basic js/ajax/gulp the front-end degree is a great place to start. However if you wanted to shift your focus more on adding interactivity and going into more advanced JavaScript topics, then the fullstack degree might be more suitable.
Sorry for the wall of text, but I hope this helps!
nnuxiragwh
10,345 PointsHi guys,
TeamTreehouse is the place that helped me to land my current job.
I'm thinking about doing a Tech Degree with TT, and from what I've read so far (Ryan's comments - very useful, thank mate) advanced JS would be more suitable for me.
I'm quite confident with HTML and CSS, work with JQuery alot. At this point in my career (about 1,5 year of exp.) I would like to focus on improving my JS skills. I want to transition to a mid level front end dev. within the next 6 months. My main interest is OO JS and JS frameworks. What I need the most is a mentor, someone who would guide me, do a code review, point me in the right direction. If anyone is doing the full JS degree and would like to share, I would appreciate it alot :-)
Thanks, Tomek
Frank Stepanski
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 1,565 PointsHi
I am thinking of joining the full stack javascript track. Feel free to contact me via twitter @frankstepanski. We can code together :)
Javier Fasciano
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 11,499 PointsHello
I am thinking of signing up for a tech degree but undecided . I understand more HTML/CSS since joining treehouse basic plan and going through the tutorials, but now I wanna dive in on a tech degree and was wondering if I should go for the front end web one or the full stack .
Thank you.
chrissean
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 6,380 Pointschrissean
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 6,380 PointsWow thank you for your answer on this. Im really looking toward signing up for the tech degree. Just curious, how have you seen your programming skills develop since you first started, and how were your skills before you started? Thank you!!
Chris
Ryan Dudley
Treehouse Project ReviewerRyan Dudley
Treehouse Project ReviewerNot a problem at all Chris! To answer your question, when I first started the degree I had been on Treehouse for a little while, about a year or so, mostly CSS/HTML. However I always found myself taking elongated breaks and by the time I got back to it, I had forgotten a lot of what I had previously learned. The degree helped me keep at it so to speak, and really take it seriously.
It is one of those things that the more time you spend on each concept, the better overall you become. I try to practice each concept until it's almost second nature. I really believe that taking things slow and not trying to rush through the content is hugely beneficial and really helps solidify the concepts, however that is just my personal opinion! I feel it lets me focus more on what I want to do, and less on how am I going to do it.
I think the biggest progress I have seen in myself is the troubleshooting aspect, and using the tools they teach to figure out my own unique problems. This in turn usually causes me to stumble across new things I didn't know before, and progress my knowledge even further. They do a great job at teaching you the right way of doing things.
They provide a lot of good resources, like the project system with mentor feedback. Also, the slack channel where all the students share things they have learned along the way, and help each other out. They teach a lot of useful skills and if you practice them by building your own practice projects, you really learn how to translate these skills into your own ideas and build some pretty cool stuff!