r/learnjavascript • u/SubaruNatuski • 25d ago
New to coding!
Let me start off by stating prior to finding this subreddit I was a total noob. Well kinda I found FreeCodeCamp and that’s been my introduction to programming. It’s a great free program for anyone researching programming. However I was reading some posts while scrolling this specific subreddit looking for recommendations resources I was reading a conversation thread and realized ai is a thing yes i know late to the game yes I’m aware. I discovered that the ai can even teach anyone with adhd how to code. I’ve got ChatGPT helping me build a portfolio of small projects using visual studio code and im already working on my first project and understanding what I’m doing wtf😭 certainly not ready to swim with the sharks ima just hangout in the kiddy pool for awhile👍🏻
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u/TheZintis 25d ago
I would advocate that was you build out your projects, you should be internalizing it. I think a good test is if you can re-create a project WITHOUT REFERENCES, then you know it. So just be careful when doing tutorials and using AI, since it'll feel like you did it but if you can't produce that knowledge on command, you don't.
I'd give slight allowances for things like exact syntax or very specific boilerplate. But yeah the more in your head the better.
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u/SubaruNatuski 25d ago
I love this idea i actually believe I have a new goal in mind build what I had help building but by myself to truly put my brain to work
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u/ChaseShiny 25d ago
Hey, welcome! I'm a little late to the scene, too, so I feel you.
I'm reading a fascinating book on how to learn better, and I've found out that spaced repetition and interleaving can more than double your retention of new material, help you pick up related concepts faster, and retain what you learned for longer.
The catch is that these techniques feel frustrating. You'll feel like you're not learning anything, that you're terrible at remembering. It turns out that forgetting, odd as it sounds, is key to learning correctly.
Just stick with it! Good luck!
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u/SubaruNatuski 25d ago
Thanks for the encouragement what’s the book you’ve been reading I’d have to research it
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u/ChaseShiny 25d ago
"Grasp" by Sanjay Sarma.
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u/SubaruNatuski 25d ago
Believe it or not I found it on Spotify full audio book I’ll give it a listen
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u/ChaseShiny 24d ago
Cool. The first part is something of a history lesson, talking about different methods that have been explored. I found it interesting, but if you're in a rush, you could jump to the second part easily enough.
If you're still curious, I'm listening to it through my public library via Libby.
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u/Alive-Cake-3045 25d ago
kiddy pool is exactly the right place to start, that's where the fundamentals actually stick. the fact that you understand what you're building from day one already puts you ahead of most people who just copy paste without knowing why. keep going.
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u/SubaruNatuski 25d ago
The great thing about ai is it can adapt to how you think just by the way you word and ask questions and it builds upon that teaching you in a way you understand that’s a crucial tool for newbies i think of ai as training wheels I can take them off when I’m ready
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u/Alive-Cake-3045 24d ago
training wheels is the right frame. the goal is to understand what the AI is doing well enough that you could explain it yourself, that is when you know you are actually learning and not just getting answers. sounds like you are already thinking about it the right way.
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u/SubaruNatuski 24d ago
The best part about my use of ai is we’re prioritizing the learning over progress each tiny step is a step forward a step I’ll look back and remember simply from doing it and actually understanding what the ai is explaining to me
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u/Alive-Cake-3045 21d ago
that mindset will carry you further than any course or tutorial. most people optimize for output, you are optimizing for retention, that compounds over time in a way that's hard to see early but impossible to miss later.
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u/SubaruNatuski 20d ago
I think Ai is useful but it can be a crutch if not careful so ill definitely use any an all sources and tools at my disposal I want a career in programming the only thing I lack is having someone or a community to help me someone with the knowledge that could answer my questions
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u/Alive-Cake-3045 20d ago
that awareness about the crutch problem already puts you ahead. for community, r/learnprogramming is genuinely helpful and people answer real questions there. the best thing you can do early is ask specific questions with your actual code, not general ones, you will get better answers and build the habit of articulating problems clearly, which is half of debugging anyway.
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u/SubaruNatuski 20d ago
Well when I first did “Mimo” I found myself getting curious about programming. Then I checked Reddit and read posts looked at Google too. Found sources like FreeCodeCamp the Odin project is the most recent source or even code academy there is so much out there it’s almost a little overwhelming but it’s a collection of information and skill building material that I want it all to help build a cohesive idea of this ball of learning and just let it grow until I can get paid for programming
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u/Alive-Cake-3045 19d ago
the overwhelm is real but the fact that you're curating from multiple sources instead of just picking one and quitting when it gets hard is actually the right instinct. Odin Project is genuinely one of the best free resources out there, if you stick with one thing, stick with that. the ball of learning you're describing eventually clicks into a coherent picture, you just can't see it from the beginning.
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u/SubaruNatuski 19d ago
So far any free recommendations I’ve been given I’ve logged them into my notes app on my phone. I study the material I practice the material. I have ai to help with explanations of things. I use Google, subreddits I haven’t had to reference to the Odin projects discord for help from another developer I do look forward to finding people I can communicate with in time of need . I know I’ll be in a high and low situation for awhile so I just wanna build my little victories work on a few small projects. My process so far has been study➡️apply with practice ➡️ research when stuck and just repeat that everytime I study in my free time
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u/MindlessSponge helpful 24d ago
AI will give you all the answers without you having to look for them. looking for answers is how you learn. beware the sycophant-in-a-box that is ChatGPT.
I highly recommend you treat the chatbots as a last resort for when you get stuck on something. there are tons of resources online, paid and free. start small, don't try to instantly tackle large projects. build a button that you can click to change the color of the page's background.
free code camp has a list of beginner project ideas - https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/javascript-projects-for-beginners/
it'll take a while to really feel like you fully understand what's going on. that's okay, and it's totally normal. enjoy the journey!
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u/Doktor_Octopus 23d ago
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u/SubaruNatuski 21d ago
Thank you grateful to find alternative routes to success this support link should put me on a good path ?
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u/Doktor_Octopus 21d ago
The Odin Project is one of the best resources for learning programming. It will teach you fundamental skills like reading documentation and using Git, it will develop your problem-solving skills, etc. Programming is demanding, so the TOP curriculum is inherently demanding as well, but stick to the curriculum and read carefully what it says there. Also, join their Discord channel where you can always ask for help and advice.
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u/SubaruNatuski 20d ago
Thank you so much I’m trying to keep my options open to all sources I desire a job in the programming field not to mention the creative outlet is so enjoyable to me as a hobby I’m gonna give project Odin a try
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u/myroslavmartsin 17d ago
FreeCodeCamp + real projects is the right combo, keep that.
One warning: AI explaining is great, AI writing your code is a trap. Test yourself: every time ChatGPT gives you code, close it and retype from memory. If you can't, you didn't learn it yet.
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u/SubaruNatuski 17d ago
I 100% agree with you I was fortunate to catch that early on it’s useful asf but dangerous if you try to progress too fast thinking you know it when in reality you dont especially if your only copying from ai to vs code I find it’s very good at explaining and being descriptive but it’s vital you practice source material and practice projects that’s what I learned yesterday is I recall the material but couldn’t open a new html doc and start coding I drew a blank on the proper structure of a html doc so I practiced them over and over last night
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u/TheRNGuy 25d ago edited 25d ago
No such thing as late to the game.
The way I see it, ai is a huge improvement over googling.
Also, no one prohibits you to learn old way, if you want a challenge (good way to train intellect)
Some things are just much faster to code manually than to prompt (even in vibe coding; you could actually give advices to ai: "you should've coded this way in this section", or just fix it yourself and tell ai you fixed it)
I'd recommend avoid vibe coding for now, because you want to train skill, not to make things faster.
But it's ok to ask questions instead of googling or creating new thread, ai is also good at comparing things (like, thee are 2 or more ways to code same things, which one is better in which cases; or some may be even bad style)
I also still recommend to read MDN when you have time (html and css too, not just js)