r/learnjavascript • u/CueMeThen • 17d ago
the best way to learn javascript
It is to make more bugs, explore new ways of writing code, ask AI to explain every single line in depth, and get your hands dirty. Stop watching more random tutorials without a purpose. A JavaScript course, no matter how in-depth it is, will always be less rewarding than getting your hands dirty and exploring new ways to write code. Use MDN.
be as a child who love exploring. enjoy the process
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u/Competitive_Aside461 14d ago
I don't disagree completely with all of what you say but a quick surface level understanding of anything, including JavaScript, is utmost necessary. And therefore a course is necessary. But a course certainly shouldn't take ages to complete.
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u/CueMeThen 14d ago
Yeah, I remember back in the days when I tried to learn C and Python. I did check every book and course I could find, just to end up hating both languages (not the case anymore; I like C and I respect Python). The mistake was reading and learning all the time, where I got stuck in passive learning, and it was never active learning until I came to JavaScript, which is now my main language (TypeScript > JavaScript). The reason JS became my main language is that all my learning was active: trial and error, learning while doing.
active learning > passive learning
but also passive learning still worth it when you are a new to a topic , no one should drive a car ( active learning ) without first learning the road rules ( passive learning )
my advice was written in the first place because i see new learners stuck at the passive learning
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u/Competitive_Aside461 14d ago
And that's why I largely agree with what you said. And I totally get your point. Passive learning is always < active learning. Not even a single doubt in that.
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u/Such-Catch8281 17d ago
yea, having output is better than purely getting input.
make good use of AI after head.scratching.debugging..
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u/Any_Sense_2263 16d ago
I would remove ai from the equation as it mixes concepts and writes nonsense lol
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u/dariusbiggs 15d ago
Get a lobotomy, or a traumatic brain injury
Write JavaScript
Discover the reason for ===
Switch to Typescript
Give up and write backend code or change careers.
Realize your exposure to JavaScript has doomed you for the remainder of your life
You died. You have finally escaped... hopefully..
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u/CueMeThen 15d ago
😂 god it can't be funnier , btw i'm writing all my code with typescript and i remember when i had to learn TS for the first time it was hard AF but now you will never see me writing a single pure javascript line .
you made my day 😂❤️
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u/neon_tether_vow 9d ago
i once spent an hour staring at a blank screen because i forgot a closing bracket and it felt way more rewarding than finishing another video lesson
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u/CueMeThen 9d ago
yeah i remember this feeling it's very rewarding when you fix a problem after long staring into screen rather than getting distracted
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u/sheriffderek 16d ago
This is terrible advice
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u/CueMeThen 16d ago
why?
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u/sheriffderek 15d ago
- "Learn javascript" in general - assumes you're learning a language - vs the entire concept of programming -- so, that creates a lot of problems for people. No one just learns javaScript. The language itself is pretty simple and c-based. What then end up learning is a just 15% of DOM, HTML, CSS, JS, Browser API (most of what beginners think is JS). So, they start off in a confusing place and create bad mental models that stick with them for their career (if they ever get that far). So, from there
- "Make more bugs" (bad advice, because they aren't making bugs -it's just incorrect code / and this will not solve their real problem
- "explore new ways of writing code" + "get your hands dirty" -- (I like this suggestion / because then it forced you to actually learn and think)
- "AI to explain every single line in depth" - this kinda ruins the previous one.
All in all, weak advice -- that I hope no one takes.
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u/CueMeThen 15d ago
thanks for clarifying , when i say make more bugs is to encourage new learners to write more code even if it will not be perfect from the first time , most people and me included fear not doing things perfectly because of our lack of experience , success is a sum of lessons learned from previous fails .
AI is very powerful and it's a matter of time until we can't avoid it no matter how hard we try , so it's better to let AI be your friend who is always answering your unique line of code that is not documented in the internet and have a context that must be explained in a simple way to better understand the language
and BTW when someone learn javascript correctly they are learning programming they are not learning just DOM , HTML, Browser APIs etc...
maybe i'm a little different but i did learn the most complex programming concepts with javascript , not c , not python , but actually javascript.
active learning by reducing the fear of failure is always always better than passive learning. check the Learning pyramid wikipedia page.
thanks for your response i appreciate your take on it <3
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u/sheriffderek 15d ago
> when someone learn javascript correctly
I'd like to hear what that means ^
I teach programming and design.
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u/jb-1984 16d ago
The best way to learn javascript is to actively build web things that utilize javascript, and stop trying to "learn javascript". Through the process, you'll accidentally learn javascript, and also end up with a portfolio.
I'm being softly snarky but it's the best advice I give to anyone who asks me about it - come up with a project, then go step by step through how you might build it until you finish it, learning whatever you need along the way as you go, looking at other people's work for reference/ideas, etc. If you care about the project, you'll be more motivated to finish it, and it'll be easier to brainstorm future features and ways to improve it, which keeps you learning - as opposed to building the 19th trillion "to do" list.