Looking back on the year - Dev Retro 2022
Tags: webdev, cybersecurity
Published: 2022-12-30 21:48:40

2022 was a big year in my programming journey filled with learning, teaching, and expanding my interests.

## **2022**

In the beginning of 2022, I started volunteering to teach Python to under-served students in New York with Coditum's partnership with Hudson Scholars. After a few months of teaching, Coditum made an additional partnership with the Goldeneye Foundation in Oracabessa Bay, Jamacia. I was asked to volunteer with this program, and I started teaching Python to under-served students from Jamaica.

Around this time, I became the editor-in-chief of my school's newspaper, and I decided to make a website for the newspaper. I wasn't sure what the best tool would be to make it, but I had a few ideas like using Notion as a headless content management system (CMS). A headless CMS is a backend-only CMS that is accessible through an API. I found Notion's developer Slack channel, which I joined and asked about my idea. I got an amazing response from someone who was in the same situation as me. Sam Catania, the current editor-in-chief of the Stanford Daily, got back to me and said he used WordPress to make the website for the Stanford Daily. He was super helpful and jumped on a call with me to show me how he built and manages the [**Stanford Daily's website**](https://stanforddaily.com/). I loved it, so I decided to use WordPress for my newspaper. You can check it out [**here**](http://www.theposnackpulse.com/).

I also started the programming team at my school and decided to use [**Codewars**](https://www.codewars.com/) to find problems for our meetings and work on them collaboratively. Codewars is great because instead of only having easy, medium, and hard, they have 8 different levels in the form of Kyu, or martial arts belts. If you have a Codewars account or would like to set one up for free, feel free to [**follow me**](https://www.codewars.com/users/AdamElitzur/) and I'll be happy to follow you back.

I took AP computer science principles last school year and got a 5 on the AP test (top 11%). This included making a group final project, and my group decided on a text-based adventure game. It was nice to collaborate with other students. This year I am taking AP computer science A, where I am learning Java.

At this point, I was getting really into web development, but I got stuck on CSS. I took [Colt Steele's Web Development Bootcamp](https://www.udemy.com/course/the-web-developer-bootcamp/) last year, which was great, but I felt like I had to do more. I found a great resource called [**Frontend Mentor**](https://www.frontendmentor.io/), which teaches web development through building real projects. I struggled through my first challenge, using their Slack server for help, but I finally got it.

My next challenges were easier, so I started coding more advanced projects, including responsive ones. Making responsive websites was my next challenge, but then I found a [**great 21-day free course called Conquering Responsive Layouts**](https://courses.kevinpowell.co/conquering-responsive-layouts) by [**Kevin Powell**](https://www.youtube.com/@KevinPowell/featured). This was very helpful in my understanding of CSS.

After making a few responsive projects, I got in touch with [Tyrell Curry](https://tyrellcurry.io/), a front-end developer who was looking to collaborate on a [**Frontend Mentor project**](https://www.frontendmentor.io/challenges/insure-landing-page-uTU68JV8). I learned a lot about collaboration from this experience and made a great, responsive website called [**Insure**](https://fm-insure-landing-page-delta.vercel.app/).

After this, I started learning React from a [**Youtube tutorial**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dorf8i6lCuk) by Academind, and then full-stack development with the MERN stack from this [**Youtube course**](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4cUxeGkcC9iJ_KkrkBZWZRHVwnzLIoUE) by The Net Ninja. The MERN stack uses MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js. I made a cool workout buddy full-stack application and learned a lot.

Last year I learned to touch type on the [Colemak keyboard layout](https://colemak.com/), which is more efficient than the standard QWERTY layout that was designed to be slow to avoid jamming typewriter keys. I learned Colemak on [TypingClub](https://www.typingclub.com/), which I recommend. After spending a while only using Colemak, I somewhat forgot how to use QWERTY. Therefore, in 2022, I relearned how to use the QWERTY layout so that I could still type on other people's laptops without Colemak. [Keybr](https://www.keybr.com/) was very helpful to relearn QWERTY as it uses your accuracy statistics to target the letters that are most challenging for you.

Recently, nearing the end of the year, I got in touch with a great programmer, [**Geoffrey Huntley**](https://ghuntley.com/), who was super helpful. I learned so much in one call, owning your own domain, servers and hosting, SSH, blogging, [**the IndieWeb**](https://indieweb.org/), and more.

This led me to buy my domain ([**adamelitzur.com**](http://adamelitzur.com)) and make a programming portfolio. I designed and coded my portfolio using AdobeXD, HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

![My portfolio's homepage](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1672370783736/03029773-8351-47e0-9cf1-aa73f20a3abf.png?auto=compress,format&format=webp align="left")

Searching more about the topics that Geoffrey Huntley mentioned led me to the cybersecurity Youtuber [**Network Chuck**](https://www.youtube.com/user/NetworkChuck), who I couldn't stop watching. I was captivated by the field of cybersecurity and decided to start learning with [**TryHackMe's Advent of Cyber**](https://www.tryhackme.com/christmas). I fell behind a little while building my portfolio and finishing up with midterms for the first semester of school, but I am excited to continue this course early next year.

I listened to a [**Ross Tech & Innovation Alumni Association talk**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Mms5iBVsc) by [**Dave Cole**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davecolela/), CEO of OpenRaven, which offers data classification for security. He mentioned the podcasts [**Security Voices**](https://www.securityvoices.org/) and [**Darknet Diaries**](https://darknetdiaries.com/), and the book [**The Cuckoo's Egg**](https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoos-Egg-Tracking-Computer-Espionage/dp/1416507787), which I started listening to and reading. They are great and it's hard to put them down.

## **Next Year**

I'm excited to continue to improve my web development skills with React, get better at teaching, and learn as much as possible about cybersecurity next year. Next school year I am taking a cybersecurity course that leads to a [CompTIA Security+ certification](https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security). I am also going to start blogging regularly, which is exciting.

Please add a comment with the areas that excite you the most or with any questions and I'll be happy to expand on these further.

Happy holidays!