A Little Closer to Becoming a Full-Stack Developer (or Bald, Probably Bald...)
Tags: devjournal, 100daysofcode, webdev, codenewbie
Published: 2021-08-04 08:12:05


### Documenting My Journey From Waitress to Full Stack Web Developer:
<a name="https://dev.to/mariullom/documenting-my-journey-from-waitress-to-full-stack-web-developer-1ec5">Post 1</a>

###Update 2###
When I first decided to post about my journey a couple of weeks ago, I fully intended to update that journey daily, or at least every couple of days. Somehow or another a couple of weeks have come and gone, and I am just now updating my *devjournal* (sigh) definitely was not my intention. I am awful. [Can you tell I have commitment issues??] 

Honestly I was so busy finishing up my summer semester of my computer programming degree, when I wrote my first post it was a couple of days before final exams. I'm still not sure how I managed that. Since my classes ended I have spent everyday coding at least one different website. I have coded landing pages, interactive websites, product pages, e-commerce pages, and **abandoned** probably 17 portfolio projects. I started out originally wanting to create my portfolio, then create different mockup websites, applications, random projects to add to my portfolio. *News flash* It did not happen that way. What **really** ended up happening was:
- Browse the web, github, codepen, dribble, for inspiration. *[I've never made a portfolio before.]*
- Find a few I really liked, decided I wanted my portfolio to follow the same general concept. 
- Code 95% of my portfolio, and **HATE** it.
- Trash that portfolio, find a new direction.
- After trashing 5 different portfolio designs for the day, I'd finally move on to a random project. 
- I'd create some random made up business, create a user story, draw up sitemap, and wireframe, make a website/page I was super happy with. 
- Feel **super confident** I could now made said portfolio into something I was at least *half* satisfied with.
- So I'd go back to the drawing board.
  1. Scour the web for ideas.
  1. Find a bunch I was happy with.
  1. Only this time, I'd end up with 7 *different* Chrome browsers open, each one having **so** many tabs you can't even see when you opened another one. 
  1. Get angry because now of course I can't find anything.
  1. I've ended up so far off my original task, I would then be watching random cat videos, and before I *knew it* **4** hours have come and gone and I have accomplished absolutely nothing. 

#### Moral of this part of the story, I haven't made it any further in my journey to full stack web dev. 

<*At this point I am not even sure if I would be considered a Website Developer. Does making codepen and vs code projects that I publish to github solely for myself classify me as a "webdev?"*>

##### Someone please answer these questions for me.
1. Why is it that I can come up with a concept for literally *anyone* else other than myself? I am able to create random business websites for people that do **not** exist, but my page started being hosted about 2 weeks ago and it still isn't even live.
2. Is anyone else's computer files in shambles? I have made a conscience effort to keep all of my files fairly organized but somehow they ended up in shambles. 
2. How do *you* **organize** your files? How do you maintain said files? 
3. Does anyone have information they'd like to share on apache, PHP, and TypeScript in general? 
3. Do you feel like **helping** out a newbie?? 
4. If you are a freelancer, do you have to really *niche* down to the types of websites you want to focus on creating? 

![Face palm](https://i.ibb.co/tKg4HT9/Meme-s-Facepalm-Meme-Decal-768x768.jpg)

I know I **need** to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, because I want to start freelancing, but that is most certainly not going to happen without getting my website going. 

#### Has anyone heard people in WebDev talk about tutorial hell?
I suppose coding in general people get stuck there. I'm stuck in something similar, but different. I know I want to freelance, I know I want to develop and design websites/webpages. I know the things I need to do in order to achieve those things, but I *start* then jump around so much, I waste hours upon hours *doing things* that I guess **could** be productive if they were finished, just to realize at the end of the day I haven't even gotten halfway through step 1. 

#####I need a mentor, a teacher, or maybe and authoritarian? 
I've have looked at multiple different internships, and freelance jobs, where people are asking for really simple builds/designs. I know I could easily do them, maybe even better than what they originally envisioned. I know I would enjoy the work I am doing, and it would also help business owners, or companies. **Win-Win** situation right? You can't get there though if you don't take the first step. In *this* particular case that would **have** to be a portfolio right? 

##**Why can't I finish the most basic task??** 
If anyone has any advice, wisdom, or guidance anything would be appreciated. If anyone has spare time and would like to help me brainstorm and come up with a plan to help me stop this **extremely** counterproductive habit I have somehow started within the past couple of weeks, I would be forever grateful. 

###If you took the time out of your day to read my rant that really had no particular point, and probably was the total opposite of what you expected then you are my **hero**.