Is Javascript really hard?
Tags: javascript, webdev, beginners
Published: 2021-02-12 13:41:07

   So, I just finished HTML and CSS courses, my instructors have given me a handshake, maybe a prize. I can make responsive sites, maybe not dynamic, but good-looking. I embark on my Javascript quest, what are these concepts? you know what? I will just do another language.

  I hear this a lot, being a beginner myself. First, Javascript isn't hard for f you commit to that mentality, sure, there are roadblocks here and there. But, like every other thing in life, it can be scaled. 

First thing to tackle, what are the things that create these thoughts? That's the first question to ask yourself. I will state some general ones I think makes all programming language, Javascript included, very hard.

First, lack of confidence and purpose, a lot of people start a programming language with no idea or goal, that is a self-created roadblock, instead ask yourself, what are you learning it for, your goal does not need to be a diary full of affirmations and beliefs, it can be a simple sentence. I personally, enjoy it as a hobby and a part time job, that's WHY I code, and I aim to improve people's lives no matter how little, that's WHAT I aim to benefit from coding. Yes, yours can be that simple or much simpler. 

Second reason as to why Javascript seems difficult to learn is scarcity of good resources and a lot of misleading data and information online. When I started coding, I was faced with this a lot, hindering progress and giving the language an overall sense of difficulty especially the latter. Choosing to go with a few sites and YouTube channel helped a lot, and as I went on it became easier. 

The third point is a continuation of the second, and that is Javascript becomes easier as you go along, if you learn well. How do you learn well? 

A few tips, first, never memorize code or code syntaxes, and yes, I'm screaming that sentence. Memorizing is far different from absorption and understanding, the first deals with the ability to keep data intact in your mind, the second is the ability to attribute anything to a real life object, or instance, and recall it at any point. The second thing is never be afraid be afraid to get adventurous, ask questions, get dynamic with that Javascript file, was it a to-do list you made? add a local storage and maybe a Timer and alarm, get creative, if your instructor adds one thing, add three, you will get very creative and better at Javascript and your ability to think outside the box will get better, trust me. My third and hopefully last point is don't let your instructor let you down, you don't have to be quoting him everywhere, to yourself or other people. True understanding is achieved if you can explain something in your own words to someone else and they can explain it back in their own words and it rhymes with what you learned or is even more explanatory. 

Leaving how to learn and going back to the main topic of the article, the fourth is fear of failure, we watch youtubers go through different languages and code well, no mistakes, and we think we can never be that good, first mistake is that short video with no mistake was a week of coding with bugs. The second is if you say you won't be good, you won't be, period. 

So, what can make you better, I will drop a few points in this article, and my one biggest helper is learn as if you will teach it in 6 months, yes, learn as if you will teach it, apply this to anything you learn or practice and watch your progress improve tremendously. When you learn with this mentality, you will find yourself subconsciously teaching yourself and subconsciously, you will believe you are getting better. 

Secondly, you won't go from a 'hello world' to a search engine with a Google sign in, practice makes perfect, don't have a project? Try to practice concepts even if it's one, for example, a little console.log project on destructuring, a project does not have to be a mega code block. Have fun on your journey, that's what counts, and never give up. Failure is not the end, Success isn't the main decider, it's the ability to rise again that counts. 

I will like to end this article at this point, thanks for reading, this subject is broad and I hope to write more on it in the future, drop your comments, I will love to hear your pattern of overcoming this obstacle. Thank you very much.