My 2019 in Review
Tags: webdev, career, yearinreview
Published: 2019-12-31 11:50:48

This is the first time I'm doing a Year-end Review. Luckily, I made a 2019 accomplishment list so it was easy to think back what happened. In this post, I'm going to share what I've been doing organizing them by months. Time to look back and wrapped up my year! 😁

---

## January: A new beginning

### freeCodeCamp Survey Form

Although I finished the old front end development curriculum of [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/), I wanted to try out the projects in the new curriculum. So I decided to build the [freeCodeCamp survey form](https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/responsive-web-design/responsive-web-design-projects/build-a-survey-form/). Remembering that time, I was also trying out some functionalities like `tabindex`. [Demo](https://jorenrui.gitlab.io/fcc-survey-form/).

![FCC Survey Form](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ee0aw5hk5dq5n7h0xfzb.png)
![FCC Survey Form](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/pw884ata386orf6hl9ur.png)
<figcaption>
    Check out the <a target="_blank" href="https://gitlab.com/jorenrui/fcc-survey-form">Repository</a> on the development process.
</figcaption>

### Created an Instagram account

I've known Instagram for years but only used it this January. I just dump mostly my web dev journey or whatever I'm doing there.

{% instagram BsKrL4eAseh %}

<figcaption>
    <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsKrL4eAseh/">Wireframes</a>. My first Instagram Post
</figcaption>

### Been learning Laravel

Although I already know Code Igniter, I decided to go with Laravel for my capstone project. While we were on the system analysis and design phase, I decided to study Laravel. Also, I decided to make a prototype of our capstone project with it to practice what I learned. Traversy Media's [Laravel From Scratch Series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=EU7PRmCpx-0) and reading the [Laravel Docs](https://laravel.com/docs/6.x) helped.

---

## February: Writing

### Publishing my first blog post on DEV.to

Most of February was filled with school classes, researching, and learning some Laravel. In the last week of February, I decided to write a blog post entitled [My Web Development Process Part I: Design](https://dev.to/jorenrui/my-web-development-process-part-1-design-7l1). Of course, my motivation in writing it was the deadline. Lol it was a school requirement haha. We were tasked to create three blog posts. I decided to go with the topic that I am most fond of, web development. Also, I decided to publish it on DEV.to cause why not?

{% post jorenrui/my-web-development-process-part-1-design-7l1 %}

---

## March: SAD and Blog Posts

### Designed a Login Page

I was picked as a speaker for a seminar, a project requirement in school. I decided with a topic I am most confident with, web development. Mostly turning design into code. Though it didn't go that well cause I just realized that I got too many slides haha. Guess, lesson learned. Anyways, I started becoming more interested in web design.

{% instagram Buf11CIAtRh%}

<figcaption>
    <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Buf11CIAtRh/">Login Page</a>
</figcaption>

### Published two articles

This month I've been mostly focusing on the two blog posts. I published [My Web Development Process Part II: Code](https://dev.to/jorenrui/my-web-development-process-part-2-code-2c91) on March 04. Then I published [6 Ways to Deploy your Personal Websites / PHP+ MySQL Web Apps for Free](https://dev.to/jorenrui/6-ways-to-deploy-your-personal-websites--php-mysql-web-apps-for-free-4m3a) on March 20 which I didn't expect would receive a lot of likes.

{% post jorenrui/my-web-development-process-part-2-code-2c91 %}
{% post jorenrui/6-ways-to-deploy-your-personal-websites--php-mysql-web-apps-for-free-4m3a %}

### Passed the System Analysis and Design (SAD) Defense

After working on the blog posts, I then focused on the upcoming defense. Fortunately, my team and I were able to pass the SAD defense hehe.

---

## April - May: Teaching...

### Google Map Mobile App in Dark Mode

I started my summer break with designing a [Google Map Mobile App in Dark Mode](https://dribbble.com/shots/6298029-Travel-Map-Mobile-App-Night-Mode). Although this isn't the first time I created a mobile app design. The first one was when I entered a contest last two years (?). I decided to do some wireframes and prototyping using Adobe XD Beta.

{% instagram Bv6yjLFBeyY %}

### First time teaching

So here's the story, I was invited to go swimming by my hs friends. I impulsively said _yes_ but I realized I got no money. Yah hahaha sometimes I forget to think. So I decided to work as a Computer Instructor teaching computer fundamentals for a week. Although it was not my thing, I did enjoy traveling to different _barangays_ and meeting some new people. Teaching a variety of people, some of which are much older than me and some were younger, I learned to adjust my teaching methods based on who I'm teaching. Being polite and patient with the _mothers_, and getting along with the teens. After a week, I got some money to go swimming and some pocket money hehe. Yey party time! Also, April is my birth month.

---

## June - July: A month filled with designs and vector art

### Created some more designs

In June, I decided to create some more designs. I've designed a Profile UI Card in [Dark](https://www.instagram.com/p/BySXi5-ADD8/) and [White](https://www.instagram.com/p/BySX1iRA---/) Mode. Moreover, I updated my [logo](https://www.instagram.com/p/BySXsjiggIo/). The design for it was inspired by JavaScript.

{% instagram BySXi5-ADD8 %}
{% instagram BySX1iRA--- %}
{% instagram BySXsjiggIo %}

### Created some vector arts

July is a month of vector arts for me. To summarize:
* 07 Finished the [designs for the school website](https://www.instagram.com/p/BzmtZj7gT78/)
* 17 Finished a [vector art of my bf](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0CvaQNAhDB/)
* 20 Created a [new Instagram Account](https://www.instagram.com/jorenrui) to dump my vector arts and web designs
* 21 Finished [Skull Hayman Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0KPiy5Jupk/)
* 22 Finished [Tsinelas Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0N4bMKJUMJ/)
* 23 Finished [King Hayman Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QqutrpFUx/)
* 23 Finished [Pencil Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TYZ5IJsoe/)
* 30 Finished [Laptop and Mouse Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0i78XLHv4o/)

{% instagram B0QqutrpFUx %}

<figcaption>
    <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QqutrpFUx/">King Hay men</a>. Bow down to the King of Hay men.
</figcaption>

### GitHub Mobile App Design

One of the designs I've made unexpectedly got a lot of likes on Twitter. At the time of this design, there wasn't any official GitHub mobile app yet. Though by the end of the year, [GitHub for mobile](https://github.com/mobile) was announced. There's now an [iOS beta](https://github.com/mobile/beta?platforms=ios) of GitHub. You can also join the [Android Beta wishlist](https://github.com/mobile/beta?platforms=android).

{% twitter 1155029769617985536 %}

<figcaption>
    <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0acWUznJK1/">Instagram</a>.
</figcaption>

---

## August: Capstone and Vector Arts

### Made some progress with the capstone project

After finishing the website last July, I started working on the [school website](https://github.com/jorenrui/spccweb/releases/tag/v0.1). Then we had our Capstone Defense.

### More vector arts

I was still on the momentum of creating vector arts despite working on my capstone project. I was able to put out four vector arts:

* 06 Finished [Fire and Water Slime Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B00w_DSHNWj/)
* 22 Finished [Avatar Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1eGokTHdIE/)
* 16 Finished [Fire Slime Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OjtXbntft/)
* 12 Finished [Coffee Mug Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1EEBQkHaVW/)

{% instagram B1OjtXbntft %}

---

## September: Capstone and more coffee

### Focused on my capstone project

This month, I decided to focus more on my capstone project. It was a lot of work but I can see my Laravel skills improving.

{% twitter 1174395345356214272 %}

### Finished "JavaScript Grammar" by Greg Sidelkinov

Although I was working with PHP, I still wanted to sharpen my JavaScript skills. Mostly because I also wanted to learn ReactJS in the future. By this time, the author decided to give away some free pdf version of the book for a limited time. I was able to get a copy of it. You can buy the book [here](https://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Grammar-Greg-Sidelnikov/dp/1091212163).

Btw I've been also reading other books, it's just it isn't programming related.

---

## October: Thesis and ReactJS

### Thesis Defended

Though I did work on a [Keyboard Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3KPnh2HptF/?igshid=1xrj9zr3bbvrl) at the start of the month, I mostly ended up focusing on my capstone project. After so much hard work on my capstone project, my team and I managed to defend our thesis. I feel so proud of what I've created. Tho I feel kinda sad cause I guess I'm gonna part ways with it after. I kinda grown attached to it. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with it.

#### SPCC Portal

An electronic grading web application, integrated with a school website, built using Laravel and Bootstrap.

Well, I don't really know how to summarize this...

You can create a curriculum with it, create an academic term, create a class, enroll students to that class, assign an instructor to that class, then it will automatically create a schedule for the instructor (faculty load) and the student (enlistment) for the current semester. After the instructor has encoded the grades of the students, the system will take care of generating the grade slip for the student and fill up their curriculum with grades/transcript of records. So all the registrar will have to do is print the grades, after the instructor has encoded it. For the transferees, course creditation is included.

For the school website side, you can create events that will show in the homepage then create some blog posts.

Though there a lot of room for improvement, but my time is up. And I'm happy I'm done with it.

You might want to check out the [repository](https://github.com/jorenrui/spccweb).

![SPCC Portal](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/zzuw8iohdfukusga3abq.gif)

### Started learning ReactJS

This month I started learning ReactJS. I first tried out [ReactJS Course on Scrimba](https://scrimba.com/g/glearnreact). [Scrimba](https://scrimba.com/) is such a great platform to learn. The interactive screencast made it easy to learn. Moreover, I am grateful of Bob Ziroll (the instructor) for creating this. I learned a lot!

---

## November: Portfolio and Internship

### React Portfolio

After finishing a [Excalibur Vector Art](https://www.instagram.com/p/B4WkADOHXzI/), I decided to start working on my new portfolio. The first version wasn't mobile-friendly and I've been thinking of changing it for the past few months. Now that I have the time, I decided on working on it. I used ReactJS in building it as practice.

{% twitter 1195374993510551552 %}

<figcaption>
    <a target="_blank" href="https://jorenrui.netlify.com/">Version 2 of my portfolio</a>. The first version is <a target="_blank" href="https://jorenrui.github.io/">this</a> if you're curious. I made it last Nov-Dec 2017.
</figcaption>

### Internship

After finishing my new portfolio website, I started applying. I also decided to temporarily deploy my capstone project and made some design tweaks with my resume. With my new resume, portfolio, and my capstone project under my tool belt, I got the job as a Web Developer Intern. Also, I am so thankful for the Tech Twitter community. They've been so supportive 😊.

---

## December: Internship and ReactJS

### Internship

I'm really happy that I can decide at what time I can take my 2-hour break. So far, I learn about the [Meedo](https://medoo.in/) framework and did some AJAX. Though I still have a lot of hours to complete. I needed to complete 500 hours of internship.

### More ReactJS Frontend Masters

Using the [GitHub Student Developer Pack](https://education.github.com/pack), I decided to avail my free 6 months of Frontend Masters. So I've been studying more ReactJs on Frontend Masters. As of now, I've finished the [Complete Intro to React v5 at Frontend Masters](https://www.instagram.com/p/B5m2A7BATHj/) and [Intermediate React v2 at Frontend Masters](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6o19cxA7-g/).

---

After finishing my internship, hopefully, I'll be graduating. So a lot can happen next year. Anyways, till next time 😊.