How to Learn React for Newbies
Tags: react, codenewbie, 100daysofcode
Published: 2020-10-10 02:23:23

---
title: How to Learn React for Newbies
published: true
description: Suggestion on how to get started learning React for newbies
tags: react, codenewbies, 100daysofcode
cover_image: https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/fbrdlxp6ydtofhfa6rqr.jpg
---

And by newbies, I mean those with minimal to no experience coding in JavaScript.

[React](https://reactjs.org/) is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

##Prerequisite: JavaScript
As React is built on top of JavaScript(JS), it's crucial to understand the basics of it before learning React.

Also good to have is a decent knowledge about HTML and CSS. 

##How much JS to Know? 
JS has many versions and the one that's most relevant to us is JS ES5 and beyond. 

Here's a nice write-up on the important JS concepts to take note of before learning React by LogRocket:
[JavaScript concepts to master before learning React] (https://blog.logrocket.com/javascript-concepts-before-learning-react/) 

Do cross-reference the article against the following two repos on GitHub:
- [ECMAScript 6] (https://github.com/lukehoban/es6features)
- [33 Concepts Every JavaScript Developer Should Know] (https://github.com/leonardomso/33-js-concepts) 

If you prefer watching video tutorials, I highly encourage you to check out The Net Ninja's [Modern JavaScript (from Novice to Ninja)] (https://www.udemy.com/course/modern-javascript-from-novice-to-ninja) on Udemy.

I first found him on YouTube while trying to make sense of [OAuth] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sakQbeRjgwg&list=PL4cUxeGkcC9jdm7QX143aMLAqyM-jTZ2x) and I've been a fan since. [The Net Ninja](https://twitter.com/thenetninjauk?lang=en) has a way of making even the hardest of concepts sound simple. 

Not sure about the purchase? Check out the preview of [his course on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOYAxlnaww&list=PL4cUxeGkcC9haFPT7J25Q9GRB_ZkFrQAc) first. 

Once you’re comfortable with the concepts, you can begin learning React (yeay!)

##Learn React By Watching Videos

Colt Steele's [Modern React Bootcamp] (https://www.udemy.com/course/modern-react-bootcamp/learn/lecture/14376118#overview) was the one where all things React finally started to make sense to me. 

I have a few other React courses in my Udemy account but I had a tough time wrapping my head around the concept of JSX, props, state etc until I found Colt's course! 

Colt's [The Web Developer Bootcamp](https://www.udemy.com/course/the-web-developer-bootcamp/) is my favourite course ever so I didn't think twice before purchasing his React course when it was launched. Needless to say I was superbly pleased and grateful. :)

If you're pressed for time, you don't have to complete the whole course. My recommendation is to work on the following sections: 
- Section 1 - 15
- Section 17-23
- Section 32 - 33

##Learn React By Reading

Alternatively, if you prefer reading over watching videos, do checkout this awesome FREE course by the [University of Helsinki](https://www.helsinki.fi/fi) called [Deep Dive Into Modern Web Development]( https://fullstackopen.com/en#course-contents). 

The following sections will be most relevant for our purpose:
- Part 0 to 2
- Part 7

Do take note that this course is more fast-paced than Colt's course. I had good understanding of React concepts before I started on this course. 

What I liked best of this course is that it quickly brought me up to speed of React's new feature (at that time) called [Hooks](https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-intro.html). 

This course is also available in [Chinese](https://fullstackopen.com/zh) and [Finnish](https://fullstackopen.com/)/

##Recording your Learning Journey
As you learn, it'll be a good idea to push the code you write to [GitHub](https://github.com/). This will get you familiarized with using git and also serve as a record on what you’re working on.

Unfamiliar with git? Start here: [git - the simple guide](https://rogerdudler.github.io/git-guide/)

##Questions?

If you’re stuck while learning, don't forget to look for answers on the courses’ forums.

Another good place to look for answers is the website [stackoverflow](stackoverflow.com). 
 
If you do post a question on forums, I suggest that you do include the following information so that readers are more inclined to respond to your query: 

- What your issue is
- What you have done to troubleshoot the issue
- What you don’t understand or what you need assistance with

That’s all for now. Have fun learning!