My Journey through Javascript: The Struggle is Real
Tags: beginners, javascript, inspiration
Published: 2018-09-12 18:18:41

---
title: My Journey through Javascript: The Struggle is Real
published: true
description: An overview of what I learn as I learn Javascript
tags: #beginner #javascript #inspiration    
---

Sorry for the delay in posting. Class has ramped up the last two weeks and my work and social life have also been hectic, so blogging fell to the way side. 

I want to take a break from the normal JS post and give a little inspiration for anyone that may be struggling like I have been the past few weeks. Learning something new is hard, learning a new <em>language</em> can be even harder. 

Two weeks ago we started creating our DOM manipulation libraries (don't worry there is a blog post coming soon about this topic) so that our JS files we have been building would actually work dynamically. At first it all made sense and then the struggles rolled in. Linking our dom library to our html file. Referencing our dom library in our JS file. It was all very overwhelming and I couldn't get my head above water no matter how many times I heard it. For the first time on this journey, the thoughts of giving up began popping up in my head. Not just once, but on a daily basis. But I kept telling myself it will all fall in place soon. I would pull out my laptop code some and then test some, and no success or forward progress was being achieved. I was stuck and very frustrated. I knew I couldn't give up though.

So here's how I overcame the frustrations...

1. <strong>Reach out to your peers</strong>: Most students in my class are struggling, and some of them have mastered it. I found peers that were making progress, but had not mastered it yet. I wanted to figure it out with them, not just have someone give me the answers. So we put our heads together and made some progress together. We helped each other learn and understand by putting together what we knew and understood individually. 

2. <strong>Reach out to someone you know in the field</strong>: Don't be afraid to ask friends or acquaintances for help. Most of them will welcome the opportunity to taut their skills and help you. Plus, they have been doing this for years now and can offer a different perspective than what you have learned from others in class. They also generally know how to debug programs which is an added bonus when learning from them. I learned a lot of new tricks for debugging through a friend of mine. Gather all the knowledge you can from whomever you can. 

3. <strong>google, google, google</strong>: I know it may be daunting to google these concepts, but the more you do it, the more you find resources that you can rely on. Whether it be a blog community like Dev.to or more structured like w3schools, finding resources you understand are so valuable. Not sure what to google? Check out this helpful guide to learning search engine best practices (http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1315437). 

4. <strong>Don't be afraid</strong>: Throw fear out the window. IT IS OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP!! If you are stuck ask someone for help. If they are judging you for asking for help find someone else. Anyone that is judging you is not looking out for your best interest or theirs. If they can help you, they are helping themselves by reinforcing what they already know. Plus, they are making you better and you will be able to help them one day. Conversely, don't be afraid to help others. We are all on this journey together and need help some times. 

5. <strong> Never give up</strong>: I know it may be frustrating at times. I know it may not seem worth it at times. Just remember, you can do it. You are learning an entire new language and it's okay not to excel at it when you first start. Things will start clicking and the lightbulb will turn on. It may take time, but the more you talk to people the more times you hear it and can link concepts together to help turn that lighbulb on. 

Lastly, remember this. You are doing this to better yourself. Anytime you have started on a new journey for self-improvement it doesn't come easy. It takes adjustments and it takes commitment. Don't give up and keep pushing through. 

Until next time :)