A Few Notes on Courses 
Published: 2019-03-23 19:12:56

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title: A Few Notes on Courses 
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![course sites](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/82kiy07levor3sgtb7cv.png)

** A post from my blog [My Web Development Odyssey](https://mywebdevelopmentodyssey.dev/a-few-notes-on-courses/)

In the next few posts I’ll be writing about materials I have been using and will be using to learn web development. Courses I’ve taken, what I’m currently taking, and what I will take. I’ll also write about books I’m reading and those in my queue. And other useful links and challenges. I’ll even have an interactive timeline from [Aeon Timeline](https://www.aeontimeline.com/) embedded that you can play around with to get a general idea of where I’m headed.

I’ve toyed around with Chrome’s developer tools on occasion before I knew what web development really was. As you might imagine, my early sessions weren’t especially productive. It did, however, lead to a secret, hidden desire to know what’s really going on in a web browser. This hidden desire led me to the web development section of courses on Coursera.

##Coursera

I’ve been a fan of [Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/) for many years. I’ve taken several courses across several disciplines using that platform. Coursera was introduced in 2012 by two Stanford University professors as a group of courses available to be taken from top universities by the best educators. In my opinion the best and most comprehensive. It has grown substantially since its beginning.

One day in November of last year, 2018, I perused the computer science and programming courses offered by Coursera. Specifically the web development section. I browsed all the courses and specializations available. A specialization is a grouping of courses centered around a topic. Besides a few blog posts elsewhere on the web, this was my introduction to web development.

[The Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization](https://www.coursera.org/specializations/web-design) is composed of five courses: 

* [Introduction to HTML5](https://www.coursera.org/learn/html?specialization=web-design) 
* [Introduction to CSS3](https://www.coursera.org/learn/introcss?specialization=web-design) 
* [Interactivity with JavaScript](https://www.coursera.org/learn/javascript?specialization=web-design)
* [Advanced Styling with Responsive Design](https://www.coursera.org/learn/responsivedesign?specialization=web-design)
* [Web Design for Everybody Capstone](https://www.coursera.org/learn/web-design-project).

I’ve finished and received verified certificates in all but the capstone project. Next month I plan to take that and receive a verified certificate. Which means I will have completed the entire specialization so I get a certificate for that too!

Most of the Coursera courses are free to audit, but require a fee per class or a monthly subscription to obtain verified certificates. Scholarships are available per course for those in need. This is how I was able to take the classes and receive the verified certificates.

All the courses in the Web Design for Everybody (Basics of Web Development and Coding) Specialization are from the University of Michigan and taught by the same professor. The Introduction to HTML5 and Introduction to CSS3 courses were an excellent introduction to front end web development. I found them to be informative and easy to follow. As was the same for Advanced Styling with Responsive Design.

However, I would advise steering clear of Interactivity with JavaScript.  The professor tried to cover too many topics in JavaScript without going into sufficient detail in anything. It was way too short a course. There was a measly five minute lecture on functions. The same pale introduction could be said for most major topics in JavaScript.  Students deserve better than this. The instructor starts explaining beginning concepts using the DOM, without sufficiently explaining what the DOM was. This course frustrated me to no end. There are so many much better resources out there for learning JavaScript, a few of which I’ll mention.

Coursera has many more web development courses and specializations covering the full stack, especially the JavaScript full stack. I’ve yet to decide whether or not I’ll take any more web development courses from Coursera.

##Udemy

The resources for learning web development are wide and varied. My current mainstay are a few courses from [Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/). Note! Make sure the courses are on sale before you purchase them. They can go as high as $200 but are usually on sale from $10 – $20.

I’ve completed the front end component to Colt Steel’s [The Web Developers Bootcamp](https://www.udemy.com/the-web-developer-bootcamp/), and am learning the back end of Angela Yu’s [The Complete 2019 Web Development Bootcamp](https://www.udemy.com/the-complete-web-development-bootcamp/). I’ll move on to Angela’s course's front end section when I finish the two JavaScript courses I’m currently taking.

Some Udemy courses are free, but you’ll often find those barely scratching the surface of the subject you want to learn. As I mentioned earlier, wait until the course you’re interested in purchasing is on sale. I’d say about 80% of the time the courses are on sale.

I highly recommend Udemy for getting a sound introduction to web development. As long as you are selective about the course you choose. Don’t pick just anything. Important things to look at include the ratings, reviews, and the number of students enrolled. Be sure to read plenty of thoughtful and meaningful reviews. Keeping these factors in mind will ensure you choose wisely.

Both of the full stack introductory bootcamps I’ve linked to give you a really good introduction to web development. More than that, they give you an idea where you should go next and what you might need to learn in more depth. There are a few JavaScript courses from Udemy worth mentioning:

* [The Modern JavaScript Bootcamp (2019)](https://www.udemy.com/modern-javascript/) taught by Andrew Mead

* [JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts](https://www.udemy.com/understand-javascript/) by Anthony Alicea

Even though Andrew’s pace in the Modern JavaScript Developers Bootcamp is too fast (IMO), in general he does a very good job at going over why things are happening the way they do. The course is very thorough. That being said, I’ve also been setback a few weeks because of what I believe to be un-intuitive approaches in some of his lectures. I’m partly to blame in my setback. Learning is a process and sometimes we need to adjust our methods.

Anthony’s JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts, though a few years old, is still an extremely valuable source for learning JavaScript. Tony opens up the hood and shows you how JavaScript works. This is the kind of teaching I really appreciate and respond best to. Taking this class alongside Andrew’s has been complementary and tremendously helpful.

Lots of people don’t care much for Udemy, but as for me, as long as I am mindful of the factors involve in course selection, it’s a Big Win. 

##Treehouse

Another source which I haven’t used much yet, but still may, is [Treehouse](https://teamtreehouse.com/). Treehouse is a subscription based learning platform where from anywhere from $25 – $90 a month you can learn many things programming related.

I’m currently taking a couple of courses on algorithms and data structures. I’m unsure how many courses I’ll take from Treehouse as I’m getting my foundational knowledge from Udemy. But, I would like to explore this opportunity.

NOTE! Check with your local library and see if they have any digital services to offer. These are almost always free with a current library card. Your library may help you get free access to Treehouse or even Lynda (another learning platform now owned by LinkedIn). Another Big Win!

##Final Thoughts

Searching blogs, youtube videos, ebooks (check your library for these too), and of course the structured online Udemy courses has so far been my approach to learning web development. As always, this is subject to change as I learn about more resources.

There are many more options for learning web development and programming. In future posts, I’ll talk in more depth about the courses I’ve taken and and am currently taking. I’ll also talk about other resources, such as websites, blogs, podcasts, books, and challenges.

I’m still setting up my resources page, so check there on occasion to view lists of my recommended resources. This blog is a work in progress and will continually improve. So please, hang in there with me!

How are you learning to code? Where are you learning or where have you learned the foundations upon which you will build or have built your education?