Stop using freeCodeCamp as your only resource, it burned me for 2 months

I spent 8 weeks grinding freeCodeCamp thinking I was actually learning JavaScript. Got through like 80% of their curriculum and felt pretty good. Then I tried to build a simple to-do list app on my own and completely froze. Couldn't write a single function without looking at their examples. Turns out they spoonfeed you so much that you never actually learn to problem solve. I switched to The Odin Project and within 3 weeks I was building stuff from scratch by myself because they make you figure things out. If you're just clicking through lessons and copying code, you're wasting your time. Has anyone else hit that wall where you realize you didn't actually learn anything?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiew531mo ago

That 80% completion actually covers most of the JavaScript basics though.

-1

ward.jamie1mo ago

Start looking at it like building a deck. You can frame it, lay the boards, and hammer the nails and you get a solid 80% of it done. But that last 20% of sanding, sealing, and fixing little gaps is what makes the difference between a good deck and one that survives a Michigan winter without rotting. Getting the basics down gets you started, but the hard part is learning how to handle weird errors and making things actually work right.