Time to CHECK-IN!
The last week or two have been a bit of a humbling experience
as PROJECT – GRIFFITH is concerned.
In my previous posting, I alluded to the idea that self-teaching
web development was akin to moving mountains with shovels in terms of difficulty. Well maybe that is an exaggeration, but one
thing that I am really starting to discover is that, the hardest part to self-education
is really starting and finding a way to hold yourself accountable to putting one
foot in front of the other.
Don’t get me wrong. The
realm of the “interwebs” is not a simple topic to tackle; which is why a good
developer is not yet a dime a dozen, and
also why there are so many articles out there about being able to communicate
realistic expectations with project managers, clients and non-technical
decision makers.
However, over the last two weeks I have been able to take significant
steps toward learning the fundamentals needed to be a developer. To provide a sort of CHECK-IN, here is what I
have done:
- HTML Intro - Lynda.com class entitled XHTML and HTML Essential Training with Bill Weinman
- HTML TAGS and ATTRIBUTES - Gathered from Mozilla Developer Network
- Evolution of HTML 4.0 to 5 and current standards
- Starting into CSS - Lynda.com class entitled CSS Fundamentals with James Williamson
More importantly though, here are the life lessons that I have
learn over the last week.
1 – Starting is the hardest part
I graduated from college in 2009, and pretty much
instantaneously found out I needed to supplement everything that I had learned
previously. This project, has been on
the wish list from that point. Four years later; I am finally taking the
initiative to get started.
And furthermore, I am holding myself accountable. This is a HUGE step.
Accountability is partially why I am documenting my progress
for you. If you are reading this, and
can’t Google my portfolio by the end of the year, I have clearly faltered
somewhere. I am giving myself rewards
for finishing my first website, getting my first client, and I am removing
simple luxuries from my life if I miss deadlines.
These are self-administered checks-and-balances, so if you
are considering any method of self-education I simply advise to get started and hold yourself accountable for
successes and failures.
2 – Talk to people in the industry
In my previous post I outlined a class structure that I was
going to use to develop my understanding of web development and its related
topics. However, as I reached out to
complete strangers through Linkedin, they began pointing me to brand new
resources and communities I had never heard of.
These are just a few examples, and they have already helped
me connect dots that I would not have otherwise. One caveat here is to not just follow every piece
of advice people have, including my own.
When I first entered into conversations on forums, I got both good and
bad advice, from professionals of a range of backgrounds and understanding of
my goals. It’s the research into these
pieces of advice that is the fun part.
Figure out what you want to listen to, and in the case of critical
comments, how you want to prove people wrong about your own ambition!
3 – Organize your education
We are talking about web here so get out your computer and
crank away at some code right??? Well,
to-each-their-own on this one. I myself
need to rinse and repeat, so here is how I have organized.
Even though I have some background in web design, I started
from page one. This allowed me to
review, and actually uncovered a few things I didn’t know before. I realized that things I was taught four
years ago are indeed outdated and no longer standard. I found new short cuts, and some basic
definitions finally clicked that I had once been told, “You don’t need to know
this right now.”
I not only typed out notes, but I physically wrote out every
html tag out onto a note card including lists of definitions, applicable
attributes and browser supports.
My goal is to not have to rely on templates and references
when coding. I want to be able to
hardcode from scratch and understand the difference and meaning of every
element that I type.
Personally, when it comes to HTML, staying on top of what tags and attributes are active and useful is the hardest thing to master.
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