It’s the last episode! I’m sharing the biggest lessons I wish I knew when I first started learning to code, and also what’s still to come on the Start Over Coder journey. My Parting Advice 1. Set a clear goal from the beginning It’s the lesson I keep coming back to (as discussed in  episode 13,  episode 49, and episode 50): it’s a lot harder to get where you want to go if you’re not sure where that is. Setting a clear goal about what you want to accomplish (and by when) is the most important step, both for learning new tech and especially for switching careers. Granted, if coding is new to you, it can be difficult to set realistic goals—you just don’t know what you don’t know. In this case, I’d say set short term (like 2 weeks or 1 month) exploration goals to learn as much as you can about one topic in a set time frame. At the end, decide if you want to keep learning it or move on to something else. Also, no. 3 below can help you work on your goals as well! 2. Build actual projects While tutorials and code-alongs are great for getting introduced to a topic, building something on your own from scratch will be a much more effective way to have that topic sink in for most people. It’s also through building things from scratch that you can see just how libraries and frameworks can quickly solve problems that you would otherwise code from scratch. What kind of project? For me, I found it the most rewarding when I built something that I actually wanted to use myself—think about what that might be for yourself and then build it! If you want some more ideas, take a look at the freeCodeCamp curriculum or the (somewhat overwhelming) lists below:  800+ Project Ideas Build Your Own X  3. Work with other people from the beginning I’ve noticed a huge difference in my learning progress since I started getting other knowledgable programmers involved. First, they’ve helped me figure out what to work on next and how to approach my goal setting. Second, working with other people on coding projects—first in person and then as part of Chingu—has accelerated the speed with which I pick up new skills dramatically. Third, interesting opportunities can come of it, like job prospects or access to special events. And finally, it’s just nice to have someone to vent to or commiserate with occasionally about the frustrations of coding—encouragement from someone who knows your pain can be great! 4. Teach someone else what you know This may be hard to wrap your head around even once you have years of coding experience behind you, let alone as a beginner. But to learn something new, you really only need a teacher who is a few steps ahead of you in the process—why can’t that teacher be you?! I released  a previous episode about the personal benefits of teaching someone else, and also how you can go about doing it yourself. 5. What to learn? Keep it basic and go deep One of the biggest conundrums when I first started learning was what I should actually learn. Which language? Or should I pick more than one? (Answer: no!) Which framework should I pick up? The short answer to all of these questions: pick one thing and go deep. It will be difficult to shut out all of the noise from many corners of the internet pulling your attention away from that one thing, but try hard to stick with it. Then, once you know that thing well, add to it. What’s Next for the Start Over Coder Despite this being my “parting advice,” I’m not stopping coding or actually going anywhere! Though the podcast is coming to an end, my main goals (check out episodes  two and  four to hear about them) are still very much in play. You can listen to the episode from about 16:15 to hear what’s coming up in the immediate future, and keep in touch for future updates by:  subscribing to the podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts signing up for the SOC mailing list following me on Twitter and/or Instagram (Direct Messages are open if you want to get in touch) emailing me at startovercoder at gmail dot com  Show Links:  CodeNewbie podcast season 3, ep 8 - Colleen Schnettler Episode 70 — First Real Life Dev Meeting Grace Hopper Celebration freeCodeCamp  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/075, tweet me @startovercoder, or visit the SOC contact page to email me directly.

It’s the last episode! I’m sharing the biggest lessons I wish I knew when I first started learning to code, and also what’s still to come on the Start Over Coder journey. My Parting Advice 1. Set a clear goal from the beginning It’s the lesson I keep coming back to (as discussed in <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/013-my-learning-plan-learning-to-code/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> episode 13</a>, <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/049-lessons-from-a-year-in-coding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> episode 49</a>, and <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/050-learning-plan-2-0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 50</a>): it’s a lot harder to get where you want to go if you’re not sure where that is. Setting a clear goal about what you want to accomplish (and by when) is the most important step, both for learning new tech and especially for switching careers. Granted, if coding is new to you, it can be difficult to set realistic goals—you just don’t know what you don’t know. In this case, I’d say set short term (like 2 weeks or 1 month) exploration goals to learn as much as you can about one topic in a set time frame. At the end, decide if you want to keep learning it or move on to something else. Also, no. 3 below can help you work on your goals as well! 2. Build actual projects While tutorials and code-alongs are great for getting introduced to a topic, building something on your own from scratch will be a much more effective way to have that topic sink in for most people. It’s also through building things from scratch that you can see just how libraries and frameworks can quickly solve problems that you would otherwise code from scratch. What kind of project? For me, I found it the most rewarding when I built something that I actually wanted to use myself—think about what that might be for yourself and then build it! If you want some more ideas, take a look at the <a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">freeCodeCamp curriculum</a> or the (somewhat overwhelming) lists below: <ul> <li><a href="http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Category:Programming_Tasks" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">800+ Project Ideas</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/danistefanovic/build-your-own-x" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Build Your Own X</a></li> </ul> 3. Work with other people from the beginning I’ve noticed a huge difference in my learning progress since I started getting other knowledgable programmers involved. First, they’ve helped me figure out what to work on next and how to approach my goal setting. Second, working with other people on coding projects—<a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/030-building-a-web-app-from-scratch-with-a-group/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first in person</a> and then as part of <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/073-discoveries-chingu-umatrix/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chingu</a>—has accelerated the speed with which I pick up new skills dramatically. Third, interesting opportunities can come of it, like <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/071-first-freelance-work/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">job prospects</a> or access to special events. And finally, it’s just nice to have someone to vent to or commiserate with occasionally about the frustrations of coding—encouragement from someone who knows your pain can be great! 4. Teach someone else what you know This may be hard to wrap your head around even once you have years of coding experience behind you, let alone as a beginner. But to learn something new, you really only need a teacher who is a few steps ahead of you in the process—why can’t that teacher be you?! I released <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/015-4-reasons-to-learn-by-teaching-and-how-to-do-it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> a previous episode</a> about the personal benefits of teaching someone else, and also how you can go about doing it yourself. 5. What to learn? Keep it basic and go deep One of the biggest conundrums when I first started learning was what I should actually learn. Which language? Or should I pick more than one? (<a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/022-should-i-learn-more-than-1-language-at-once/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Answer: no!</a>) Which framework should I pick up? The short answer to all of these questions: pick one thing and go deep. It will be difficult to shut out all of the noise from many corners of the internet pulling your attention away from that one thing, but try hard to stick with it. Then, once you know that thing well, add to it. What’s Next for the Start Over Coder Despite this being my “parting advice,” I’m not stopping coding or actually going anywhere! Though the podcast is coming to an end, my main goals (check out episodes <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/002-why-learn-to-code-for-financial-independence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> two</a> and <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/004-what-is-financial-independence-where-to-start/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> four</a> to hear about them) are still very much in play. You can listen to the episode from about 16:15 to hear what’s coming up in the immediate future, and keep in touch for future updates by: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">subscribing</a> to the podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts</li> <li>signing up for the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC mailing list</a></li> <li>following me on <a href="https://twitter.com/startovercoder" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and/or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/startovercoder/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> (Direct Messages are open if you want to get in touch)</li> <li>emailing me at startovercoder at gmail dot com</li> </ul> Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/how-to-learn-to-code-when-you-have-no-time-and-money" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CodeNewbie podcast season 3, ep 8 - Colleen Schnettler</a></li> <li>Episode 70 — <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/070-real-life-dev-meeting/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Real Life Dev Meeting</a></li> <li><a href="https://ghc.anitab.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Grace Hopper Celebration</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">freeCodeCamp</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/075-the-last-episode/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/075</a>, tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>, or visit the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC contact page</a> to email me directly.

075 - The Last Episode! (Possibly 😋)

In this episode I’m answering listener questions…ask me anything! The questions I answer in this episode are:  What kind of laptop to you use? —Ellen What was the coding school that rejected you in episode 48? —Karl Do you think you’d ever start a new podcast, maybe focusing more on financial independence with a few updates on your coding? —Erica What life is like in general for someone living abroad? Do you ever get home sick or was it easy to meet new people? —Erica What was/has been your favorite part of living abroad? Would you like to make the move permanent or just a few years? —Erica Any podcast recommendations? I know you mentioned Second Career Devs and I’m now a big fan of that. Not even just coding ones, but what are some others you enjoy? And what made you start the podcast vs just blogging? —Erica What is your perception of the job market for entry level frontend web development jobs? —Alex It’s my current plan to build a solid portfolio and apply for jobs online, but I wonder if that route has become so competitive that it’s not a realistic way to land a job anymore. As you said, it’s so saturated on Upwork that they turned you down(?!) —Alex I know that meet-ups/networking is important, but it’s hard to prioritize that stuff since it would take up a lot of time that I could use to work on my coding skills. How do you decide how to prioritize these two aspects of the job hunting process? —Alex In pursuing financial independence, for us self supporting folk, is coding the best route? Also, is there any threshold to transition completely to a self learning or school route or just to keep at it an hour or so a day? —Krista If you had $1000 to spend, what would be your top resources? I have tried Udemy (Colt Steele and others), FCC, Learn XYZ the Hard Way, Treehouse, Udacity, community college, and am struggling with information overload… —Krista It seems that web dev, computer science, mobile, data, and security are really all their own things. Is it best to be a generalist or only focus on one? —Krista Any idea on how long to really be job ready at the hour plus a day? Is it really like Gladwell’s 10,000 hours or Norvig’s 10 years? —Krista With limited time, is it best to do tutorials/learn or just go build? —Krista  Show Links:  Recurse Center My Podcast Picks Radical Personal Finance: My Podcasting Equipment, Workflow, and Lessons Learned From 200 Episodes Radical Personal Finance: Thirty Podcasting Lessons Learned From 300 Episodes and 2,000,000+ Downloads freeCodeCamp Podcast: Ep. 28 - How to land a six figure job in tech with no connections freeCodeCamp Podcast: Ep. 32 - How you can start a career in a different field without experience Start Over Coder Episode 63 on prioritizing networking events  Start Over Coder Episode 30 on the super-productive group coding project I did Start Over Coder Episode 33 on how to practice well 100 Days of Code    Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/074, tweet me @startovercoder, or visit the SOC contact page to email me directly.

In this episode I’m answering listener questions…ask me anything! The questions I answer in this episode are: <ul> <li>What kind of laptop to you use? —Ellen</li> <li>What was the coding school that rejected you in <a href="http://localhost:4000/048-coding-school-rejection/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 48</a>? —Karl</li> <li>Do you think you’d ever start a new podcast, maybe focusing more on financial independence with a few updates on your coding? —Erica</li> <li>What life is like in general for someone living abroad? Do you ever get home sick or was it easy to meet new people? —Erica</li> <li>What was/has been your favorite part of living abroad? Would you like to make the move permanent or just a few years? —Erica</li> <li>Any podcast recommendations? I know you mentioned Second Career Devs and I’m now a big fan of that. Not even just coding ones, but what are some others you enjoy? And what made you start the podcast vs just blogging? —Erica</li> <li>What is your perception of the job market for entry level frontend web development jobs? —Alex</li> <li>It’s my current plan to build a solid portfolio and apply for jobs online, but I wonder if that route has become so competitive that it’s not a realistic way to land a job anymore. <a href="http://localhost:4000/071-first-freelance-work/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">As you said</a>, it’s so saturated on Upwork that they turned you down(?!) —Alex</li> <li>I know that meet-ups/networking is important, but it’s hard to prioritize that stuff since it would take up a lot of time that I could use to work on my coding skills. How do you decide how to prioritize these two aspects of the job hunting process? —Alex</li> <li>In pursuing financial independence, for us self supporting folk, is coding the best route? Also, is there any threshold to transition completely to a self learning or school route or just to keep at it an hour or so a day? —Krista</li> <li>If you had $1000 to spend, what would be your top resources? I have tried Udemy (Colt Steele and others), FCC, Learn XYZ the Hard Way, Treehouse, Udacity, community college, and am struggling with information overload… —Krista</li> <li>It seems that web dev, computer science, mobile, data, and security are really all their own things. Is it best to be a generalist or only focus on one? —Krista</li> <li>Any idea on how long to really be job ready at the hour plus a day? Is it really like Gladwell’s 10,000 hours or Norvig’s 10 years? —Krista</li> <li>With limited time, is it best to do tutorials/learn or just go build? —Krista</li> </ul> Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.recurse.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Recurse Center</a></li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/podcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Podcast Picks</a></li> <li><a href="https://radicalpersonalfinance.com/200-my-podcasting-equipment-workflow-and-lessons-learned-from-200-episodes/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Radical Personal Finance: My Podcasting Equipment, Workflow, and Lessons Learned From 200 Episodes</a></li> <li><a href="https://radicalpersonalfinance.com/300-thirty-podcasting-lessons-learned-from-300-episodes-and-2000000-downloads/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Radical Personal Finance: Thirty Podcasting Lessons Learned From 300 Episodes and 2,000,000+ Downloads</a></li> <li><a href="https://freecodecamp.libsyn.com/ep-28-how-to-land-a-six-figure-job-in-tech-with-no-connections" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">freeCodeCamp Podcast: Ep. 28 - How to land a six figure job in tech with no connections</a></li> <li><a href="https://freecodecamp.libsyn.com/ep-32-how-you-can-start-a-career-in-a-different-field-without-experience" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">freeCodeCamp Podcast: Ep. 32 - How you can start a career in a different field without experience</a></li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/063-intros-everywhere/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Start Over Coder Episode 63</a> on prioritizing networking events</li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/030-building-a-web-app-from-scratch-with-a-group/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Start Over Coder Episode 30</a> on the super-productive group coding project I did</li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/033-why-how-to-code-every-day/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Start Over Coder Episode 33</a> on how to practice well</li> <li><a href="http://100daysofcode.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">100 Days of Code</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/074-ask-me-anything/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/074</a>, tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>, or visit the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC contact page</a> to email me directly.

074 - Ask Me Anything

This week I’m sharing 2 more awesome resources for learning to code. Chingu Chingu is a learning community that gets you working on a dev team no matter what skill level you’re at. How it works:  Apply to join a team. Skill levels range from HTML/CSS beginners to building full stack apps. Your teammates can be from anywhere in the world. Once you’re accepted, get together with your team and decide what to build during the 8-week commitment. Build it! Feel accomplished with your finished product, new portfolio addition, and all the soft &amp; hard skills you have gained.  I’m excited to participate in Chingu because I learned so much during a similar group project last year. Of course your success depends entirely on the work you put into it and a bit of luck in getting committed teammates, but in my opinion the benefits far outweigh the risks, so I think it’s worth going for! To learn more about what it’s like to go through Chingu, check out their Medium publication or YouTube channel. uMatrix uMatrix is a browser extension (available on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera) that can add privacy to your browser and teach you about the modern web at the same time. Its purpose is to give you control about what you want to allow/block—things like cookies, 3rd party tracking, 3rd party anything, iframes, external scripts, etc. For a thorough description and to see uMatrix in action, check out this YouTube walk-through video. You can also take a look at some examples of uMatrix rulesets:  Kristerkari’s uMatrix Recipes Gorhill’s Useful Rulesets  More in the Discoveries! series:   Ep 18: Learn To Code With Me Podcast &amp; Free Lynda.com  Ep 41: Coding Solo Podcast &amp; Millennial Money Diaries Blog  Ep 64: Financial Toolbelt &amp; Second Career Devs Podcast Ep 73: Chingu &amp; uMatrix  If you have another discovery that’s worth sharing, leave a comment at startovercoder.com/073, tweet me @startovercoder, or visit the SOC contact page to email me directly.

This week I’m sharing 2 more awesome resources for learning to code. Chingu <a href="https://chingu.io/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chingu</a> is a learning community that gets you working on a dev team no matter what skill level you’re at. How it works: <ul> <li>Apply to join a team. Skill levels range from HTML/CSS beginners to building full stack apps. Your teammates can be from anywhere in the world.</li> <li>Once you’re accepted, get together with your team and decide what to build during the 8-week commitment.</li> <li>Build it!</li> <li>Feel accomplished with your finished product, new portfolio addition, and all the soft &amp; hard skills you have gained.</li> </ul> I’m excited to participate in Chingu because I learned so much during <a href="http://localhost:4000/030-building-a-web-app-from-scratch-with-a-group/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a similar group project</a> last year. Of course your success depends entirely on the work you put into it and a bit of luck in getting committed teammates, but in my opinion the benefits far outweigh the risks, so I think it’s worth going for! To learn more about what it’s like to go through Chingu, check out their <a href="https://medium.com/chingu" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Medium publication</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7zmJXbe7FgTC3sHlUf4jw" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>. uMatrix <a href="https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">uMatrix</a> is a browser extension (available on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera) that can add privacy to your browser and teach you about the modern web at the same time. Its purpose is to give you control about what you want to allow/block—things like cookies, 3rd party tracking, 3rd party anything, iframes, external scripts, etc. For a thorough description and to see uMatrix in action, check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVozpo3zUBk" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">this YouTube walk-through video</a>. You can also take a look at some examples of uMatrix rulesets: <ul> <li><a href="https://github.com/kristerkari/umatrix-recipes" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kristerkari’s uMatrix Recipes</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix/wiki/Examples-of-useful-rulesets" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Gorhill’s Useful Rulesets</a></li> </ul> More in the Discoveries! series: <ul> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/018-discoveries-learn-to-code-with-me-podcast-free-lynda-com-access/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Ep 18: Learn To Code With Me Podcast &amp; Free Lynda.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/041-discoveries-coding-solo-podcast-millennial-money-diaries-blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Ep 41: Coding Solo Podcast &amp; Millennial Money Diaries Blog</a></li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/064-discoveries-financial-toolbelt-second-career-devs-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Ep 64: Financial Toolbelt &amp; Second Career Devs Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/073-discoveries-chingu-umatrix/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ep 73: Chingu &amp; uMatrix</a></li> </ul> If you have another discovery that’s worth sharing, leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/073-discoveries-chingu-umatrix/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/073</a>, tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>, or visit the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC contact page</a> to email me directly.

073 - Discoveries! Chingu & uMatrix

In this episode I’m wrapping up a few loose ends: the final report on my first from-scratch Node application, and a course review of Harvard’s CS50: Intro to Computer Science. NOTE: The CS50 course review starts about 9 minutes in! Node/Express App Part 3 To catch up from where we left off…  Part One: 035 - New Node Express Project - First Steps Part Two: 043 - Node Express Project - Progress Report  As I kept working on the project, I learned quite a bit about working with dates in programming (hint: not a straightforward endeavor!), and had a frustrating attempt at deploying on Amazon Web Services. But eventually I was able to successfully deploy the app using Heroku, and overall by the time all was said and done I had a working application that I actually still use to this day! CS50 - Intro To Computer Science Course Review CS50 is the introductory computer science course offered at Harvard University, and it’s available for anyone around the world to take for free on the EdX learning platform. It covers a lot of basic topics to build an understanding of how computers, networks, and applications work. My favorite aspects of the course were:  They have an honor code which discourages people from posting their homework solutions online. As a result, when I searched or asked for help solving the problem sets, I got nudged in the right direction rather than being given the answers full out. I learned a lot more this way. The presentation is very high quality—they have an excellent media player for the weekly lectures, and lots of supplemental materials to make sure the concepts stick. Learning CS fundamentals (data structures, big O notation, HTTP, etc.) has really helped my understanding of other topics like git, Node.js, writing functions, using hex color codes, and much more.  If you’re interested in taking the class, prepare yourself for a lot of work and time if you really want to make the most of it! Show Links:  Episode 36:  The Complete Developers Guide to MongoDB [Online Course Review] CS50 Base CS Podcast  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/072, tweet me @startovercoder, or visit the SOC contact page to email me directly.

In this episode I’m wrapping up a few loose ends: the final report on my first from-scratch Node application, and a course review of Harvard’s CS50: Intro to Computer Science. NOTE: The CS50 course review starts about 9 minutes in! Node/Express App Part 3 To catch up from where we left off… <ul> <li>Part One: <a href="http://localhost:4000/035-new-nodeexpress-project-first-steps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">035 - New Node Express Project - First Steps</a></li> <li>Part Two: <a href="http://localhost:4000/043-nodeexpress-project-progress-report/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">043 - Node Express Project - Progress Report</a></li> </ul> As I kept working on the project, I learned quite a bit about working with dates in programming (hint: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">not a straightforward endeavor</a>!), and had a frustrating attempt at deploying on Amazon Web Services. But eventually I was able to successfully deploy the app using Heroku, and overall by the time all was said and done I had a working application that I actually still use to this day! CS50 - Intro To Computer Science Course Review <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/cs50s-introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CS50</a> is the introductory computer science course offered at Harvard University, and it’s available for anyone around the world to take for free on the <a href="https://www.edx.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">EdX</a> learning platform. It covers a lot of basic topics to build an understanding of how computers, networks, and applications work. My favorite aspects of the course were: <ul> <li>They have an honor code which discourages people from posting their homework solutions online. As a result, when I searched or asked for help solving the problem sets, I got nudged in the right direction rather than being given the answers full out. I learned a lot more this way.</li> <li>The presentation is very high quality—they have an excellent media player for the weekly lectures, and lots of supplemental materials to make sure the concepts stick.</li> <li>Learning CS fundamentals (data structures, big O notation, HTTP, etc.) has really helped my understanding of other topics like <a href="http://localhost:4000/014-git-github-basics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">git</a>, <a href="http://localhost:4000/047-node-js-back-to-basics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Node.js</a>, writing functions, using hex color codes, and much more.</li> </ul> If you’re interested in taking the class, prepare yourself for a lot of work and time if you really want to make the most of it! Show Links: <ul> <li>Episode 36: <a href="http://localhost:4000/036-the-complete-developers-guide-to-mongodb-online-course-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Complete Developers Guide to MongoDB [Online Course Review]</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/cs50s-introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CS50</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.codenewbie.org/basecs" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Base CS Podcast</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/072-cs50-course-review-wrapping-up-my-node-express-app/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/072</a>, tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>, or visit the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC contact page</a> to email me directly.

072 - CS50 Course Review & Wrapping Up My Node/Express App

Since setting a goal at the beginning of the year, I’ve made 3 attempts to get my first paid developer work. These are the big takeaways and things I’ve learned:  Know when to not accept a project, even if you’re just trying to get a foot in the door. Get the site content from the client as early in the process as possible to avoid project delays. An “approved” prototype does not mean there won’t stills be changes after I do a lot of coding! Working to milestones (with specific dates) and showing work at each milestone is better than sharing work in progress. I got a good handle on how much time freelance projects actually take me. When estimating how much to charge, don’t forget about the time you’ll spend on the project for things other than coding. Calls, check-ins, revisions, and training may add to the project time and you should be paid accordingly.  Show Links:  Upwork Episode 50 - 6-Month Goal Setting Episode 56 - Planning A New Web Project Episode 62 - Prototyping With Figma  Bonus! There’s a big announcement at the end of this episode…don’t miss it! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/071, tweet me @startovercoder, or visit the SOC contact page to email me directly.

Since setting a goal at the beginning of the year, I’ve made 3 attempts to get my first paid developer work. These are the big takeaways and things I’ve learned: <ul> <li>Know when to not accept a project, even if you’re just trying to get a foot in the door.</li> <li>Get the site content from the client as early in the process as possible to avoid project delays.</li> <li>An “approved” prototype does not mean there won’t stills be changes after I do a lot of coding!</li> <li>Working to milestones (with specific dates) and showing work at each milestone is better than sharing work in progress.</li> <li>I got a good handle on how much time freelance projects actually take me.</li> <li>When estimating how much to charge, don’t forget about the time you’ll spend on the project for things other than coding. Calls, check-ins, revisions, and training may add to the project time and you should be paid accordingly.</li> </ul> Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.upwork.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Upwork</a></li> <li>Episode 50 - <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/050-learning-plan-2-0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6-Month Goal Setting</a></li> <li>Episode 56 - <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/056-planning-a-new-website-project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Planning A New Web Project</a></li> <li>Episode 62 - <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/062-prototyping-with-figma/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prototyping With Figma</a></li> </ul> Bonus! There’s a big announcement at the end of this episode…don’t miss it! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/071-first-freelance-work/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/071</a>, tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>, or visit the <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/contact/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SOC contact page</a> to email me directly.

071 - First Freelance Work

This week I sat in on a status meeting with a developer team in my company. Pretty cool to see what it’s actually like to work as a developer (well, get a glimpse at least!)! I was really glad to have had access to this experience without much effort—it was just a matter of reaching out to a VP in my company and asking for an informational. Now that I know this is possible, I’ll be doing it a lot more!   Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/070 or tweet me @startovercoder.

This week I sat in on a status meeting with a developer team in my company. Pretty cool to see what it’s actually like to work as a developer (well, get a glimpse at least!)! I was really glad to have had access to this experience without much effort—it was just a matter of reaching out to a VP in my company and asking for an informational. Now that I know this is possible, I’ll be doing it a lot more! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/070-real-life-dev-meeting/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/070</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

070 - Real Life Dev Meeting

The command line is a basic necessity for any developer and I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with it since I started learning how to code. Not sure what I’m talking about? Think back to any movie/tv show with a hacker hacking away into that black computer screen, typing green text. They are most likely using the command line (for good or evil, depending on the context!). But more to the point, the command line is how you can have direct access to your machine to carry out any system-level actions, from moving files around to executing programs, to communicating with other computers over a network. As a developer there are many use cases for working in the command line:  Accessing servers (remote or local) and their logs Managing versions of code, like using git Tracing errors, crashes You can even write code in the command line …and the list goes on from there!  Here are some of my favorite tips about getting comfortable working in the command line:  Learn each aspect as it’s needed. Start with the basics, then learn more commands depending on the work that needs to get done. Once there’s a basic comfort level, skim the documentation for whatever command line interface (CLI) you’re using. Maybe you’ll find some good options to use in the future to improve your workflow! For commands that get repeated a lot, create aliases by editing the .bashrc and .bash_profile files on my computer (see article). This is especially helpful for chained events and for accessing deeply-nested folders that you use a lot. Take notes or bookmark sites where you learn how to use the commands that aren’t used as often. Maybe they don’t warrant a shortcut, but at least you won’t have to start from scratch if you need to look up that command again in the future.  Show Links:  traceroute Lifehacker - Become a Command Line Ninja With These Time-Saving Shortcuts Lifehacker - A Command Line Primer for Beginners      Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/069 or tweet me @startovercoder.

The command line is a basic necessity for any developer and I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with it since I started learning how to code. Not sure what I’m talking about? Think back to any movie/tv show with a hacker hacking away into that black computer screen, typing green text. They are most likely using the command line (for good or evil, depending on the context!). But more to the point, the command line is how you can have direct access to your machine to carry out any system-level actions, from moving files around to executing programs, to communicating with other computers over a network. As a developer there are many use cases for working in the command line: <ul> <li>Accessing servers (remote or local) and their logs</li> <li>Managing versions of code, like using git</li> <li>Tracing errors, crashes</li> <li>You can even write code in the command line</li> <li>…and the list goes on from there!</li> </ul> Here are some of my favorite tips about getting comfortable working in the command line: <ul> <li>Learn each aspect as it’s needed. Start with the basics, then learn more commands depending on the work that needs to get done.</li> <li>Once there’s a basic comfort level, skim the documentation for whatever command line interface (CLI) you’re using. Maybe you’ll find some good options to use in the future to improve your workflow!</li> <li>For commands that get repeated a lot, create aliases by editing the .bashrc and .bash_profile files on my computer (<a href="https://lifehacker.com/5743814/become-a-command-line-ninja-with-these-time-saving-shortcuts" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">see article</a>). This is especially helpful for chained events and for accessing deeply-nested folders that you use a lot.</li> <li>Take notes or bookmark sites where you learn how to use the commands that aren’t used as often. Maybe they don’t warrant a shortcut, but at least you won’t have to start from scratch if you need to look up that command again in the future.</li> </ul> Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traceroute#Usage" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">traceroute</a></li> <li>Lifehacker - <a href="https://lifehacker.com/5743814/become-a-command-line-ninja-with-these-time-saving-shortcuts" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Become a Command Line Ninja With These Time-Saving Shortcuts</a></li> <li>Lifehacker - <a href="https://lifehacker.com/5633909/who-needs-a-mouse-learn-to-use-the-command-line-for-almost-anything" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A Command Line Primer for Beginners</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/069-working-the-command-line/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/069</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

069 - Working The Command Line

I’m back from last week’s conference! How did I do with the goals I set out before going? Pretty well! Plus gained some tips for future conferences. Show Links:  Episode 67 - Pre-Conference Prep Codeland talk links coming soon! Junior Developer Toolbox Podcast - Making the Most of Tech Conferences  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/068 or tweet me @startovercoder.

I’m back from last week’s conference! How did I do with the goals I set out before going? Pretty well! Plus gained some tips for future conferences. Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="http://localhost:4000/067-pre-conference-prep/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 67</a> - Pre-Conference Prep</li> <li><a href="http://codelandconf.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Codeland</a> talk links coming soon!</li> <li>Junior Developer Toolbox Podcast - <a href="https://juniordevelopertoolbox.com/episode-16-making-the-most-of-tech-conferences/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Making the Most of Tech Conferences</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/068-post-conference-review/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/068</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

068 - Post-Conference Review

I’m heading to a coding conference in a few days! And unlike some past events I’ve been to, this time I’m doing a bit of preparatory thinking/planning to help me make the most out of attending. I’ve set 3 goals I’d like to accomplish during the two-day conference: ONE From all the people I meet, I will meet 3 people to exchange contact details with in stay in contact with after the event has finished. These may be people who I can learn from, or share my own experience with. But I want to leave with at least three new solid connections that I can build upon. How will I do this?  Get clear on what I do &amp; what I want so that I can clearly share this with other people Actually ask for people’s contact details! Sounds obvious, but I don’t always do it.  TWO I plan to get some practice speaking technically and bearing my expertise. I’m in the habit of minimizing my skills and knowledge, especially when it comes to talking about technical topics. This needs to stop! How will I do this?  Make an effort to talk to people! No hiding in my mobile or laptop. Works well with goal number one 😄 No more “I’m just learning ABC” or “I think you can maybe, possibly, sort of, kind of try XYZ to fix that…maybe” etc. If I know it, no need to pretend I don’t. I AM A DEVELOPER!  THREE I’m going to document the talks and take notes about what I learn throughout the course of the two days. I want to be able to remember what I learned after the fact, so it can’t be in one ear and out the other. I’d like it to stick! How will I do this?  Take comprehensive notes throughout the talks Recap the information in a different format (i.e. blog or this podcast) so that I revisit the information several times. Forge those neural pathways every way I can.  How To Go To Conferences (Financially) Since  Financial Independence is a big goal in my life (not to mention a topic of this podcast), I also wanted to share some tips/ideas about how to attend conferences without attacking the wallet too much:  Ask your employer if they will pay for your ticket, or at least give you the day off as a “development day” (or whatever they want to call it without taking from your vacation days) Check for corporate sponsors who might be offering scholarships Volunteer to help at the conference in exchange for free admission. If they don’t explicitly offer this opportunity on the conference website, contact the organizers directly and ask if you can offer your services. While there, take advantage of the network of people in attendance, and definitely listen in on some presentations if you have the chance. If none of these free or discounted options are possible, and if you can afford the price of admission without making any serious sacrifices, then don’t hesitate to invest in yourself and just buy a ticket. If you’ll genuinely get value out of the experience, it’s probably worth it. Redeem travel rewards for flights &amp; accommodations if the conference is not near where you live. I got my flight for free! Stay with family or friends if you have them wherever the conference is taking place. Look at inexpensive options to get accommodations, like Couchsurfing or shared rentals on Airbnb. If there’s a way to connect with other conference attendees ahead of time, see if there’s anyone who’s looking to split the cost of accommodations.  Follow along with me at the conference on my new startovercoder Instagram! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/067 or tweet me @startovercoder.

I’m heading to a coding conference in a few days! And unlike some past events I’ve been to, this time I’m doing a bit of preparatory thinking/planning to help me make the most out of attending. I’ve set 3 goals I’d like to accomplish during the two-day conference: ONE From all the people I meet, I will meet 3 people to exchange contact details with in stay in contact with after the event has finished. These may be people who I can learn from, or share my own experience with. But I want to leave with at least three new solid connections that I can build upon. How will I do this? <ul> <li>Get clear on what I do &amp; what I want so that I can clearly share this with other people</li> <li>Actually ask for people’s contact details! Sounds obvious, but I don’t always do it.</li> </ul> TWO I plan to get some practice speaking technically and bearing my expertise. I’m in the habit of minimizing my skills and knowledge, especially when it comes to talking about technical topics. This needs to stop! How will I do this? <ul> <li>Make an effort to talk to people! No hiding in my mobile or laptop. Works well with goal number one 😄</li> <li>No more “I’m just learning ABC” or “I think you can maybe, possibly, sort of, kind of try XYZ to fix that…maybe” etc. If I know it, no need to pretend I don’t. I AM A DEVELOPER!</li> </ul> THREE I’m going to document the talks and take notes about what I learn throughout the course of the two days. I want to be able to remember what I learned after the fact, so it can’t be in one ear and out the other. I’d like it to stick! How will I do this? <ul> <li>Take comprehensive notes throughout the talks</li> <li>Recap the information in a different format (i.e. blog or this podcast) so that I revisit the information several times. Forge those neural pathways every way I can.</li> </ul> How To Go To Conferences (Financially) Since <a href="http://localhost:4000/004-what-is-financial-independence-where-to-start/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Financial Independence</a> is a big goal in my life (not to mention a topic of this podcast), I also wanted to share some tips/ideas about how to attend conferences without attacking the wallet too much: <ul> <li>Ask your employer if they will pay for your ticket, or at least give you the day off as a “development day” (or whatever they want to call it without taking from your vacation days)</li> <li>Check for corporate sponsors who might be offering scholarships</li> <li>Volunteer to help at the conference in exchange for free admission. If they don’t explicitly offer this opportunity on the conference website, contact the organizers directly and ask if you can offer your services. While there, take advantage of the network of people in attendance, and definitely listen in on some presentations if you have the chance.</li> <li>If none of these free or discounted options are possible, and if you can afford the price of admission without making any serious sacrifices, then don’t hesitate to invest in yourself and just buy a ticket. If you’ll genuinely get value out of the experience, it’s probably worth it.</li> <li>Redeem <a href="https://www.choosefi.com/all-articles/travel-rewards/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">travel rewards</a> for flights &amp; accommodations if the conference is not near where you live. I got my flight for free!</li> <li>Stay with family or friends if you have them wherever the conference is taking place.</li> <li>Look at inexpensive options to get accommodations, like <a href="https://www.couchsurfing.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Couchsurfing</a> or shared rentals on <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb</a>. If there’s a way to connect with other conference attendees ahead of time, see if there’s anyone who’s looking to split the cost of accommodations.</li> </ul> Follow along with me at the conference on my new <a href="https://www.instagram.com/startovercoder/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder Instagram</a>! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/067-pre-conference-prep" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/067</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

067 - Pre-Conference Prep

One thing that I’ve learned can really help along the learn-to-code process is documenting as you go. Whether it’s vlogging, blogging, or a simple pen &amp; paper, tips from your past self can be an excellent learning shortcut. I’ve been reminded of this recently, as I believe I’ve hit another stumbling block on my quest of becoming a professional developer. In fact I was getting set to record a second ‘stumbling block’ episode when I went back to the  podcast  episodes I recorded last year when I first had these difficulties, and instead was reminded of the things I found helpful at that time to get out of the funk and keep making progress. The first was remembering not to beat myself up over losing momentum. Taking on a whole new career is a huge undertaking and it’s bound to have times of both high and low momentum. There’s absolutely no value in reprimanding myself for slowing down for a few weeks! The second benefit was remembering what led to the stumbling block last year…turns out some of the same life events are happening now, so is it really a surprise that I might have a similar response? The third and biggest benefit helped plan a way forward from here. Since I can refer back to what I did last year (and I know how it worked out for me), I have a good sense of what might help me move forward this time around. So overall, having documented the obstacles I ran into last year really helped me get to a more optimistic outlook this time around. And as a result, I think I’ve moved past it faster! So if you want to get started documenting your own progress, what are some options? Here are a few:  Take notes with pen &amp; paper Write notes on a calendar or daily agenda as you work Use a project management tool like Trello Get involved with 100 Days of Code Start your own blog Start your own podcast Start vlogging on your own video channel  Don’t forget: the key is having something you can reference at a later date, so if you find an alternative to this list that’s mostly verbal (like a study buddy or success group where you check in with each other for example), make sure you’re also taking notes or meeting minutes for future reference. The most important thing is to document the challenges you face, and how you’ve gotten through them: this will be the most valuable information to refer back to later on. After all, your success will end up in the code—it’s the failures along the way that are easily forgotten! Show Links:  Episode 10:  Stumbling Block No 1 Episode 12:  When Learning To Code Gets Overwhelming Episode 63: Overwhelming Number of Coding Intros Episode 56: Planning A New Web Project Trello 100 Days of Code Episode 51:  Static Site Generators freeCodeCamp Medium article: A month ago I knew nothing about podcasting. 50,000 downloads later, here’s what I’ve learned.    Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/066 or tweet me @startovercoder.

One thing that I’ve learned can really help along the learn-to-code process is documenting as you go. Whether it’s vlogging, blogging, or a simple pen &amp; paper, tips from your past self can be an excellent learning shortcut. I’ve been reminded of this recently, as I believe I’ve hit another stumbling block on my quest of becoming a professional developer. In fact I was getting set to record a second ‘stumbling block’ episode when I went back to the <a href="http://localhost:4000/010-stumbling-block-1-on-my-learn-to-code-journey/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> podcast</a> <a href="http://localhost:4000/012-when-learning-to-code-gets-overwhelming/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> episodes</a> I recorded last year when I first had these difficulties, and instead was reminded of the things I found helpful at that time to get out of the funk and keep making progress. The first was remembering not to beat myself up over losing momentum. Taking on a whole new career is a huge undertaking and it’s bound to have times of both high and low momentum. There’s absolutely no value in reprimanding myself for slowing down for a few weeks! The second benefit was remembering what led to the stumbling block last year…turns out some of the same life events are happening now, so is it really a surprise that I might have a similar response? The third and biggest benefit helped plan a way forward from here. Since I can refer back to what I did last year (and I know how it worked out for me), I have a good sense of what might help me move forward this time around. So overall, having documented the obstacles I ran into last year really helped me get to a more optimistic outlook this time around. And as a result, I think I’ve moved past it faster! So if you want to get started documenting your own progress, what are some options? Here are a few: <ul> <li>Take notes with pen &amp; paper</li> <li>Write notes on a calendar or daily agenda as you work</li> <li>Use a project management tool like <a href="https://trello.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Trello</a></li> <li>Get involved with <a href="http://100daysofcode.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">100 Days of Code</a></li> <li>Start your own blog</li> <li>Start your own podcast</li> <li>Start vlogging on your own video channel</li> </ul> Don’t forget: the key is having something you can reference at a later date, so if you find an alternative to this list that’s mostly verbal (like a study buddy or success group where you check in with each other for example), make sure you’re also taking notes or meeting minutes for future reference. The most important thing is to document the challenges you face, and how you’ve gotten through them: this will be the most valuable information to refer back to later on. After all, your success will end up in the code—it’s the failures along the way that are easily forgotten! Show Links: <ul> <li>Episode 10: <a href="http://localhost:4000/010-stumbling-block-1-on-my-learn-to-code-journey/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Stumbling Block No 1</a></li> <li>Episode 12: <a href="http://localhost:4000/012-when-learning-to-code-gets-overwhelming/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> When Learning To Code Gets Overwhelming</a></li> <li>Episode 63: <a href="http://localhost:4000/063-intros-everywhere/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overwhelming Number of Coding Intros</a></li> <li>Episode 56: <a href="http://localhost:4000/056-planning-a-new-website-project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Planning A New Web Project</a></li> <li><a href="https://trello.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Trello</a></li> <li><a href="http://100daysofcode.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">100 Days of Code</a></li> <li>Episode 51: <a href="http://localhost:4000/051-static-site-generators-best-bet-for-a-low-maintenance-website/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Static Site Generators</a></li> <li>freeCodeCamp Medium article: <a href="https://medium.freecodecamp.org/a-month-ago-i-knew-nothing-about-podcasting-50-000-downloads-later-heres-what-i-ve-learned-2d7082a28f27" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A month ago I knew nothing about podcasting. 50,000 downloads later, here’s what I’ve learned.</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/066-documenting-the-process/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/066</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

066 - Documenting The Process

What is the Start Over Coder? Well, that’s me! And I'm taking you along on my quest: taking up a new career as a professional developer, and pursuing financial independence. On the podcast I share all of my experiences and lessons learned, from learn-to-code resources to getting paid for your work, and all of the wins and losses along the way.

Very relatable for anyone working full time while learning to code!

Great for learners!

This has been a great resource for me. So glad I found it.

New to coding and web development

Start Over Coder

In this episode I’ll help you figure out where to start once you’ve decided to learn to code or be a programmer. Some of the resources I mentioned in the episode can be found at these links: The Complete Guide To Everything: What Is the Best Programming Language to Learn First? (YouTube, 19 mins) LearnCode.Academy: 2016/2017 MUST-KNOW WEB DEVELOPMENT TECH (YouTube, 23 mins) Or just click around the map via this link.

In this episode I’ll help you figure out where to start once you’ve decided to learn to code or be a programmer. Some of the resources I mentioned in the episode can be found at these links: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCTPCiQgyk&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Complete Guide To Everything: What Is the Best Programming Language to Learn First?</a> (YouTube, 19 mins) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzRwzY7G-k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LearnCode.Academy: 2016/2017 MUST-KNOW WEB DEVELOPMENT TECH</a> (YouTube, 23 mins) Or just click around the map via <a href="https://coggle.it/diagram/Vz9LvW8byvN0I38x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this link</a>.

003: What Is Coding / Where To Start!?

There’s a lot involved to get up and running with a new dev environment—it can be pretty troublesome in fact! After working on one machine for a while, it’s easy to forget (or take for granted) all of the software and helper tools you’ve installed slowly over time. But as soon as you want to get coding on a new machine, those tools are quickly appreciated! Here are some of the steps I took to be able to keep coding while traveling with a temp laptop, and what I plan to do going forward to make it easier next time around:  Store coding projects on Dropbox to sync project files across the machines. No need to push/pull commits using a remote repository. Keep a list of all of the tools I use (especially in the command line). I think even the simplest of lists would be a better place to start than trying to remember all of the software I’m used to using. Check search results for “dev environment new computer” to also check lists others have come up with. Keep a copy of my command line shortcuts (.bashrc file) in a GitHub gist for easy future reference. Document! Document! Document! Any time I do a new installation on my machine, I’ll take note of how I did it and any resources that helped with the installation.  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/065 or tweet me @startovercoder.

There’s a lot involved to get up and running with a new dev environment—it can be pretty troublesome in fact! After working on one machine for a while, it’s easy to forget (or take for granted) all of the software and helper tools you’ve installed slowly over time. But as soon as you want to get coding on a new machine, those tools are quickly appreciated! Here are some of the steps I took to be able to keep coding while traveling with a temp laptop, and what I plan to do going forward to make it easier next time around: <ul> <li>Store coding projects on <a href="https://www.dropbox.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Dropbox</a> to sync project files across the machines. No need to push/pull commits using a remote repository.</li> <li>Keep a list of all of the tools I use (especially in the command line). I think even the simplest of lists would be a better place to start than trying to remember all of the software I’m used to using. Check search results for <a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dev+environment+new+computer" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">“dev environment new computer”</a> to also check lists others have come up with.</li> <li>Keep a copy of my command line shortcuts (.bashrc file) in a <a href="https://gist.github.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">GitHub gist</a> for easy future reference.</li> <li>Document! Document! Document! Any time I do a new installation on my machine, I’ll take note of how I did it and any resources that helped with the installation.</li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/065-new-computer-new-dev-setup" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/065</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

065 - New Computer, New Dev Setup

Today's episode is an overview of the different types of learn-to-code resources I've found out there. From apps to use when you're bored to full-time study programs, there are a lot of options! Before deciding which option to go for it's important to think about your own personal learning style: are you self-motivated or do you need more structure? Is there something specific you want to build straight away? Do you already have some coding experience? Do you like learning on your own or in a group? Once you have an idea of how you learn best, it's time to look at the different tools. I'll go into these in much more depth in future episodes, but in the meantime here is the overview:  Free online resources (YouTube, MOOCs, dedicated learning sites, etc.) Online games &amp; coding challenges (example: Code Wars) Paid online resources (bootcamp prep courses, Udemy, Treehouse, etc.) Mobile apps (examples: Mimo, Lrn) Bootcamps Community programs (Meetup groups, Facebook, etc.) University / school courses Programming books Figuring it out from scratch (via Github, SourceForge, etc.) Bonus method! Kids apps (example: Tynker)  Regardless of the method you choose, the one piece of advice I have is to code every day! There is a lot to learn and you want to make sure it sticks. What do you think about this list, is there anything I missed? Leave a comment below!

Today's episode is an overview of the different types of learn-to-code resources I've found out there. From apps to use when you're bored to full-time study programs, there are a lot of options! Before deciding which option to go for it's important to think about your own personal learning style: are you self-motivated or do you need more structure? Is there something specific you want to build straight away? Do you already have some coding experience? Do you like learning on your own or in a group? Once you have an idea of how you learn best, it's time to look at the different tools. I'll go into these in much more depth in future episodes, but in the meantime here is the overview: <ul> <li>Free online resources (YouTube, MOOCs, dedicated learning sites, etc.)</li> <li>Online games &amp; coding challenges (example: <a href="https://www.codewars.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Code Wars</a>)</li> <li>Paid online resources (bootcamp prep courses, <a href="http://www.udemy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Udemy</a>, <a href="http://www.teamtreehouse.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Treehouse</a>, etc.)</li> <li>Mobile apps (examples: <a href="https://getmimo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mimo</a>, <a href="http://lrnapp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lrn</a>)</li> <li>Bootcamps</li> <li>Community programs (Meetup groups, Facebook, etc.)</li> <li>University / school courses</li> <li>Programming books</li> <li>Figuring it out from scratch (via <a href="https://github.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Github</a>, <a href="https://sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SourceForge</a>, etc.)</li> <li>Bonus method! Kids apps (example: <a href="https://www.tynker.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tynker</a>)</li> </ul> Regardless of the method you choose, the one piece of advice I have is to code every day! There is a lot to learn and you want to make sure it sticks. What do you think about this list, is there anything I missed? Leave a comment below!

005: Learn To Code Resources

It’s been a year since I started this podcast! But I still haven’t become a full-time developer. Does it really have to take over a year to change careers and become a programmer? Short answer: no, I really don’t think so! But for me, a few things along the way have slowed down my progress. You can get the full story by listening to this episode, but to recap what I think I’d do differently to speed the transition up a bit:  Set a firm date for when I’d quit my job and STICK TO IT! My “deadline” kept being pushed farther and farther away from me. Work on a single program or curriculum that will provide you with full projects to complete and add to your portfolio. This is massively necessary when it comes to actually looking and interviewing for jobs. Some good examples are the freeCodeCamp certificates and Udacity nanodegree programs. Coding bootcamps are another viable option, though they can be costly.  Despite my (I think) slow timeline so far, I’m still excited by what’s still to come and look forward to sharing more updates soon! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at  startovercoder.com/060 or tweet me @startovercoder.

It’s been a year since I started this podcast! But I still haven’t become a full-time developer. Does it really have to take over a year to change careers and become a programmer? Short answer: no, I really don’t think so! But for me, a few things along the way have slowed down my progress. You can get the full story by listening to this episode, but to recap what I think I’d do differently to speed the transition up a bit: <ul> <li>Set a firm date for when I’d quit my job and STICK TO IT! My “deadline” kept being pushed farther and farther away from me.</li> <li>Work on a single program or curriculum that will provide you with full projects to complete and add to your portfolio. This is massively necessary when it comes to actually looking and interviewing for jobs. Some good examples are the <a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">freeCodeCamp certificates</a> and <a href="https://www.udacity.com/nanodegree" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Udacity nanodegree programs</a>. <a href="https://www.switchup.org" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Coding bootcamps</a> are another viable option, though they can be costly.</li> </ul> Despite my (I think) slow timeline so far, I’m still excited by what’s still to come and look forward to sharing more updates soon! Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="https://www.startovercoder.com/060-it-doesnt-actually-have-to-take-this-long/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> startovercoder.com/060</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

060 - It Doesn’t Actually Have To Take This Long!

Getting stuck when you’re learning to code on your own can be FRUSTRATING!! Here are some tips on how to get help. TIP #1 - Google This one goes without saying, but it's worth starting here first. Start searching with specific terms, then get more broad if you can't find what you're looking for. TIP #2 - Rubber Duck It Walk through your code out loud to an inanimate object (like a rubber duck!) and pose your question. As you're asking the question, the answer might come to you. TIP #3 - Slack Communities Slack is a chat &amp; collaboration platform used by a lot of people in tech. Some public groups include CodeNewbie, Code Buddies, and Career Change Coders. You can also search around for language-specific or local Slack communities. Once you're in, join the channels that are focused on the languages or tech stack you're learning. TIP #4 - FreeCodeCamp Message Boards FreeCodeCamp has a great, supportive community. If you're working on FCC projects there are scores of people out there who can help when you get stuck. If you're not working on FCC projects, chances are you'll still get some help. TIP #5 - StackOverflow, Reddit, etc. Join StackOverflow or Reddit to participate on their boards. Be sure to check their guidelines for advice on forming a good post to increase the odds you'll get a good answer. And of course, search first to make sure an answer to your question is not already out there! TIP #6 - Revisit What You've Already Learned Review whatever book, tutorial, docs, etc. that you learned your skills from. Doing so might jog your memory of other things to try, or you might find that you missed something important the first time around. If that doesn't work, try learning the same topic through another medium--if you originally learned by watching a video tutorial, try a book! Different sources and different media may help you find a solution to your problem. TIP #7 - Take a break! Work on a different project, go to sleep, go for a walk...do anything to clear your mind of the topic at hand. Come back refreshed and you may find discover the answer you've been looking for. TIP #8 - Join A Group This takes a bit of fore-planning, but join a group and build a crew of people you know you can go to with questions when you have them. Check out Start Over Coder episode 9 to hear more about this. TIP #9 - Pay For Help As an absolute last resort, you can pay for on-demand assistance at sites like Hack Hands and CodeMentor. Costs start at about $1/minute. But I'd use caution here--you may get things working but you may learn less!   Getting stuck when you're learning programming and be very discouraging--honestly it's a reason many people give up! But sticking to it when things get difficult will help you learn a lot, and it's much easier to do if you get some help.   Thoughts on this episode? Any other methods you have for getting unstuck? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/034 or tweet me @startovercoder.

Getting stuck when you’re learning to code on your own can be FRUSTRATING!! Here are some tips on how to get help. TIP #1 - Google This one goes without saying, but it's worth starting here first. Start searching with specific terms, then get more broad if you can't find what you're looking for. TIP #2 - Rubber Duck It Walk through your code out loud to an inanimate object (like a rubber duck!) and pose your question. As you're asking the question, the answer might come to you. TIP #3 - Slack Communities Slack is a chat &amp; collaboration platform used by a lot of people in tech. Some public groups include <a href="https://codenewbie.typeform.com/to/uwsWlZ" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CodeNewbie</a>, <a href="https://codebuddies.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Code Buddies</a>, and <a href="https://medium.com/career-change-coder/career-change-coders-is-now-on-slack-join-us-2aa3c9762e16" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Career Change Coders</a>. You can also search around for language-specific or local Slack communities. Once you're in, join the channels that are focused on the languages or tech stack you're learning. TIP #4 - FreeCodeCamp Message Boards FreeCodeCamp has a great, supportive <a href="https://forum.freecodecamp.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">community</a>. If you're working on FCC projects there are scores of people out there who can help when you get stuck. If you're not working on FCC projects, chances are you'll still get some help. TIP #5 - StackOverflow, Reddit, etc. Join <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">StackOverflow</a> or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Reddit</a> to participate on their boards. Be sure to check their guidelines for advice on forming a good post to increase the odds you'll get a good answer. And of course, search first to make sure an answer to your question is not already out there! TIP #6 - Revisit What You've Already Learned Review whatever book, tutorial, docs, etc. that you learned your skills from. Doing so might jog your memory of other things to try, or you might find that you missed something important the first time around. If that doesn't work, try learning the same topic through another medium--if you originally learned by watching a video tutorial, try a book! Different sources and different media may help you find a solution to your problem. TIP #7 - Take a break! Work on a different project, go to sleep, go for a walk...do anything to clear your mind of the topic at hand. Come back refreshed and you may find discover the answer you've been looking for. TIP #8 - Join A Group This takes a bit of fore-planning, but join a group and build a crew of people you know you can go to with questions when you have them. Check out <a href="http://startovercoder.com/009" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Start Over Coder episode 9</a> to hear more about this. TIP #9 - Pay For Help As an absolute last resort, you can pay for on-demand assistance at sites like <a href="https://hackhands.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Hack Hands</a> and <a href="https://www.codementor.io/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CodeMentor</a>. Costs start at about $1/minute. But I'd use caution here--you may get things working but you may learn less! Getting stuck when you're learning programming and be very discouraging--honestly it's a reason many people give up! But sticking to it when things get difficult will help you learn a lot, and it's much easier to do if you get some help. Thoughts on this episode? Any other methods you have for getting unstuck? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/034" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/034</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

034: How To Get Unstuck When You're Learning To Code

Think Like A Programmer by V. Anton Spraul aims to teach the fundamentals of computer programming. It's not perfect, but it offers some great takeaways for anyone learning to code. In the book Spraul breaks down how to go about solving a problem step-by-step, covering fundamental topics like arrays, pointers, dynamic memory, classes, and recursion. Each topic comes with code snippets written in C++, and the chapters conclude with a list of exercises you can do on your own to make sure the information sticks. The key takeaways were:  Take the time to form a plan when faced with a problem to solve. Random trial and error is not advised! Break big problems into smaller pieces and try to solve the small pieces. Then you might spark ideas about how to work on the parts you're less comfortable with. If a program will have multiple parts to solve, start with the one with the most constraints. Write separate programs to test small functions within a bigger project. If you can write a small piece on its own, you'll have an easier time fitting that function into the bigger project. Start with what you know and find analogies with code you've already written. Be careful with using other people's code...doing so can hinder your own learning, even if your program works. Don't get frustrated! Work on something different or just go take a walk when things get tough.    Episode Links:  Where to find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, No Starch Press Start Over Coder ep 18 - free stuff from your local library V. Anton Spraul's YouTube Channel    Did you read this book? Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/025 or tweet me @startovercoder.

Think Like A Programmer by V. Anton Spraul aims to teach the fundamentals of computer programming. It's not perfect, but it offers some great takeaways for anyone learning to code. In the book Spraul breaks down how to go about solving a problem step-by-step, covering fundamental topics like arrays, pointers, dynamic memory, classes, and recursion. Each topic comes with code snippets written in C++, and the chapters conclude with a list of exercises you can do on your own to make sure the information sticks. The key takeaways were: <ul> <li>Take the time to form a plan when faced with a problem to solve. Random trial and error is not advised!</li> <li>Break big problems into smaller pieces and try to solve the small pieces. Then you might spark ideas about how to work on the parts you're less comfortable with.</li> <li>If a program will have multiple parts to solve, start with the one with the most constraints.</li> <li>Write separate programs to test small functions within a bigger project. If you can write a small piece on its own, you'll have an easier time fitting that function into the bigger project.</li> <li>Start with what you know and find analogies with code you've already written.</li> <li>Be careful with using other people's code...doing so can hinder your own learning, even if your program works.</li> <li>Don't get frustrated! Work on something different or just go take a walk when things get tough.</li> </ul> Episode Links: <ul> <li>Where to find the book: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13590009-think-like-a-programmer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Programmer-Introduction-Creative/dp/1593274246/ref=sr_1_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.nostarch.com/thinklikeaprogrammer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Starch Press</a></li> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Start Over Coder ep 18</a> - free stuff from your local library</li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/vantonspraul" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">V. Anton Spraul's YouTube Channel</a></li> </ul> Did you read this book? Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/025" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/025</a> or tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

025: Think Like A Programmer - Key Takeaways From A Helpful Book

Once you’ve learned a bit of code, you want to show it off! Here are some of the options you can try for hosting a static website. In part 1 of 2 we're talking about hosting static websites, or sites that don't require any database connection or dynamic content. You might want to buy your own domain name (ex: yourname.com) which is where people will find your website. Separately, you will need website hosting, a service which stores your webpage files on a server and sends them to users when they visit your domain.  There are many companies eager to sell you a domain name and/or their hosting services. Sometimes you can bundle the two and get some great discounts! Here's a quick overview of the different web services I mention in the podcast (not a comprehensive list!!): Free Web Builders  Do a Google search for "free website builder YEAR" (whatever year it is now) and check out the lists people have curated for what's hot at the moment. There are MANY options! Most have a drag &amp; drop interface...you can write the code on some but these are designed so you don't need to know how to code. Choice &amp; customization possibilities are limited. You will be required to keep ads on your site!  GitHub Pages  GitHub Pages Link A much better free option if your goal is to show off your own code. Post your code to your GitHub account and your site will be automatically generated from your repo's master branch. Check out episode 14 to hear about git &amp; GitHub basics. Your site can be visited at yourusername.github.io, or you can hook up your own domain.  Squarespace  Squarespace Link Drag &amp; drop easy user interface but waaaaay cooler looking pages than the free options! You really don't need to know how to code to use Squarespace but it's a good option for getting a site up quickly, and you can code customizations if you want to. All Squarespace sites are responsive -- no matter what device people check out your site on, it will look great. But it comes at a cost! At the time I recorded this podcast accounts start at $12/month and go up from there. Squarespace hosting includes a free domain name which you can port to another registrar if you decide to close your account. Look for vouchers or promo codes to get some discounts or free service.  Wordpress.org  Wordpress.org Link Different from wordpress.com! Free, you're not required to have ads on your page, but you need to pay for your own hosting. All hosting services are Wordpress compatible. Some may require you to install it yourself, but most will even do the Wordpress installation for you. There are many free Wordpress templates, some better than others...or you can buy a template for more features. Or of course build your own template! You will need to learn PHP and CSS (and a bit of JavaScript). You can make your site really dynamic with Wordpress plugins for social media, SEO, eCommerce, etc. Unfortunately because it's so popular, it's also very vulnerable to security threats (listen to my story as a tale of caution!!!). Be sure to update your Wordpress software and plugins often to avoid being hacked. Be sure to backup your site regularly too in case you do get hacked. There are plugins that can do this for you.  Amazon Web Services  AWS Link Certainly the most complicated of these options...very steep learning curve for newbies! Many AWS services are free to try for a full year. At the end of the year you go to the normal pricing, but even so it's still pretty inexpensive. For example, monthly hosting on AWS might cost $0.50/month compared to $7+ monthly on other hosting services. AWS is very scalable. If/when you want to expand the capabilities beyond just a basic static site, you'll be able to do it pretty seamlessly. (For example, you can grown to the scale of AirBnB, NASA, GE, Capital One, or Netflix to name a few...all users of AWS!)  My Approach So which of these should you choose? My approach is always based on my goals for the site I'm building at the time. Do I want it to be ready quickly, do I want it to be inexpensive, or do I want it to be high quality (ideally with my own code)? You can only get 2 out of 3 at a time! For fast &amp; quality, Squarespace is certainly the one to pick, but I'll pay more than what I'd like. For cheap &amp; quality (well, as good quality as I'm capable of writing), it's AWS...but the tradeoff is the time it will take me to write my code, AND the time to figure out the monster that is AWS! The next thing I ask myself is what are the goals for this project. If it's something I know I'll keep up long term, I'll take the time to set things up properly on AWS and build it myself from scratch. On the other hand if it's something I'm just trying out, I might start on Wordpress.org (with a steeply discounted hosting plan) just to get something up quickly and see whether I'll actually stick with it. Perfect example--startovercoder.com! Next question--are there any deals to be had? Even though I prefer AWS, sometimes it's worth it to use another service in the first year to take advantage of their promotions. For example, to buy the Start Over Coder domain on AWS it would be $12 for the domain, plus the monthly hosting and storage costs. Instead I used a registrar which offered a free domain and 12 months of hosting for $11.92! At the end of the year it's just a matter of moving everything over to AWS (another great skill to learn!). Visit domcomp.com to compare the latest prices &amp; services from many registrars at once.  Final question: I ask myself what I want to learn by building my website. Personally, I'm not interested in learning PHP (not for now at least) so I'm fine to use a mediocre-looking Wordpress theme rather than building my own or doing a lot of customizations. On the other hand, having a level of comfort with AWS will be a great asset (I think!) when it comes to looking for jobs, so I accept the pain &amp; time that will go into figuring it out. Thoughts on this episode? Have I missed any services you think are worth mentioning? You can find the show notes and leave a comment at startovercoder.com/031 or tweet me @startovercoder.

Once you’ve learned a bit of code, you want to show it off! Here are some of the options you can try for hosting a static website. In part 1 of 2 we're talking about hosting static websites, or sites that don't require any database connection or dynamic content. You might want to buy your own domain name (ex: <a href="http://yourname.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">yourname.com</a>) which is where people will find your website. Separately, you will need website hosting, a service which stores your webpage files on a server and sends them to users when they visit your domain.  There are many companies eager to sell you a domain name and/or their hosting services. Sometimes you can bundle the two and get some great discounts! Here's a quick overview of the different web services I mention in the podcast (not a comprehensive list!!): Free Web Builders <ul> <li>Do a Google search for "free website builder YEAR" (whatever year it is now) and check out the lists people have curated for what's hot at the moment. There are MANY options!</li> <li>Most have a drag &amp; drop interface...you can write the code on some but these are designed so you don't need to know how to code.</li> <li>Choice &amp; customization possibilities are limited.</li> <li>You will be required to keep ads on your site!</li> </ul> GitHub Pages <ul> <li><a href="https://pages.github.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">GitHub Pages Link</a></li> <li>A much better free option if your goal is to show off your own code.</li> <li>Post your code to your GitHub account and your site will be automatically generated from your repo's master branch.</li> <li>Check out <a href="http://startovercoder.com/014" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 14</a> to hear about git &amp; GitHub basics.</li> <li>Your site can be visited at <a href="http://yourusername.github.io" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">yourusername.github.io</a>, or you can hook up your own domain.</li> </ul> Squarespace <ul> <li><a href="https://www.squarespace.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Squarespace Link</a></li> <li>Drag &amp; drop easy user interface but waaaaay cooler looking pages than the free options!</li> <li>You really don't need to know how to code to use Squarespace but it's a good option for getting a site up quickly, and you can code customizations if you want to.</li> <li>All Squarespace sites are responsive -- no matter what device people check out your site on, it will look great.</li> <li>But it comes at a cost! At the time I recorded this podcast accounts start at $12/month and go up from there. Squarespace hosting includes a free domain name which you can port to another registrar if you decide to close your account.</li> <li>Look for vouchers or promo codes to get some discounts or free service.</li> </ul> <a href="http://Wordpress.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wordpress.org</a> <ul> <li><a href="https://wordpress.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Wordpress.org Link</a></li> <li>Different from <a href="http://wordpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wordpress.com</a>!</li> <li>Free, you're not required to have ads on your page, but you need to pay for your own hosting.</li> <li>All hosting services are Wordpress compatible. Some may require you to install it yourself, but most will even do the Wordpress installation for you.</li> <li>There are many <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">free Wordpress templates</a>, some better than others...or you can buy a template for more features.</li> <li>Or of course build your own template! You will need to learn PHP and CSS (and a bit of JavaScript).</li> <li>You can make your site really dynamic with Wordpress plugins for social media, SEO, eCommerce, etc.</li> <li>Unfortunately because it's so popular, it's also very vulnerable to security threats (listen to my story as a tale of caution!!!). Be sure to update your Wordpress software and plugins often to avoid being hacked.</li> <li>Be sure to backup your site regularly too in case you do get hacked. There are plugins that can do this for you.</li> </ul> Amazon Web Services <ul> <li><a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">AWS Link</a></li> <li>Certainly the most complicated of these options...very steep learning curve for newbies!</li> <li>Many AWS services are free to try for a full year. At the end of the year you go to the normal pricing, but even so it's still pretty inexpensive. For example, monthly hosting on AWS might cost $0.50/month compared to $7+ monthly on other hosting services.</li> <li>AWS is very scalable. If/when you want to expand the capabilities beyond just a basic static site, you'll be able to do it pretty seamlessly. (For example, you can grown to the scale of AirBnB, NASA, GE, Capital One, or Netflix to name a few...all users of AWS!)</li> </ul> My Approach So which of these should you choose? My approach is always based on my goals for the site I'm building at the time. Do I want it to be ready quickly, do I want it to be inexpensive, or do I want it to be high quality (ideally with my own code)? You can only get 2 out of 3 at a time! For fast &amp; quality, Squarespace is certainly the one to pick, but I'll pay more than what I'd like. For cheap &amp; quality (well, as good quality as I'm capable of writing), it's AWS...but the tradeoff is the time it will take me to write my code, AND the time to figure out the monster that is AWS! The next thing I ask myself is what are the goals for this project. If it's something I know I'll keep up long term, I'll take the time to set things up properly on AWS and build it myself from scratch. On the other hand if it's something I'm just trying out, I might start on <a href="http://Wordpress.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wordpress.org</a> (with a steeply discounted hosting plan) just to get something up quickly and see whether I'll actually stick with it. Perfect example--<a href="http://startovercoder.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com</a>! Next question--are there any deals to be had? Even though I prefer AWS, sometimes it's worth it to use another service in the first year to take advantage of their promotions. For example, to buy the Start Over Coder domain on AWS it would be $12 for the domain, plus the monthly hosting and storage costs. Instead I used a registrar which offered a free domain and 12 months of hosting for $11.92! At the end of the year it's just a matter of moving everything over to AWS (another great skill to learn!). Visit <a href="https://www.domcomp.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">domcomp.com</a> to compare the latest prices &amp; services from many registrars at once.  Final question: I ask myself what I want to learn by building my website. Personally, I'm not interested in learning PHP (not for now at least) so I'm fine to use a mediocre-looking Wordpress theme rather than building my own or doing a lot of customizations. On the other hand, having a level of comfort with AWS will be a great asset (I think!) when it comes to looking for jobs, so I accept the pain &amp; time that will go into figuring it out. Thoughts on this episode? Have I missed any services you think are worth mentioning? You can find the show notes and leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/031</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

031: How To Host A Website (Part 1)

Front

The Programmer 101 series answers the questions all new coders might ask themselves. Today: differentiating between different types of web developers. Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/038 or tweet me @startovercoder.

The Programmer 101 series answers the questions all new coders might ask themselves. Today: differentiating between different types of web developers. Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/038" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/038</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

038: Programmer 101 - What is front end vs back end vs full stack development?

I’ve just completed my first project where I call an API to randomly generate an inspiring quote, and this episode is all about how I did it. One of the Free Code Camp projects that must be completed while learning JavaScript is to build a random quote generator by calling an external API, and including a button that lets people tweet the randomly generated quote. It was a great project and not as hard as I thought it would be! Before getting started though, I spent a lot of time procrastinating. Part of that led me to the Dev Tips YouTube channel (and in particular this video), which was the inspiration behind my quote machine's video background. Here are the other resources mentioned in the episode:  Free video backgrounds from coverr.co Google Fonts Mashape is the API marketplace I mentioned Forismatic created the API I ended up using Working With APIs in JavaScript [video] from The Coding Train Random Quote Machine [video] from Stephen Mayeux  My main takeaways / things to remember from this exercise were:  After you've written the code to call an API but before implementing its data to appear on your site, test that it's being called correctly by opening the browser console to console.log any output from the API. This way you can make sure it's working properly before integrating the API information into your site or app. [video explanation] My quote machine was coded using jQuery to get a new quote each time the button was clicked. The button click also annoyingly caused the whole page to reload and jump to the top, but this could be avoided by adding an event listener to the function to prevent this default action from taking place. [video explanation]  And finally, you can see the final outcome of my random quote machine on CodePen.

I’ve just completed my first project where I call an API to randomly generate an inspiring quote, and this episode is all about how I did it. One of the Free Code Camp projects that must be completed while learning JavaScript is to build a random quote generator by calling an external API, and including a button that lets people tweet the randomly generated quote. It was a great project and not as hard as I thought it would be! Before getting started though, I spent a lot of time procrastinating. Part of that led me to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DevTipsForDesigners" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dev Tips</a> YouTube channel (and in particular <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S0X0OWMu_k&amp;t=561s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this video</a>), which was the inspiration behind my quote machine's video background. Here are the other resources mentioned in the episode: <ul> <li>Free video backgrounds from <a href="https://coverr.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">coverr.co</a></li> <li><a href="https://fonts.google.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Fonts</a></li> <li><a href="https://market.mashape.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mashape</a> is the API marketplace I mentioned</li> <li><a href="http://forismatic.com/en/api/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forismatic</a> created the API I ended up using</li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecT42O6I_WI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working With APIs in JavaScript</a> [video] from The Coding Train</li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xeDQ1-ZfcQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Random Quote Machine</a> [video] from Stephen Mayeux</li> </ul> My main takeaways / things to remember from this exercise were: <ul> <li>After you've written the code to call an API but before implementing its data to appear on your site, test that it's being called correctly by opening the browser console to console.log any output from the API. This way you can make sure it's working properly before integrating the API information into your site or app. [<a href="https://youtu.be/5xeDQ1-ZfcQ?t=22m2s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video explanation</a>]</li> <li>My quote machine was coded using jQuery to get a new quote each time the button was clicked. The button click also annoyingly caused the whole page to reload and jump to the top, but this could be avoided by adding an event listener to the function to prevent this default action from taking place. [<a href="https://youtu.be/5xeDQ1-ZfcQ?t=28m18s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video explanation</a>]</li> </ul> And finally, you can see the final outcome of my <a href="http://codepen.io/startovercoder/full/evyeyL/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">random quote machine on CodePen</a>.

011: How I Learned to Call My First API

A whole year of learning to code, whew! In this episode I reflect on some of the bigger lessons that will carry into the new year: Code. With Others. And set goals! These are the keys to success. Episode Links:   Episode 019: There's No One Right Answer  Episode 028: Endings: Workshop, Bootcamp &amp; Debt  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/049 or tweet me @startovercoder.

A whole year of learning to code, whew! In this episode I reflect on some of the bigger lessons that will carry into the new year: Code. With Others. And set goals! These are the keys to success. Episode Links: <ul> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=pretty-link&amp;action=edit&amp;id=19" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Episode 019: There's No One Right Answer</a></li> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=pretty-link&amp;action=edit&amp;id=28" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Episode 028: Endings: Workshop, Bootcamp &amp; Debt</a></li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/049" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/049</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

049: Lessons From A Year In Coding

Breaking down a problem into smaller steps is a great start, but it’s not enough! This week I’m talking about what more can be done to accomplish a goal, whether that goal is some tricky algorithm scripting or changing careers. Show Links:  Harvard's CS50 on EdX Visual of the Mario exercise 

Breaking down a problem into smaller steps is a great start, but it’s not enough! This week I’m talking about what more can be done to accomplish a goal, whether that goal is some tricky algorithm scripting or changing careers. Show Links: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harvard's CS50 on EdX</a></li> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/mario-staircase" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visual of the Mario exercise</a></li> </ul>

017: Break It Down - Accomplishing Goals With an Algorithmic Mindset

Udemy’s Web Developer Bootcamp is a fantastic course I can highly recommend. In this episode I share the best &amp; worst parts, and some tips to get the most out of it. To check out the full description of Colt Steele's course or to sign up, view the course on Udemy. Other things mentioned in this episode: Paper.js - JavaScript animations library Howler.js - JavaScript library for playing sounds Colt Steele's MySQL course   Thoughts on this episode? You can find the show notes and leave a comment at startovercoder.com or tweet me @startovercoder.

Udemy’s Web Developer Bootcamp is a fantastic course I can highly recommend. In this episode I share the best &amp; worst parts, and some tips to get the most out of it. To check out the full description of Colt Steele's course or to sign up, <a href="https://www.udemy.com/the-web-developer-bootcamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">view the course on Udemy</a>. Other things mentioned in this episode: <a href="http://paperjs.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paper.js</a> - JavaScript animations library <a href="https://howlerjs.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Howler.js</a> - JavaScript library for playing sounds <a href="https://www.udemy.com/the-ultimate-mysql-bootcamp-go-from-sql-beginner-to-expert/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colt Steele's MySQL course</a> Thoughts on this episode? You can find the show notes and leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/029" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

029: The Web Developer Bootcamp [Online Course Review]

In this episode I’ll explain how you can achieve financial independence, and why I’ve chosen to do it. It’s not just about sitting on the beach! Here are some places you can read more about FI: The Mad FIentist: The Perfect Life Mr. Money Mustache: The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement Mr. Money Mustache: How To Go From Middle-Class To Kickass   And here's Dave Ramsay's article about me and my friend Einstein (well, you know what I mean!): How Teen's Can Become Millionaires

In this episode I’ll explain how you can achieve financial independence, and why I’ve chosen to do it. It’s not just about sitting on the beach! Here are some places you can read more about FI: The Mad FIentist: <a href="http://www.madfientist.com/the-perfect-life/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Perfect Life</a> Mr. Money Mustache: <a href="http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/01/13/the-shockingly-simple-math-behind-early-retirement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement</a> Mr. Money Mustache: <a href="http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/10/08/how-to-go-from-middle-class-to-kickass/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Go From Middle-Class To Kickass</a> And here's Dave Ramsay's article about me and my friend Einstein (well, you know what I mean!): <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-teens-can-become-millionaires" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Teen's Can Become Millionaires</a>

004: What Is Financial Independence / Where To Start!?

Hitting a key milestone in learning to code: that moment when you stop the coding exercises and actually build something!  After months of going through exercises and theoretical practice problems, I finally reached a point where I can see some practical uses for JavaScript. In today's episode I share my excitement about it with you, and ask--what are some of your learning milestones?

Hitting a key milestone in learning to code: that moment when you stop the coding exercises and actually build something!  After months of going through exercises and theoretical practice problems, I finally reached a point where I can see some practical uses for JavaScript. In today's episode I share my excitement about it with you, and ask--what are some of your learning milestones?

008: Putting JavaScript To Use

I hit my first major stumbling block when it comes to learning to code. I say ‘first’ because I’m sure there will be more! In this episode I share what I think happened, and what I’m going to do differently to make sure this this speed bump doesn’t become a dead end.

I hit my first major stumbling block when it comes to learning to code. I say ‘first’ because I’m sure there will be more! In this episode I share what I think happened, and what I’m going to do differently to make sure this this speed bump doesn’t become a dead end.

010: Stumbling Block #1 On My Learn To Code Journey

This week I got rejected from a coding program that would have been great for jumpstarting my new career. Bah humbug : ( While I put a lot of effort into researching and then applying for the program, turns out it's just not in the cards for the near future. So now it's about resetting, making some plans, and figuring out where to go from here. Have you ever been rejected from something you had your mind set on? How did you reset your path? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/048 or tweet me @startovercoder.

This week I got rejected from a coding program that would have been great for jumpstarting my new career. Bah humbug : ( While I put a lot of effort into researching and then applying for the program, turns out it's just not in the cards for the near future. So now it's about resetting, making some plans, and figuring out where to go from here. Have you ever been rejected from something you had your mind set on? How did you reset your path? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/048" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/048</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

048: Coding School Rejection! 😣

If you’re new to programming you will undoubtedly come across GitHub &amp; Git pretty early on. This episode describes the difference between the two, and explains how you’ll use both as you learn to code. If you're ready to get started, here are some of the beginner tutorials I found helpful when I first started using Git &amp; GitHub:  Install Git Create a GitHub account Tutorial to put a project from your local computer onto GitHub How To Do The GitHub (YouTube) Dev Tips 'GitHub For Noobs' video playlist (YouTube)  And once you're more comfortable, some additional resources to check out:  How To Write a Git Commit Message Learn Enough Command Line To Be Dangerous  What was it like when you started learning Git? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/014 or tweet me @startovercoder.

If you’re new to programming you will undoubtedly come across GitHub &amp; Git pretty early on. This episode describes the difference between the two, and explains how you’ll use both as you learn to code. If you're ready to get started, here are some of the beginner tutorials I found helpful when I first started using Git &amp; GitHub: <ul> <li><a href="https://git-scm.com/downloads" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Install Git</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Create a GitHub account</a></li> <li><a href="https://help.github.com/articles/adding-an-existing-project-to-github-using-the-command-line/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tutorial to put a project from your local computer onto GitHub</a></li> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/EUvmCuPjHD4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Do The GitHub (YouTube)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9_cB9mPT8&amp;list=PLqGj3iMvMa4LFz8DZ0t-89twnelpT4Ilw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dev Tips 'GitHub For Noobs' video playlist (YouTube)</a></li> </ul> And once you're more comfortable, some additional resources to check out: <ul> <li><a href="https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Write a Git Commit Message</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.learnenough.com/command-line-tutorial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn Enough Command Line To Be Dangerous</a></li> </ul> What was it like when you started learning Git? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/014" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/014</a> or tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

014: Git & GitHub Basics

With an endless list of programming languages and topics to try &amp; master, it can be tempting to try to learn more than one language at a time. In this episode I explain why I think that’s a bad idea! Mentions in this episode:  My learning plan - Start Over Coder episode 13 Harvard CS50 on EdX The Web Developer Bootcamp on Udemy My intro to Node.js - Start Over Coder episode 19 Super easy (!!!) Jekyll blog on GitHub pages  If you're going to give it a go I highly recommend Jonathan McGlone's Step-By-Step Guide      Do you think it's a good/bad idea to learn more than one language at once? I'd love to hear what you think! Leave a comment at startovercoder.com or tweet me @startovercoder.

With an endless list of programming languages and topics to try &amp; master, it can be tempting to try to learn more than one language at a time. In this episode I explain why I think that’s a bad idea! Mentions in this episode: <ul> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/013" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My learning plan</a> - Start Over Coder episode 13</li> <li><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harvard CS50</a> on EdX</li> <li><a href="https://www.udemy.com/the-web-developer-bootcamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Web Developer Bootcamp</a> on Udemy</li> <li><a href="http://startovercoder.com/020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My intro to Node.js</a> - Start Over Coder episode 19</li> <li>Super easy (!!!) <a href="https://jekyllrb.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jekyll</a> blog on <a href="https://pages.github.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GitHub pages</a> <ul> <li>If you're going to give it a go I highly recommend <a href="http://jmcglone.com/guides/github-pages/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jonathan McGlone's Step-By-Step Guide</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> Do you think it's a good/bad idea to learn more than one language at once? I'd love to hear what you think! Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/022" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com</a> or tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

022: Should I Learn More Than 1 Language At Once?

Working with data is one of the most important aspects of development. This week I got an intro to relational databases, and here’s what I learned. As we all know, a database is where we store data...what makes it relational is the method we use to store it: information is stored in tables, and then we relate those tables to each other by referencing unique id numbers from one table to the next. To interact with the data, we use a relational database management system (RDBMS) like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, etc. Another option for storing data is to use a non-relational database like MongoDB or Neo4j which takes a less rigid approach to how and where data can be stored. These are also sometimes called NoSQL (not only SQL) databases and they provide flexibility when the data you're working with vary a lot in structure and content. However when the information is uniform, relational databases can be very efficient because there is not a lot of repetition, and you can easily access exactly the information you need with SQL, when you need it. With an RDBMS like MySQL, you can write queries to do everything from basic CRUD commands (create - read - update - delete/destroy) to refining searches and aggregating information. Using these queries and commands not only allows you to determine what information is displayed in your application, but it can also help with marketing decision, business development, advertising and much more. One correction—when I gave the Instagram example, I said that you would have a table for users, and then a table for "that user's photos" and so on. I meant to say you would have a table for ALL photos—it would not be a table for each user. You then link a user id to the photos table to show which user that photo belongs to. Sorry I misspoke! Links from this episode:  Most popular baby names by US state The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp W3 MySQL Exercises SQLZoo US Government Data UK Government Data Cloud9 web environment to practice    If you have some tips on how to practice working with a database, leave a comment at startovercoder.com/052 or tweet me @startovercoder.

Working with data is one of the most important aspects of development. This week I got an intro to relational databases, and here’s what I learned. As we all know, a database is where we store data...what makes it relational is the method we use to store it: information is stored in tables, and then we relate those tables to each other by referencing unique id numbers from one table to the next. To interact with the data, we use a relational database management system (RDBMS) like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, etc. Another option for storing data is to use a non-relational database like MongoDB or Neo4j which takes a less rigid approach to how and where data can be stored. These are also sometimes called NoSQL (not only SQL) databases and they provide flexibility when the data you're working with vary a lot in structure and content. However when the information is uniform, relational databases can be very efficient because there is not a lot of repetition, and you can easily access exactly the information you need with SQL, when you need it. With an RDBMS like MySQL, you can write queries to do everything from basic CRUD commands (create - read - update - delete/destroy) to refining searches and aggregating information. Using these queries and commands not only allows you to determine what information is displayed in your application, but it can also help with marketing decision, business development, advertising and much more. One correction—when I gave the Instagram example, I said that you would have a table for users, and then a table for "that user's photos" and so on. I meant to say you would have a table for ALL photos—it would not be a table for each user. You then link a user id to the photos table to show which user that photo belongs to. Sorry I misspoke! Links from this episode: <ul> <li><a href="https://msbarry.github.io/babymap/#F2015" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Most popular baby names by US state</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.udemy.com/the-ultimate-mysql-bootcamp-go-from-sql-beginner-to-expert/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.w3resource.com/mysql-exercises/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">W3 MySQL Exercises</a></li> <li><a href="http://sqlzoo.net/wiki/SQL_Tutorial" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SQLZoo</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.data.gov/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">US Government Data</a></li> <li><a href="https://data.gov.uk/data/search" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">UK Government Data</a></li> <li><a href="https://aws.amazon.com/cloud9/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Cloud9</a> web environment to practice</li> </ul> If you have some tips on how to practice working with a database, leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/052" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/052</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

052: Relational Databases Intro

It’s time to revisit my learning plan for learning to code! With the start of a new year and career uncertainty ahead, I’m setting some goals to make sure this Start Over Coder expedition stays on track. For the record &amp; prosperity (!) I'm going to:  Gain skills with relational databases: learn structure, learn SQL, build sample projects. Learn React, and build sample projects. Learn CSS grid, and build sample projects. Dive deeper into JavaScript and Node.js. And build sample projects! Get my first paid work as a developer by 30 June, 2018. Be more specific about calendarizing work sessions: more specificity = more productivity. Share what I learn in this podcast and in a blog. Practice pair programming.  Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at startovercoder.com/050 or tweet me @startovercoder.

It’s time to revisit my learning plan for learning to code! With the start of a new year and career uncertainty ahead, I’m setting some goals to make sure this Start Over Coder expedition stays on track. For the record &amp; prosperity (!) I'm going to: <ul> <li>Gain skills with relational databases: learn structure, learn SQL, build sample projects.</li> <li>Learn React, and build sample projects.</li> <li>Learn CSS grid, and build sample projects.</li> <li>Dive deeper into JavaScript and Node.js. And build sample projects!</li> <li>Get my first paid work as a developer by 30 June, 2018.</li> <li>Be more specific about calendarizing work sessions: more specificity = more productivity.</li> <li>Share what I learn in this podcast and in a blog.</li> <li>Practice pair programming.</li> </ul> Thoughts on this episode? Leave a comment at <a href="http://startovercoder.com/050" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startovercoder.com/050</a> or tweet me <a href="http://startovercoder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@startovercoder</a>.

050: Learning Plan 2.0!

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