We’re February 13, 2023. It’s been nearly three weeks since I started learning web development again. I had a brief stint with it in mid-2021 before moving onto Robotics, Python and C++.

Why, you might ask?

I almost completed the Data Science bootcamp on Udemy, but I couldn’t feel any excitement or motivation to keep going at it. In order to get a job as a Data Scientist, having a portfolio is essential, and I didn’t know where to start.

I may be overly critical of my work, and I think I didn’t dive deep enough or practiced the exercises well enough to claim I was close to mastering the subject.

Anyway, the reason I’m getting back into Web Development is because of the sheer number of offers on the market, and how it’s complete. Meaning that you can deal with design (Front-End) and/or logic (Back-End). And as a person who’s extremely curious, I feel I can express myself well in that kind of job.

My plan of attack

I know I have a tendency to set overly ambitious or unattainable goals, just to end up unmotivated and exhausted.

This time, I chose to make a real plan and stick to it. To that end, I used a planner to define realistic deadlines when it comes to my learning. Realistic deadlines are still hard to define though. I try to imagine goals that are attainable considering my environment, how I manage my time and energy, as well as how long a course chapter or section, including exercises and practice, may take.

If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.

This quote resonated with me since I came back to Japan looking for work. I’ve been planning my days and weeks by hand on a notebook, and since then, I feel more peaceful, less stressed and overwhelmed with my goals and deadlines.

Taking time to plan gave me some sense of accomplishment, and also, seeing the tasks I’d plan for the following days motivated me to take action. Another bonus is that I’d be able to monitor my progress easily instead of having tasks disappear on my phone after crossing them out.

Let me first describe what I’ll use to get knowledge and skills.

Learning Resources

I used to learn only from Udemy courses, which is a fantastic resource but I believe in learning from several sources. Before diving into Web Development, I went on Reddit and searched for recommended courses or bootcamps. I picked three of them:

  1. Colt Steele’s Web Development Bootcamp 2023, which I already purchased way back in 2021, and not finished yet.
  2. The Odin Project which is an open-source complete course to become a Full-Stack Web Developer with either JavaScript or Ruby (or both if you wish).
  3. FreeCodeCamp, a popular resource which is only project-based, and therefore good to build up a portfolio. There are also so many YouTube videos on several topics around Computer Science and Career Development.

I think I learn well through videos, I accumulate knowledge, but I also realized that I can learn a lot through reading too. I can go at my own pace and not being limited by the video’s.

I hesitated for long before signing up to The Odin Project and FreeCodeCamp, because I wasn’t sure how reliable they were. But after reading feedback on Reddit,

Now, let me share with you how I would tackle learning and the different goals I set for myself.

Learning strategy

Since my plan now is to work as a (ideally) full-stack web developer by August 2023, I still have 7 months to reach my goal. I know however that being a seasoned full-stack engineer in 7 months is quite ambitious. This is what I strive for, but being a Front-End Web Developer at first or a Back-End engineer is something I’d be pleased with.

In the past, I had a goal of finishing a section a day, and I didn’t really see how troubling that was. I put a lot of pressure on myself and that’s certainly the reason that led me to quit it. Not a burnout but still became so overwhelmed that I couldn’t continue anymore.

I first set monthly goals, starting from January. So far, I planned until the end of March to verify if my strategy is sustainable.

January 2023

  1. Finish the Introduction section on The Odin Project
  2. Finish the Learn CSS Colors project on FreeCodeCamp
  3. Finish the HTML Semantics section on Colt Steele’s Udemy bootcamp

February 2023

  1. Finish CSS Foundations section on The Odin Project
  2. Finish the Tribute Page project on FreeCodeCamp
  3. Complete the CSS sections on Colt Steele’s Udemy bootcamp

March 2023

  1. Finish JavaScript basics on The Odin Project
  2. Finish the Landing Page project on FreeCodeCamp
  3. Complete section 23 (Newer JS features) on Colt Steele’s Udemy bootcamp

I also set weekly goals to make sure I stay on track. Having some regular short deadlines is a good way to keep motivation high and be accountable. By having it on my planner, I immediately know if I fell behind or not.

Finally, I know that if I miss some days of learning or didn’t complete certain tasks, I can postpone them, and I also remind myself not to be too harsh on myself due to the detrimental effects it can have on my mind.

Other helping resources

Before deciding to go back to learning Web Development, I made quite a lot of research to maximize the chances of succeeding and pushing through the hard times. I know a friend of mine took approximately 2 years before successfully switching from English teaching in Japan to being a Software Developer.

Some resources advised to take a course on Learning How to Learn, and I’ve been learning some fascinating facts about the brain on learning and how to overcome certain hurdles during learning.

Finally, through these three resources, there are large communities that are always happy to help and makes learning more enjoyable and less lonely. Online learning is mostly a lonely endeavor that can take a toll on the mind.

I know I can do it.

If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.

I think this quote summarizes how I approach learning Web Development again. Citing the well-known book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, he extensively talks about the power of autosuggestion. I’ve been trying this myself for a few weeks. I do feel a change in how I approach life, and how I’m able to plan more long-term than seeking immediate reward. It’s difficult but I believe it’s amply worth trying this technique.

In the next posts, I’ll share a bit more about my plan for February and keep updates on how my learning goes.

Have you tackled a large learning goal to grow your career or make a career change? Please let me know in the comments below. See you in the next post.