10 Advices For Every Aspiring Web Developer

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Kingsley Ubah

I have been in this industry for nearly two years now.

Spent those two years learning, observing, teaching, building, planning and once again, learning!

Here's one thing I really want you all to know:

No one knows it all.

I am not a complete expert, and neither is anyone out there. No one can memorize all language's syntax and rules from HTML, Git to React.

Most highly proficient developers are very experienced when it comes to quickly finding answers to their problems. They know where and when to look.

Still, beginners are most likely to find themselves in a quandary regarding how to go about the interesting journey into web development, especially given the myriad of technologies present in the ecosystem.

If you're looking for some kind of roadmap, I'll highly recommend HTML To React Course . It's very detailed.

As someone with a fair amount of experience, here are 10 advices I have for beginners:

Just Start.

"I don't have a computer",
"My computer is not capable enough",

• "I am not smart enough",*

All of those are just excuses, and are not true at all.

Here's a fact:

I started learning how to code websites without a computer. That's right, I used my Android phone to learn.

Not smart enough? Well I used think even worse of myself. Yet here I am.

You will really need to set aside the excuses and put more effort into starting. You don't need any dedicated system or fancy set-up. Just a computer with a web browser and internet connection will do.

As you progress, you will gain more self-confidence.

Start now, thank me later.

Find Detailed Resources

As a Beginner, you're starting out with absolutely no knowledge of web development or programming.

You don't know what HTML, CSS, JavaScript or Angular is.

For this reason, it's very important that you go for courses and tutorials which contains a lot of information.

I will highly recommend is HTML To React By Sleepless Yogi. However, if you want something free, there are many sites and YouTube channels to find quality and comprehensive tutorials.

Master the basics.

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

These are the basics to web development. It doesn't matter how or what you use in building your website, you'll always find HTML present.

HTML has really evolved over the years. We now have a new standard which comes with more semantic elements to create meaningful markups and UX friendly websites.

CSS is even more important.

No one wants to navigate a site with no design, that would be horrendous.

CSS is a very broad topic. At the start, it's very simple to use. However as you grow and build more websites professionally, you'll start to find CSS to be more interesting and perhaps difficult. That's why it's crucial you have a solid foundation.

JavaScript is another very important and elementary technology to grasp.

You have git, which is a source control software, DevTools for app debugging and assessment, and a text editor or IDE like VSCode.

All of these are basics every Beginner must know. And once again, HTML To React covers the basics very well!

Practice Right From the Start.

"HTML is so easy, I don't actually need to practice that."

Wrong Wrong Wrong.

Don't underrate any thing when it comes to web development. You always have something to learn, even when it may not seem like it.

Start playing with code right from the beginning.

Practice Consistently, Build Projects.

"The easiest way to learn something is by Constant practise" - over 1 million motivational speakers.

That statement is especially true with developers.

You might feel very confident with your abilities after watching a lengthy tutorial but I can assure you that implementation will not be as smooth.

As you practice more, these things happen

• You learn things which the tutor may have left out.

• You learn how to type faster

• You internalize certain Syntax and procedures

• You get smarter

• You buy me some coffee

Jokes aside, practicing is hands-down the best way to learn web development.

It's also the most effective way to conquer your impostor syndrome. Take it from me.

Join an online developer community

This is a very crucial step, which has helped me a whole whole lot.

Some of you may already know me on Twitter but for those of you who don't, I joined Twitter on December 2020 and since then some incredible things have happened.

• I have met some very friendly people
• I have grown to nearly 10,000 follows
• I made my first income
• I created an eBook and sold some copies
• I have learned a lot

You learn a whole lot when you are active in some community.

Apart from Twitter which I highly recommend, here are some developer communities to consider

• The Practical Dev
• HashNode
• Reddit
• CodeWars
• HackerRank
• HackerNoon
• CodeNewbie
• FreeCodeCamp
• HackerNews

and more.

This is very important.

Use Tools To Save Time.

I am not telling you to spend $1000 dollars on some high end equipment, friend.

Some of the best IDEs, like VSCode, provides you with a collection of highly useful extensions to save time and increase productivity.

Here are some of them:

• Live Server
• Bracket Pair Colorizer
• Prettier
• Git History
• Auto Rename Tag
• Snippets
• Better Comments.
• Markdown All in One.
• Icons

You can check out what these tools do and see just how useful they really are.

It would be rather unwise to abandon all these tools for drudgery, **don't you think?**

Automatic Repetitive Tasks

A lot of processes and tasks are repetitive.

You don't need to do the same thing over and over again. It's not just tedious and boring, it's also a waste of precious time.

This is why I highly advise you get familiar with the command line.

That way, instead of always typing out long commands every single time, you create a simple script that automates the process.

Google is your friend.

Wait, let me rephrase:

Google is your friend if you know how to use it.

Learn how to effectively search for solutions on Google. The accuracy of your search query may hold the balance between you remaining stuck and your salvation.

Don't Overwork Yourself.

I feel attacked writing this particular part, but I am working on it.

You should already know what happens when you overwork yourself:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Mental stress
• Health Issues
• Aids
• Cancer
• Death

I'm Joking lol.

But seriously, don't overwork yourself. Take intermittent breaks while coding. Drink lots of water. Don't persist when you're faced with a very difficult bug. Personally when I confront a difficult problem I close my laptop and stare at the roof.

For 20 minutes.

Maybe I'm crazy, but you get the point.

I hope you got something valuable from this post. If you did, consider buying me favourite fruit:

Your support is highly appreciated.

Thank you and see you soon.

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Kingsley Ubah