Edited 2023-12-25
If you want a TL;DR: here it is!
I thought JavaScript was intimidating at first, but after taking the introductory course and doing some WODs, it turned out it wasn’t so bad!
To be frank: I am VERY much scared whenever I learn something new. In situations such as those I always feel like I’m out of my wheelhouse and that, somehow, my skill set wouldn’t convert over in any meaningful way. This has been true for all the skills I’ve learned up to now like swimming, biking, public speaking, writing, programming, dancing (still not good at this one unfortunately), and any other skill that you would expect of a normal and functioning human being.
So imagine this: the child who grew up on Flash games and interactive websites (with ActionScript, being a code that used to be a sibling developed alongside JavaScript that resembles JavaScript class & syntax-wise, and JavaScript respectively) is given the chance to learn something that has the opportunity to create mind-boggling effects: like Apple’s home page. Of course, I would be excited! However, that came with the feeling of expectations:
“Do I need to completely re-learn my syntax?”
“Would I have to learn a completely different system of data-handling?”
“How long would it take for me to un-learn and re-learn everything?”
After all, I always like to plan for the worst-case scenario: which is seemingly built into my character. This time it would be no different: going into JavaScript I was nervous, yet excited, for what was to come.
Popping open FreeCodeCamp and doing both the JavaScript and ES6 lessons, which accumulated to approximately 160 exercises (SHEESH), I spent a few hours getting acquainted with all the basics of the language. From assigning variables, how you don’t have to declare variable type at declaration, to the syntax for functions, objects, and loops. Thankfully my skills in Java, the language I have faithfully relied on since my jumbled and horrible text-based turn-based RPG (which I developed alone) to random string generators & data-processing/sorting algorithms, carried over in full stride.
Those 6 years of Java programming did wonders baby!
Thankfully, having Java in the name made its syntax eerily similar to Java, and the small romp I had with Python helped wrap my head around the variable system. So after those long hours of grinding out the exercises, I was ready to do some athletic-based software engineering (not yet though, just programming): WODs!
Having to practice your JavaScript under time constraints for an assignment is a crazy idea: so whoever thought of this concept needs to be fired! They’re giving our next generation anxiety attacks!
(Just jokes, don’t get too mad at me now)
The pressure of having to put down what you have planned in pseudocode in your head into a console, in JavaScript, is a good motivator and practice! Even though I do have familiarity in JavaScript and programming at this point, these exercises helped shake off the rust from my lack of programming for a year or two. And even though my first attempts were hit or miss (“DNF or Rx, baby! No in-between!”), by the time we did our first actual no-redoes WOD in class, I managed to do it quickly enough to have it functional in under four minutes.
So remember kids:
“Practice makes perfect!” (Unless you’re practicing bad habits, then CUT THAT OUT!)
[PS: No one can be perfect, so that quote is bad.]
JavaScript and I are going to have a long and loving marriage for the foreseeable future. I don’t think I would abandon this language unless it was REALLY going out of style. JavaScript is easy to learn, there’s a lot of resources to help you get acquainted with it, and is used in a wide array of web development.
I would recommend learning it to everyone, regardless of coding experience and desire to program. After all: what’s the harm in learning how to do something? And sure: learning JavaScript might be stressful, or the things that you decide to create using JavaScript might make you feel as if you’re in a dead-end…
But with enough love, care, passion, and perseverance (and external help): I’m sure you too can learn JavaScript (or get better).
What are you doing here still? GO!