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Rob Kramers
12,732 PointsProblems with CSS Layout Project. What to do? Continue with the course? Or make sure i understand this first?
Hello everyone,
Im following the Front End Web Development course and overall im understanding it pretty well but when i got to the CSS Layout Project and the given assignment i failed horribly. So now im wondering if its best to continue the course and make a note of this and come back to it later or make sure i understand this first? Cause it kinda feels like cheating when i skip this class and go on to the next one. Anyone ever experienced the same?
Thank you for reading,
Rob
4 Answers
Cameron Childres
11,820 PointsHey Rob,
I'm working through the same track myself. I've been taking my time to make sure that I understand things before moving on and I find it to be valuable as often the knowledge learned will be built upon in future sections. You may find yourself more confused if you skip ahead. With that said, if you need a break from CSS you could skip forward a few lessons to the next JavaScript section which won't depend on your CSS knowledge. But after a few of those you'll be wanting those foundational CSS skills for other lessons.
Can I ask about how you're approaching the CSS Layout Project and where you're running in to difficulty? Maybe I could offer some help. You may already be doing these things but here's what I find works for me:
- Code along with the videos. Pause, type your own code, and check that it works how you expect it to. Don't rush through gaps of understanding.
- Use documentation and don't be afraid to look things up. Using Google is not cheating, but blindly copying and pasting code is. You aren't expected to keep all of the terms in your head but you should be able to work through finding and using them.
- Ask the community when you hit a wall. It helps to get another human perspective on your thinking process and reinforces our knowledge as well. (I recently had difficulty with a JS concept and all the Googling in the world didn't get me where I needed to be. A very helpful community member here walked me through the issue and it felt like a huge breakthrough -- I lost a day to that lesson, but I'm glad I did!)
Cameron Childres
11,820 PointsSometimes im rushing to get another badge on a day while i dont really take everything in.
This has bit me too! Those badges are tempting and make me feel like I've accomplished the goal when I get them, but I've started to tell myself they don't really "count" unless I can demonstrate the knowledge on my own. The quizzes and such are good ways to gauge if you've been paying attention to the videos but that's all they are, to make it stick it helps to give yourself little challenges or work the knowledge that was covered in to a project of your own.
Can you recommend any workspaces to do that in?
I mostly play around locally by creating a folder for a "website" on my machine, adding html/css/js files, and editing them in a code editor. I'm using Visual Studio Code on the recommendation of a friend -- it's got a lot more features than I need right now but it feels good to be getting to used the tools that I'll eventually use more. I find this method a bit snappier than using online workspaces and enjoy that I'm just a little bit closer to how I'll need to be doing work in the future. It has the disadvantage of not being properly online and sharing my works isn't easy. I hope soon to publish a live site but I haven't crossed that bridge yet.
If you like how the Treehouse workspaces operate you can always make new ones separate from the lessons to practice in which can easily be shared here for feedback. Alternatively, codepen.io is a popular place to build small projects that also allows for sharing with a simple link. One cool thing about it is that it actively refreshes your work as you type the code, giving a live view of the changes that you're making.
Rob Kramers
12,732 PointsThanks thats a great insight. I will start doing the same from now on.
Thank you for Codepen.. That site looks like what i needed. And i will look into Visual Studio Code aswell.
Thanks for all the advice Cameron. Do you use Discord by any chance? I think it would be fun to stay in touch about how things are going coding wise etc. My discord is Kramurz#3515. Have a great day!
Cameron Childres
11,820 PointsI'm not too active on Discord but I'll hit you up, could certainly use a coding buddy
Rob Kramers
12,732 PointsGreat talk to you there!
Rob Kramers
12,732 PointsRob Kramers
12,732 PointsHello Cameron,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me! I was running into trouble with the last big assignment we got. It was overwhelming for me i think. I was okay with the stand alone lessons but when we had to put it all together i had trouble where to start.
Also with javascript i ran into some trouble. I could do the objectives and quizes but the challenges were always pretty hard but ive stored them all so i can look back on them later.
Mm coding along with the videos but i think i have to pay some more attention to it then i do now. Sometimes im rushing to get another badge on a day while i dont really take everything in. So i should focus more on the actual learning then getting the badges.
Yeah ive decided im gonna make my own webpage about something i like so i already implement what ive learned in a project of myself. Can you recommend any workspaces to do that in?
Thank you for the tips. This community is indeed very helpful