Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Databases

Andrew Lenti
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andrew Lenti
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 7,193 Points
Posted by Andrew Lenti
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andrew Lenti
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 7,193 Points

Strategy in becoming a dynamic web based software programmer

Hello to All. It is my pleasure to have recently joined treehouse as a re-enforcement to my full time study curriculum aimed at equipping me with the skills to become a dynamic web based software programmer. I am so obsessed with this objective that I have actually quit my comfortable day job to dedicate myself full time in my studies. Furthermore, I have engaged a software company to build for me a software that I would like to bring to the market this year of which I had previously built its prototype using MS Access platform and Visual Basic coding.

As my project has kicked off and my supporting software company is using my MS Access prototype together with my daily feedback to build my tool using the LAMP model, I am studying dilligently HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL with the hopes that AS SOON AS POSSIBLE I will be able to interact in a hands-on type manner with my software provider and offer assistance in the daily programming to enrich our output and maximise our results.

This being said, I have purchased many books and am well on my way in reading them and doing exercises, however I have recently found the utility in using Treehouse to re-enforce my lessons. At this point in time I am quite strong on the HTML and CSS side (I have already successfully built a website for my company) but am quite weak on the PHP side and am having great difficulty understanding the language and concepts which I have encountered in the reading.

My question to anyone who has an experience of such is 'What is the best study-strategy to accomplish my goasl?' Should I be spreading my time over all topics with an accellerated milestone plan or should I concentrate on one topic at a time trying to become an expert and push back the timeline of reaching a capable level of know-how allowing me to be able to swim with my software provider?

Thanks for listening and hope to hear from you soon. Andrew

1 Answer

Josh Keenan
Josh Keenan
20,315 Points
Josh Keenan
Josh Keenan
20,315 Points

As someone who has attempted to do multiple things at once and still be amazingly good at all of them, do everything one step at a time and by one step I mean do one language at a time and revisit it later on.

I'd recommend that you don't try to learn all you need to in PHP and JS at the same time because you may get some small details muddled up!

Andrew Lenti
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andrew Lenti
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 7,193 Points
Andrew Lenti
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Andrew Lenti
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 7,193 Points

Thank you Josh. Do you think it is more logical to start with PHP or with JS? At the moment, my software provider is hitting me with a lot of design-related questions regarding the user interface and it is possibile that my limitations in knowing WHAT JS is capable of doing may be impacting our project.

Josh Keenan
Josh Keenan
20,315 Points
Josh Keenan
Josh Keenan
20,315 Points

I would say JS, I think it will give you a firmer foundation on the front end before starting moving to the back a bit more. JS can help solve your problem!