How to approach challenges in the future? Becoming dispirited.

Welcome to Treehouse Alex~

I just want to encourage you to continue along the journey. I have been a Treehouse learner the better part of three years and it has been very challenging. It's fun and perhaps my coding skills will lead to a middle-class employment opportunity. Sometimes I become as dispirited as you currently are, but you must stay positive!

What I have learned during my studies here is that it is wise to (a) watch the video tutorials (in increments, without taking notes), (b) query StackOverflow or Google information to help ingrain in my mind what I had learned, (c) then re-watch the videos (this time taking notes), (d) watch the vids a 3rd time while completing the challenges and practicing own your own before moving forward. By now, you are familiar with the console. Use this tool to code so that you can see your results and understand what mistakes you are making~

This process works for me. I just want to say: NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! You joined Treehouse with a purpose in mind and you are own your way!

just remember baby steps. use // notes what are you trying to do? generate a random number. how to do that? oh yeah .. now modify that.. how do i add an upper? oh yeah. now how do i add an lower? baby steps when approaching.

They call it the rubber ducky. Put something on your desk and talk to it. Tell the rubber duck what you are trying to do. then explain to the rubber duck simply how you will do it. (honestly do this out loud to the object. making a thought actual words has a magic too it) doing this will help you far more than you realize. Talking it out and putting it into explainable words rather then thoughts in your head will do some magic. as well as qhen you are stuck... ask the rubber duck how to fix the problem. when you are breaking down into simple words where you are stuck often times just doing that just trying to eplxain how and where you are stuck will help you. Its really awesome. Use a rubber duck they are genious.

I feel the same as you. I was getting CSS and HTML, (for the most part) but in JavaScript I feel like I don't understand at all, once I got past the if else statements. I feel like I'm going to fail before I even begin, and I have a mid level programmer that leaves with as a tutor, and I don't feel like I'm going to make.

I don't know what is is about JavaScript that so much harder to me than CSS and HTML...

Hi Alex Forseth I can totally relate to you. But what I do I remember why I'm doing it. Try to find a reason that keeps you focused that is strong enough that no matter what you encounter you won't give up. For example one challenge, that I kept feeling like I got, just wasn't working. I spent 3 days working on it. I never looked at the solution video or in the community. That kept me motivated and not afraid to try new things. also when I'm listening to the videos, anything I feel like might be important to remember or I might have trouble remembering, I write it down in the notes app and anything that I figure out a different way of remembering it, i make a note below what ever it is I'm learning. That way when I'm stuck I go back to it. For example, Guil Hernandez goToCoffeeShop example, I write it down change the variables and arguments names to see if I truly get it. And finally don't get upset if you don't get something right away. I'm a slow learner and my math isn't that good. So the math to generate a random number between two values, I still don't get it. But every time I come across something that helps me understand it, then I go back to it. update my notes. My point, spend as much time on a concept till you get it, if you don't and try to rush it, it will only make it harder, because the new stuff builds on the old stuff. Like now, the random number generator challenge in the last section, I solved it in no time, even when I had to add the error message to the console, I even went further and accepted user's input with a prompt dialog just to make it a bit more challenging. spend time on a concept till you get it, it will make the learning of the new stuff easier. I'm done .

Like you, I have a challenge when deciding how to assess myself. Personally, I am using Free Code Camp's curriculum & projects to assess myself. I do my best to do both programs side-by-side. However, more often than not, I find myself able to find answers to my questions on Free Code Camp by doing my own research ( and I find that I learn so much more that way!).

However, where Treehouse SAVES ME is when I just can't seem to get past a particular section. This is when i take a step back and review the concepts from the beginning with Treehouse's amazing videos and challenges. True, even some Treehouse challenges can seem daunting but just stick with it!

Interestingly enough, when I get to a point where I feel stuck in Treehouse (such as being unable to figure out a challenge), I switch back to FreeCodeCamp and realize I know how to fix the problem I was originally stuck on!

Everyone learns differently but my advice would be avoid trying to learn as much as you can as fast as you can. Instead, focus on learning something, anything, at least once a day.