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JavaScript JavaScript Basics Working with Strings Variables and Strings Challenge Solution

I've been on Javascript a while now

I've been on Javascript a while now and feel i'm not learning...

Im struggling with basic and videos seem to fast, is there an easier way to learn???

Tony B
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Tony B
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 10,702 Points

Js is tough. I've started Duckett's JS book, Myers's 'A Smarter Way to Learn JS', and doing the challenges on freecodecamp. It helps me going over the basics slower and in diff formats like reading and challenges.

I'm having the same problem as you on unit 5. It took me about 38 hours to get comfortable and not super frustrates with html css.

Js I like better, but it is much more difficult. I'm hoping the same thing happens after about 30-50 hours where it starts clicking.

A R
A R
12,834 Points

Hi Jason, Check out meetup and see if there are local groups for learners, you might find good resources and groups there. One of the nice things about right now is that a lot of meetings are online, so you can attend a learning group virtually anywhere that's hosting one!

You can also check out the githubs of other treehouse students. There are lots of finished projects hosted on there, where you can see how other students approached a problem. In the past, I look at people posting on here who have github accounts and see what they have. You might have luck with searching github directly.

Tyler McGinnis has some courses on https://ui.dev/. I happened to like his teaching style on some of the concepts.

If you have the inclination, you can also look for courses on https://www.udemy.com/. I think there's a 30 day money-back guarantee, so you have time to check over the teaching style of a course to see if it's a good fit for you. Right now, https://www.udacity.com/ also has a 30-day free trial.

Overall, once you get the basics figured out I think you'll find it gets easier. A lot of the intro courses have you writing algorithms and figuring out coding problems that are of a slightly different nature than the kind of problems you face as you start heading into working with API's and directly developing websites, and when you've been coding for a bit you'll have a better sense of where the problem lies and how to go about fixing it.

Remember, all the struggling you're doing right now is a great learning experience! You'll have a better grasp of how to problem solve in your code later, as well as what resources to access if you have trouble later on.

5 Answers

Rick Gleitz
Rick Gleitz
47,878 Points

You may already know this, but if the video seems to be going too fast, you can slow down the speaker's speed with the controls at the bottom of the video. Also, you can turn on the closed captioning down there as well. Taking in information in more than one way simultaneously can help your understanding. The CC misinterprets the teacher's speech sometimes, so be aware of that. And of course, you can always go back a bit. There is a 10 second back button at the bottom (or you can just click on the green bar to a previous part of the video). You can get the transcript and video from the downloads section after the written intro under the video. Keep on trying, just concentrate on learning one concept at a time, as slowly as you need to, and you will make progress. Concentrate for 15 or twenty minutes, the take a break. Do something totally different for a bit. You'll may be surprised that when you come back to it that it makes more sense. Your brain just has to mull it over in the background for a while. I've noticed this when doing the Jumble in the paper. I'll get stuck on a word, go away for a while, then when I come back the answer pops right in my head. Best wishes!

Fran ADP
Fran ADP
6,304 Points

Do the practice challenges teachers upload to you at the end of a stage if that helps you or put the video in slow-motion if that helps

I use this site to learn but i've also found https://javascript.info to be incredibly informative with tons of explanations to literally everything... taken me awhile to find and i have been printing loads of their code off so i can read later..

This site i like don't get me wrong but sometimes you just need a little more depth occasionally.

thx for this suggestion, I will definitely check that site !!

Austin Hinz
Austin Hinz
3,194 Points

Hello,

In short:
*Research the material before watching the video
*Write down important stuff
*Have organized bookmarks (folders) for study music, other websites to learn code
*Don't just go through the videos, explore them by thinking of how YOU can use it and ATTEMPT to make your idea into actual working code
*Study everyday
*Make the challenges harder by doing more then what they are asking for
*Pretend the solution has never been found and you have the opportunity to find the answer to teach others
*Take breaks
*Read descriptions of different variables, methods, etc

Lastly, just have fun with it and don't rush :D
-Austin

Thank you everyone so much for your encouragement and thank you A R for your support i'll keep going through it bit by bit i'm sure it will stick eventually!