I can definitely say that my programming skills have improved since the first day of class. While I have a bit of experience with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript I was still able to learn so much in this class. It was a good refresher course, as I had mostly forgotten how to do a lot with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript due to having taken the class where I learned these things a few years ago. With the WOD’s helping me understand concepts again and test my skills to see how much I still remembered. The server.js coding that we learned in class was definitely new to me, and definitely helped me improve as it challenged me with new syntax and structure that I didn’t know.
Even if I knew a good amount of what was taught in class, there is always a chance to improve my programming skills. I definitely still need to prove my efficiency when programming, as there are many shortcuts that Visual Studio Code provides that I still don’t know about, like emmet abbreviation until this class. I also definitely need to work on commenting my code, since this is something I often forget to do while in the midst of coding. While writing a lot of code I usually just focus on getting it to work instead of commenting about how it exactly works. Though as I work more on different programming projects I’m sure that I will be able to improve on these weaknesses.
The first couple WODs were good refreshers and I was able to do them without copying the screencast due to my previous coding experience with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Though as more concepts started to be introduce that I didn’t remember quite as well, time management during the WOD’s became more and more of an issue. In later WOD’s where there were concepts introduced that I didn’t have a full grasp of I needed to plan out the WOD in order to do the things required of me before the time limit.
The labs definitely helped me learn as they expanded on the concepts that we were learning at the time. They acted as good practice and examples that we could reference for future assignments. I was able to complete them with mostly confidence due to them acting as supplementary material for the readings and WOD’s we were supposed to do. They also helped me learn about why certain code worked instead of just having them there with no explanation.
Honestly, from the requirements that were given for Assignment 1, I thought that it would be a lot easier than it actually was. I overestimated the amount of things I would need to do for Assignment 1. Since coding the server.js and the overall syntax for it was a lot more confusing than I expected. I was also confused on how we were supposed to meet the requirements. For example, I wasn’t sure if we were required to put the quantity check for items in the server.js or if we could do that in other ways. Though moving on to Assignment 2, I feel that I am a lot more prepared for what the next Assignments will bring.
Personally, I enjoyed how the class is structured, though maybe labs should be prioritized first in class, with concepts being explained in more detail afterwards if the intention is to complete the labs in class. Otherwise, I didn’t find any problems with the class that affected my learning.
I find that the WODs and being able to collaborate with classmates helped me the most in this class, since the WOD’s were able to reinforce and give practice for the concepts we were learning in class. While being able to collaborate with classmates helped me bounce ideas off of others in order to find solutions to difficult problems. The real world analogies used in class for certain concepts also helped me grasp new concepts easier as well.