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Discussion on: Don't Give Up On Learning JavaScript After Three Weeks

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Ben Calder

Good post; and absolutely: no-one should be giving up after three weeks!

As a beginner it's really important to bear in mind that different people learn at different rates and respond better to different styles of teaching/learning. For some people things can just click; whilst for others they have to work over a concept a few times before it really sinks in. Some people like to have everything explained and to have properly understood before starting; whilst others want to get stuck in and figure things out as they go...

For anyone who is struggling it's important not to be discouraged. Do consider whether your source of learning is the best style for your needs. Try a few different approaches until you find one that works well for you.

Another really important point is that the fundamental principles of programming are fairly standard; so even if your end goal is to be working in TypeScript with Angular/React you can learn some basic principles from other languages that might be more fun to start with or give a more immediate response. For example there are 'drag and drop' languages like Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) where you can learn some of the basic logic patterns that are applied in all languages. I personally made good progress (many years ago) with Processing (processing.org) because the visual output was something that interested me. That's Java-based; but I'm now a senior developer working mostly with JS/Typescript.

Finally, don't just learn to use a framework or library. These are always changing; but if you have a good grasp of programming fundamentals you should find it easy enough to switch when the next Big Framework comes along... (But if you want a head start try Svelte - the most beginner-friendly framework I have ever worked with: svelte.dev/tutorial/basics)