0 to Dev in 6 months — Recommended Syllabus

Take it with a grain of Salt — but if I was starting out trying to be a web dev today this is the syllabus / path I would take.

Other devs — comment below what path you would take if you were starting from scratch today.

Month 1 (HTML + CSS + Basics)

• Week 1 HTML (Build and deploy a website using ugly plain css) (Deploy using google drive or Netlify)
• Week 2 HTML + CSS again Deploy using Google drive or netlify

• Bonus points for:
  - Google Analytics
  - Custom Webfonts
  - Images in your website
  - Mutli-page website

  • First 2 weeks is about getting something on the screen, learning editors, and basics of the internet HTML + CSS is the easiest way to do it.
  • Last 2 weeks: Rebuilding one of those sites with a CSS framework as a starting point. Bootstrap or Tailwind (Just using a CDN style tag)

  By month one you should be pretty confident in

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • The terminal
  • Git + Github
  • Basics of hosting and domains
  • Basics of file structures and relative paths
  • Basics of style tags and using a front end library

  At this point you can probably make $15-20/hr freelance if you position yourself right.

  You could also do a lot customizing things like Squarespace or Shopify

Month 2 (JavaScript)

• Keep it Vanilla JavaScript

  • Avoid JQuery or any other libraries
  • https://www.beginnerjavascript.com/ or any other course for Vanila JavaScript
  • Add interactivity to your site — Again deploy it
  • Maybe do a couple hours of algorithm bullshit — not until month 2

  By month two you should be confident in:

  • Writing and reading JavaScript functions
  • Selecting and interacting with HTML elements on screen
  • Handling forms and inputs
  • Some API interactivity — Maybe a Stripe Credit card collection form or the Pokemon API
  • Strong recommend to try to play some some "low code" stuff and make something that actually does something. Not just a "Static" site.

  At this point you can probably make $20-25/hr freelance if you position yourself right.

  You could now build an MVP using "low code / no code tools — Strongly encouraged

Month 3 (React — if you want to be a "Front end dev")

• This is going to take all month.
• Build at least 2 projects start to finish and DEPLOY them.
• Bonus points for interactivity or interacting with any kind of low code backend — airtable or Firebase

At this point you can probably make $25-30/hr freelance if you position yourself right.

Month 4 (Gatsby + CMS Systems)

(Get freelance work or do favors for people now)
- Build a static site using React + Gatsby
- Always be deploying
- Bonus points for actually getting paid to develop a website
- Understand and explore Content Management Systems
- Headless Wordpress, Contentful, Sanity Etc.

At this point you can probably make $25-30/hr freelance if you position yourself right.

Month 5 (Backend basics — Next.js or Rails)

• You can start with Next.js
• Even though you want to be a front end developer you'll need knowledge of the back end
• You should now build an app that does "Something" with a backend you've built.

At this point you can probably make $30-35/hr freelance if you position yourself right and be up for internships / JR JR positions at agencies or firms

Month 6 (Build something real using everything you know)

• ABD — ALWAYS BE DEPLOYING — Shipping things, get paid early on if you can.
  • Build small and complete
• Random note: This "Front End Web Development" course from Treehouse seems pretty solid and my recommended path kind of follows this