Why Crash Courses Aren’t the Best Way to Learn JavaScript

If you're just starting out with JavaScript, you might be wondering whether it's better to dive into a quick crash course and then start building projects right away or pick a more comprehensive resource like The Odin Project or freeCodeCamp to learn. Which approach is best for you?

The Temptation of Crash Courses

It's tempting to jump into a crash course that promises to teach you JavaScript in just a few hours. After all, you could quickly get the basics down and start building projects immediately.

But here's why that approach might not be the best idea:

Superficial Understanding:

Crash courses are designed to give you a quick overview of JavaScript, but they often lack depth. While you might pick up enough to write some basic programs, without a solid understanding of core concepts like closures, the event loop, or scope, you'll struggle when it comes to writing more complex code.

This surface-level knowledge will lead to frustration as you find yourself constantly searching for solutions to problems you don’t fully understand.

Skipping Fundamentals:

JavaScript is full of intricacies. Understanding the basics—like how variables are hoisted, how asynchronous operations work, or how objects and prototypes function—is crucial for writing good, efficient, maintainable code.

Crash courses often skip over these fundamentals, leaving you with gaps in your knowledge that can become major roadblocks later on.

Lack of Practice:

JavaScript is a language that requires hands-on practice to master. Watching someone else code isn’t enough; you need to write code yourself, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Crash courses often don’t provide enough opportunities for practice, which means you won’t develop the problem-solving skills necessary to build real-world projects.

A Better Approach: Learn, Practice, Build

To truly master JavaScript, follow a structured approach that prioritizes understanding over speed.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing it right:

Learn the Concepts:

Start by thoroughly learning the fundamentals of JavaScript. Take it step by step, beginning with variables, data types, functions, arrays, and so on.

Practice Individual Concepts:

After you learn a concept, practice it individually. For example, if you've learned about functions, work on coding problems specific to functions. This focused practice reinforces your understanding, helps you identify any gaps, and boosts your confidence as you solve more problems.

Combine Concepts:

Once you've practiced individual concepts, start combining them to solve more complex problems. For instance, if you've learned about conditional branching and functions, combine them to build a simple project like a "Guess the Number" game.

Here’s how the game might work:

• The program randomly selects a number within a given range (e.g., 1 to 10).

• The player has to guess the number.

• After each guess, the program tells the player whether the guess was too high, too low, or correct.

• The game continues until the player guesses the correct number.

• Optionally, you can add a feature to count the number of attempts and display it when the player wins.

Build Real Projects:

Once you’re comfortable combining concepts, start building larger projects that challenge you to apply everything you've learned. Choose a project that solves a problem you care about—this will keep you motivated when challenges arise.

If you're stuck on ideas, check out these 8 tips to get started. And if you need guidance while building a project, this free course can help you approach it the right way.

Remember, it’s not about how quickly you can get started—it’s about how well you can master the language.