Hello guys,

I want to learn JS, back end, ... and somedy suggested me the Odin Project.

I have already finished the "Foundation" course and I am actually following the JS path but i feel like the information doesnt really stick...

The thing is that the course is very verbose, there is a lot of things to read and it gets often very very boring. You will read the same thing 2 to 4 time because you need to read a lot of articles after each chapter but still feel like you dont get the information/forgot about it a few days later...

I really struggle to follow the html/css content, not because its hard but because we got tons of informations and it just doesnt stick...

Do you have any advice for me ? Should i try another thing to learn js, node,... ?

Thank you

Hi all,

When I was contemplating starting TOP I scoured the internet (especially Reddit) to figure out if it was still relevant in 2022, how long it would take, what I’d learn, etc.

After three months, I am nearing the end of the JS curriculum and it’s been one of the best experiences I’ve had taking an online course. I’m feeling pretty competent with the MERN stack, and am excited to begin applying for jobs in the next month or two.

The structure is very unique and like nothing I’ve seen before.

Each section has a write up of what’s important, and it contains links to other external resources that are pre-vetted by the community.

Then, each section will have some sort of assignment.

They sprinkle in fun projects every so often as well to test that you’re retaining the knowledge.

It’s also updated frequently. I never felt once that I was learning something that was outdated, or missing out on relevant information.

I love how they flat out tell you sometimes about a topic, but then tell you it’s not super important to understand it yet and just move on. It makes keeping moving forward easy.

One of the biggest standouts is the community. Being able to pop in and ask technical questions that relate to the various assignments. The community is amazing and there are many smart developers that respond to newcomers' questions on a regular basis.

What helped me succeed in using their curriculum:

• Follow the directions! Every step of the way - don’t make it up as you go. You’re not qualified ;)

• Ensure you have a basic understanding of the terms used, and be sure to Google things as needed. Seek out external resources where needed to expand upon things that aren’t “clicking” in the way they’re teaching them.

• Do the additional assignments if you feel your knowledge isn’t keeping up.

• Google things! Work to understand the concepts and what’s possible - don’t get bogged down on perfecting syntax just yet. It will come with time.

• Every once and a while, stop the TOP curriculum and do a follow along tutorial relevant to what you’re doing. I ONLY do this after I already have a theoretical understanding of the technology in the tutorial. Seeing it in action, and how other devs approach situations has been exceptionally valuable.

• Don’t skip the CSS! It’s a pain in the butt, but learn flex and grid - and don’t get dependent on frameworks until you understand how it works.

• If you feel like you don’t “get” something, you probably need to go back a section and review older material. I found sometimes when I’d skim too quick, or had been studying too long I’d stop retaining and in those situations simply going back fixed the issues.

"How long does TOP take?"

This will inevitably come up in the questions. It fully depends on your dedication, ability, prior experience and time committed. I started early January and should be done in the next month.

I aim for a minimum of 20 hours a week - but that will be up to you based on your scenario. I probably log about 30 a week.

Feel free to hit me up in the comments if you have questions.I am no professional developer (yet), but I can confidently say that TOP is an incredible resource to learn how to build web apps! If you want to learn, get on it and stay consistent!

Edit: Just adding this edit for those comparing timelines. It's a useless en devour and not helpful. Go at the pace that's going to work for you.

The only thing you should worry about is if you're getting better.

I've worked in marketing since 2016 and have had exposure to HTML, CSS and Javascript, as well as APIs and servers.

I also built a "no code" application a couple years back, so I already knew how to think like a programmer. So, while I wasn't doing any (or little) traditional programming, this experience definitely helped me understand things quicker as I had a frame of reference to work from. I was not starting at zero in terms of industry knowledge.