So you know some JavaScript, but you feel as though you're not progressing in the language. That's why you clicked on this guide, didn't you? I have nothing else to say except what a great decision-maker you are. After you're done reading this guide, you will be able to improve your JavaScript skills if you apply what is said here.
Undraw.co
So what is the best way to keep improving at JavaScript? The best all-around way to get better at JavaScript is to code sh!t. To get better at JavaScript you have to continue taking up and finishing projects.
Gaining Knowledge
The projects you work on specifically have to be outside of your comfort zone. If they're outside of your comfort zone, you will search for more questions on Google, and be on Stack Overflow more. If they're outside of your comfort zone, they will make you have more of those "Ohhh, so that's how you do it" moments. I gained a lot of my foundational knowledge through courses or tutorials, but the way I learn now is by working on projects.
There were things I needed to know for my projects that I didn't know previously. An example of that was fetch API:
I need to retrieve API data, how do I do that?
Ohhh, so that's how you do it, you fetch API with the command: fetch().
Ok, next I need to retrieve a random image. You can't retrieve an image file from an API, so how do you do that?
Ohhh, so that's how you do it, you won't be retrieving an image file, you will be retrieving a URL to an image.
So how do you put it on display on your page, how do I do that?
Ohhh, so that's how you do it, you use appendChild().
Thumbnail Of The Video "Learn Fetch API In 6 Minutes," I was able to learn to fetch API in large part due to the blog post version of this video by Web Dev Simplified, so huge props to Kyle
Boom! This is the process of figuring out how to do something you didn't know previously, and taking it step-by-step. This is why a key point of improving at JavaScript is working on projects outside of your comfort zone. Now that's not to say you shouldn't practice what you've learned to cement it in your mind. But if you want to get better at how much you know and what you can do, you must constantly work on projects outside of your comfort zone. As if they are within your comfort zone, you will not need to learn or do anything new to finish them. By repeating this process over and over across dozens, hundreds, or thousands of times you can build up a library of JavaScript knowledge.
Cementing Knowledge
Not only will working on projects help you improve at JavaScript by gaining more knowledge, but it will also help you cement the knowledge you have previously learned. Regarding exact code, there's a reason why conditional statements (if...else...), are more remembered than switch statements (switch...case...). It's the same reason why most developers don't need to search up how to declare a variable. It's because every time we use it, it solidifies in our brain like cement.
Think about the number of times you've used a function, it isn't as remembered as variables, and to be fair another reason is because of the simplicity of variables. However, another reason is due to the frequency it's used. 99.99% of developer projects include the use of variables. 99.9% of developer projects include the use of functions. 95% of developer projects include the use of conditional statements, while only 1% of developer projects include the use of switch statements. Projects help you cement your understanding of code, by working on projects you are practicing your knowledge.
(Note: These are not real statistics, just very accurate educated guesses.)
Starting Projects
So how do you start projects exactly? After reading about how working on projects outside of your comfort zone improves your JavaScript skill, you presumably would like to do so. Perhaps you already have some you were working on before, and now are gonna ramp up the rate of input. Or perhaps you don't and are lost on how to start one.
3 Questions
Let me ask you three questions that might ease the starting process:
What cool tech stuff do you want to build?
Does JavaScript play a role in the functions of any of these?
Are these projects outside of your comfort zone?
If anything has been a triple-yes to you, great! A part of your map unblurred. If you still have trouble thinking of a project to start, I gotchu. I am currently in the mix of writing a post listing some JavaScript project ideas.
Conclusion
To summarize, the best way to become better at JavaScript is by working on projects. Projects specifically outside of your comfort zone. This will help you add more knowledge to the JavaScript library in your brain. This is also a way of practicing your knowledge, which will cement it in your brain. If you're having trouble thinking of a project to start, refer to the 3 questions section. If you still have trouble thinking of a project to start, subscribe to my newsletter. You'll be notified when my post listing some JavaScript project ideas comes out.
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