The Odyssey: Month 2 - Day 1

*This was originally posted Feb 1st 2024, last of the previous posts to catch up

So the last week I did not get as much in as I wanted to as to those off days when I find myself burning through it, but progress does not always have to be fast progress. Previous post I felt I might be doing some injustice by not describing some of the courses I was going through at that time so I will be more descriptive of them going forward.

In my last post where I completed the first 2 courses, I was able to complete the next 4 courses and 1 certification project:

• Learn CSS Colors by Building a Set of Colored Markers
• Learn HTML Forms by Building a Registration Form
• The Certification Project 1/5: Survey Form
• Learn The CSS Box Model by Building a Rothko Painting
• Learn CSS Flexbox by building a Photo Gallery

So I enjoyed more of the CSS and was very surprised about being able to do color gradients, and complete images using primarily CSS like in the Colored Markers and Rothko painting courses. My love for typing up CSS was diminished some in these courses as it is allot of information to remember and try to recall when needed. Such as the flexbox and and padding/margin, I found myself relying allot on some of the hints they give you when entering the wrong answer to complete some of those steps relying on that.

They do drill in the padding and margin as the courses went further and I am starting to remember covering all directions and not just one when adding a padding or margin. Though now while typing this I am remembering in the first 2 courses they teach you about using the shorthand for padding rather than pointing each direction padding-top, padding-right, etc. The courses do not direct you or want you to use the shorthand version of padding to complete those parts.

Going into the first certification project was to make a Survey Form, I was nervous as I didn't know what to expect and if what I had been learning had really sunk in. I was very pleased as I got into it as they give great instructions of what they want and have a great process that checks through your work and shows what is missing so it can keep you on track. Would like to share with you what my project was but warning going in I am not the most creative person at times and this was no exception.

This week I found it hard to find time or focus to continue the courses after work, sometimes I just want to do allot of mindless things and then hours later I think about coding and try to get a few courses in. They say even a few minutes a day is good right?

Either way its on my mind every day and am still on goal of keeping it on focus. I have been progressing through nicely still and happy with what I am retaining.

I question about the path as the first course is the Responsive Web Design and they recommend taking them in order, I have no real plans to continue in web design after this so I have considered skipping it. But as I have been going forward with the courses in it I can see how learning this is just a stepping stone to understanding other code languages going further. In the end I don't really know what language I will land on but I have my eyes set on go, rust, or python, but that may change.

So here is to pushing on through another month in 2024 my year of learning to code. Thanks for joining me.