Best Tips & Tools

Chingu is a learning community that gets you working on a dev team no matter what skill level you’re at. And uMatrix can add privacy to your browser and teach you about the modern web at the same time.

In this episode I’m wrapping up a few loose ends: the final report on my first from-scratch Node application, and a course review of Harvard’s CS50: Intro to Computer Science.

One thing that I’ve learned can really help along the learn-to-code process is documenting as you go. Whether it’s vlogging, blogging, or a simple pen & paper, tips from your past self can be an excellent learning shortcut.

It’s another pair of discoveries this week! The website Financial Toolbelt has some great calculators if you want to start getting to know your personal finances. And the Second Career Devs podcast is a must for any and all Start Over Coders!

Figma is a great prototyping tool I’ve been experimenting with this week. I can highly recommend it for creating UI mockups.

For any new web project, taking the time to PLAN before you CODE is key! Here are some key questions I asked myself before I started coding the new Start Over Coder website.

053 - Pair Programming

23 Jan, 2018

Pair programming is a productive way to write code with other people, and often used as an interview tool as well. I’ve been incorporating pairing into my study plan recently, and here’s what I learned!

They say every professional coder should have a portfolio available for potential clients and employers to review. Here's a low-maintenance, inexpensive (or free!) way to do it.

This week I share two more great (and free!) resources for learning to code.

Udemy's Guide for MongoDB from Stephen Grider is a good course for intro & advanced MongoDB topics. In this episode I share the best & worst parts.

Udemy's Web Developer Bootcamp is a fantastic course I can highly recommend. In this episode I share the best & worst parts, and some tips to get the most out of it.

Think Like A Programmer by V. Anton Spraul aims to teach the fundamentals of computer programming. It's not perfect, but it offers some great takeaways for anyone learning to code.

Learning to code while working full time is a huge undertaking. Here are some strategies to help you get there.

This week I discovered two great (and free!) resources for learning to code. The Learn To Code With Me podcast is a great thought starter and source of inspiration. And did you know you can access Lynda.com courses for free!?