The years of learning dozens of technical terms and nuances of coding were thrown out on the first week of ICS 314. Before I started Javascript, I believed that all coding languages would feel complicated and full of little specifics you have to memorize for every language. Javascript puts all these concepts into one simple language. It blew my mind that I can say anything is a variable. A integer, float, or double is just initialized as a var, let or const. A strings, characters, and arrays are also initialized as a var, let or const. This one characteristic of Javascript made me really appreciate the creators of Javascript, as it makes writing script way easier for me. It also helps me to read my code easier, as Javascript’s syntax is very barebones and simple, yet very powerful.
To help challenge me and learn more about the nuances of Javascript, WODs really help push me out of my comfort zone. While generally learning code through following prompts and looking up what you need to when you don’t know what to code is good, I feel that WODs have the correct amount of challenge and lessons in them. The WODs I have taken have taught me to see code in little bits, meaning I should focus on small tasks and use methods I have learned in the past week to successfully complete WODs. If you put WODs together it’s like implementing everything you know into one. WODs make you master those skills for the couple of days you learn the concepts, and then feel confident in them after analyzing the WOD inside and out. The WOD allowed me to learn everything I needed in a timely fashion without feeling stressed out about failing.
Javascript and WODs have broadened my perspective on learning code. Javascript has shown me how simple syntax can be, and how that simplicity can help me focus on the problem my code has to solve. WODs help me learn small lessons without feeling anxious about whether I need to meet a deadline or be perfect. They also guide me in the right direction on what I should learn and focus on in coding.