I've been teaching myself web development without a CS degree, drawing from my experience as a UX/product designer. With about 60 days of dedicated learning, I'm currently building my first project using vanilla JavaScript to manipulate the DOM. I'm not using AI to generate any code; instead, I use it for explanations. However, sometimes it feels like I'm in 'hard mode' because I want to grasp how JS, HTML, and CSS work together, especially knowing that frameworks exist to simplify these tasks.
For example, I've spent a whole week trying to create a custom select input from the ground up. If I had started with React, I could have leveraged ready-made components to speed up my progress. While I plan to learn frameworks in the future, I feel overwhelmed and wonder if my approach is a waste of time given my lack of formal education. What's the best way to become a modern developer? Is learning the traditional way still valid in 2025?
6 Answers
The key is to build stuff actively, but it's also about guiding your learning. Are you following any structured resources like books or tutorials? Sometimes, the struggle can stem from being stuck without a clear path. Explaining your challenges to others can help clarify things, whether they understand technical details or not.
Real learning often involves grappling with challenging and frustrating tasks. No doubt, tackling tough topics helps deepen your understanding. It's important to keep pushing through, even when you feel like you're struggling more than others.
You're doing just fine! Keep at it, and you'll get where you want to be.
When you say you're building a select from scratch, do you mean using a div with JS for logic? If so, why not try using the native HTML select? It's a standard component. Are you aiming for something like multi-select with type ahead features?
Yes, I’m using divs and JS! I wanted to customize the UI, as I've seen many tools use special select components. I thought it would be a fun challenge. Not using the native select helped me learn a lot, even if it’s been tough.
Grappling with how web pages, the DOM, and animations work through practice will pay off. Your UX skills will grow as you deepen your coding knowledge too. You're definitely on the right path, so keep going!
You're on the right track! Learning the fundamentals with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS might be tough now, but it sets a solid foundation for understanding how frameworks like React or Vue work. When you finally switch, it will make sense because you know the underlying mechanics. And remember, not having a CS degree shouldn't hold you back; what really counts is your ability to solve problems and build things. Just don’t give up!
Exactly! It’s all part of the learning process. You’ve got this!