It has been a week since my final project was submitted. I probably won't get the review until sometime next week, but that doesn't stop me from coming back to the Udacity portal and checking to see if it has been updated.
It's been a little odd, not having a project specifically waiting for me to work on. I'm so used to spending several hours per week on coding, that I actually miss having the work. The extra time has allowed me to step back and look at what I should be doing - after all, the learning should not stop just because the classes do.
In the Udacity portal, there are several checkpoints set up for students to go back and update their previous projects (Interactive Resume and Project Website, in my case) as well as adding completed courses and projects to their LinkedIn profile. There have been recommendations to also follow several influential people in the Front End community, via Facebook, Twitter or blogs, to keep up with how related topics are evolving. For example, Paul Irish (Website/Blog, Twitter, LinkedIn) is a front end advocate that is highly regarded, and takes time to help the community by talking about current trends and technology. By following these thought leaders, a student can stay abreast of changes and trends that affect what they do (or will do) on a daily basis.
I don't do a lot with Twitter, as I have never found the medium to be very engaging. My LinkedIn profile needs work, even after doing some updates to add Udacity courses to it. None of my web profiles even features a picture of myself (we are always our own worst critics). These are things I know I need to update, if for no other reason than to have a consistent presence through GitHub, LinkedIn, Stack Overflow, and other professional sites. Eventually, that will happen.
To fill the coding "void", there are a few sites that have been recommended by fellow students:
It's been a little odd, not having a project specifically waiting for me to work on. I'm so used to spending several hours per week on coding, that I actually miss having the work. The extra time has allowed me to step back and look at what I should be doing - after all, the learning should not stop just because the classes do.
In the Udacity portal, there are several checkpoints set up for students to go back and update their previous projects (Interactive Resume and Project Website, in my case) as well as adding completed courses and projects to their LinkedIn profile. There have been recommendations to also follow several influential people in the Front End community, via Facebook, Twitter or blogs, to keep up with how related topics are evolving. For example, Paul Irish (Website/Blog, Twitter, LinkedIn) is a front end advocate that is highly regarded, and takes time to help the community by talking about current trends and technology. By following these thought leaders, a student can stay abreast of changes and trends that affect what they do (or will do) on a daily basis.
I don't do a lot with Twitter, as I have never found the medium to be very engaging. My LinkedIn profile needs work, even after doing some updates to add Udacity courses to it. None of my web profiles even features a picture of myself (we are always our own worst critics). These are things I know I need to update, if for no other reason than to have a consistent presence through GitHub, LinkedIn, Stack Overflow, and other professional sites. Eventually, that will happen.
To fill the coding "void", there are a few sites that have been recommended by fellow students:
- CodeWars - a site where people create code challenges, which other people can then solve
- Code Combat - learn to code by playing games
- typing.io - "typing practice for programmers"
There are others, to be added as I remember/see them again. The basic idea of each is to continue using your mind to challenge yourself with code problems, keeping skills fresh, and maybe learning more in the process.
If nothing else, they can be a fun diversion. And when its fun, you don't mind learning.
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