3 years ago I decided to change my cozy place in the field of sales, configuration and service of computer equipment to the field of programming. Since at that time I still didn’t know exactly which language I would like, I decided to acquire basic knowledge in several areas at once. On January 1, 2016, I met an unemployed person with annual accounts on JavaRush, Codeschool, Lynda and Tuts+, and a small financial cushion that would allow me to spend the entire 2016 year studying.
The first in my queue was JavaRush - even before New Year's Eve, I completed the available free levels, which actually determined the decision to purchase access for a year at a time. The training took so long that already on February 8th I celebrated reaching level 30. From what I liked and was useful in the future, I would like to note the following:
consolidation of terminology that is also useful in mastering other languages (data types and structures, implementation of OOP principles in practice, namespaces, access modifiers, working with databases and file systems, building queries and much, much more);
acquiring skills in working in a really good IDE - IntelliJ IDEA, which later came in handy in real work with other JetBrains products (PHPStorm/WebStorm/PyCharm);
general code culture - both in terms of logic and algorithmic complexity, and in visual design (compliance with code styles);
Unfortunately (or fortunately), in addition to Java, in March 2016 I also started courses on web development (in addition to the mentioned CodeSchool with their branches on Javascript and its Angular/Ember frameworks, these were also free then HtmlAcademy with good basics on layout, At the same time, I mastered working with Git and MySQL; Sql-ex helped me a lot in learning the latter). Yes, it so happened that in the end I settled on PHP (thanks to Igor Borisov’s well-known courses in the CIS), but not on the CMS WordPress, which has become the talk of the town, but on quite modern REST API solutions based on Zend Framework 2 (at first) , and then on Laravel 5.x. But having gone through such a winding path, you can comfortably use the best practices from the same Java in your applications, fortunately that modern PHP (especially since version 7) more and more resembles it (take, for example, the same type hinting in a language with inherently dynamic weak implicit typing , and already in version 7.4 classes may also have typed properties). And for those who have worked with Hibernate in Java, it will be much easier to master the same Doctrine ORM. I return to the topic of building a learning path and choosing quality courses and what makes Javarush stand out from the already mentioned CodeSchool (which has now become part of Pluralsight), Lynda (on which LinkedIn builds its educational platform) and others. The most important thing for me personally is a huge amount of practice in solving problems with automated verification with a more than sufficient theoretical basis. There is no comparison with “watch the video and do the same.” Video tutorials are good when you need to “snoop” the solution to a highly specialized task or master a poorly documented library/API in a short time. But if a person is faced with the task of forming the fundamental foundations of knowledge and mastering several ways to solve the same basic problems at once, in order to then carry them out without thinking, just as we don’t think about typing letters on a keyboard or writing letters on a piece of paper - then Javarush is indispensable . Do not forget that for many people the problem of mastering English-language educational materials is also acute, so for such people the benefits of Javarush (especially the selection of theoretical materials) will only increase. To summarize this long review of Javarush in one phrase - “must have”. Even if you end up not liking the Java language, this course will provide a strong foundation for your future development. It is worth both the time you spend on it and the money, because the best investment is an investment in your knowledge and skills. PS A little about myself. Current specialization is REST API on Laravel + MySQL, active use of third-party services in projects (Amazon SES/Paypal/Stripe/web3.php/integration with calendars, building queues, etc.). I had to work a little with Angular/Vue (JS), even a couple of months with Django (Python). For statistics lovers, it took me 298 days to study (from that day how he left his old job and started retraining), of which 42 days passed from the moment the first resume was sent to the first working day. And to this day I remember with gratitude the Javarush course, as something that strengthened self-confidence, systematized and raised knowledge to a new level, and became the first step on a long path to peace of mind and balance in a new field at a new job. PPS I continue my training, on the agenda is getting certified in Laravel in 2019 and mastering Swift.
GO TO FULL VERSION