Dancer to Dev - Journey of a self taught developer

                               Focus this week: This week the focus was on data structures and algorithms, a phrase I know can create a sense of panic for many . To be honest, I think I have subconsciously been putting off covering this topic because it sounded complicated and confusing. However, after practicing questions on Leet Code and seeing their assessment of the performance of my code, I realised it was a topic I really needed to cover. I have only really scratched the surface but have already been able to see the benefits of studying this subject.  Learning Big O notation has helped me to assess the difference between different solutions to the same problem.  For example, performance will differ when calculating the sum of numbers from 1 to n  using a for-loop, compared to a simple mathematical equation. Answering lots of technical questions every once in a while, may help you become familiar with specific solutions, but in the long term isn't the best way to develop the

                           Focus this week: This week I wanted to give myself time; time to absorb topics I have covered and time to review the place I'm at with my learning. To help me achieve this, at the beginning of the week I decided to create a portfolio website, with links to all my current projects. The site works a bit like an online CV for potential employers and makes it quicker and easier to look through my work. This also gave me a chance to see how much I have progressed and an opportunity to look back and review my code. Check it out here:  https://daneika.github.io/ In life, its very easy to get caught up in the " what' s next " mindset rather than focusing on the right now, I have found this can cause me to rush through the learning process, always pursuing the next new topic. With that in mind,  in an effort to  solidify my grasp of the fundamentals,  I decided to continue to focus on React  this week . In my applications I have used functional compo

                             Focus this week: This week took a different turn to what I expected and forced me to change up my learning plan.  For those who self study we are taught to be disciplined with our time, plan out our weeks and days to ensure maximum efficiency but what if that plan unexpectedly changes? Do we accept we may not achieve what we have mapped out for the week and feel a sense of failure; or do we see the change as a chance to achieve even more. That being said, on Monday afternoon I received my first technical test...due the next day.  Now I hadn't spoken to the company so thought it would be worth having a quick chat with them first to find out more about the role.  I didn't feel the role was the right fit for me because it required a more experienced developer. However, this also represented an opportunity to get some practice at following a brief and committing to a deadline, and the developer on the phone agreed. So, there I was with a brief and it wa

Focus this week: This week I have been continuing my journey with React. I find the best way to learn is by doing, so I have created a couple of small apps that allowed me to explore the core ideas within React such as components and state management. The first project I built was the Dog Face Mash app I mentioned a couple of weeks ago and the second is a recipe box (an app to search for recipes using Spoonacular's API ). Check it out here  https://daneika-recipe-box.herokuapp.com/ For both projects I used Create React App, something I would recommend when starting out creating single page applications in React. This is because it allows you to focus on your application code rather than the build tools. CRA also comes with some builtin linters and other tools that help keep your code neat and inline with code standards set out by Facebook. One less thing to worry about which always helps when trying to absorb a lot of new material! My opinion of React so far is that it gives a gre