What is the next step after learning HTML & CSS? Start with JavaScript, drop jQuery!

More recent posts can be found on medium.com/@devbyrayray

Raymon S — June 24, 2016

Start with Vanilla JavaScript

JavaScript, yes definitely JavaScript! And no jQuery! If you want to be better with JavaScript, you have to learn it the right way. Don't start with jQuery, that is the biggest advice I can give to all the beginning Frontend Developers out there!

Why is learning Vanilla JavaScript important?

You may ask yourself why. Let me start with the future of JavaScript in general. JavaScript will be big(ger) in the future! Not just some little bit bigger, but massive! Mark my words! Since the building of NodeJS, JavaScript can be used on the server side and not just only in the browser.

To build an application in the future (or right now) you don't really need a backend developer (depending on how big your application will be of course). Just install NodeJS and you can use JavaScript on the server to build awesome web apps!

That is the reason (one of a lot more) why you should be good in JavaScript! When you are good in JavaScript, in general, you can use any JavaScript framework or library you want. At that moment, the will be tools for you to write faster JavaScript.

Why drop jQuery now?

If you don't know JavaScript, it will be harder for you to get a very awesome job/project as Frontend Developer. Since it will become more and more important in the scene, to know JavaScript, you need to learn it!

When I was a beginner, I became very good in HTML & CSS and could use jQuery. Some jQuery plugins here and there, but it was just only implementing the examples, change the selectors and it was done. But when I had a bug like jQuery is undefined, I could not fix it, because I didn't exactly understand what was happening.

When I applied to new jobs, all the reaction's were based on my knowledge of JavaScript, not just jQuery. The needed me to understand JavaScript in general (read my story about that here).

Where can you start with learning better JavaScript?

I have created a list of resources that could help you with learning better JavaScript!

If I missed some resources in the list, please add them in the comments, then I will add them to this list!

I hope this blog post will help you to go forwards! Hopefully, this will start your passion for JavaScript to grow and make you more hungry for getting better in JavaScript!

Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or you need any help with your JavaScript, please let us know :-)