From Java to Javascript
17 Jan 2024
A New Year
This first week of classes has easily been one of the most stressful weeks of my college career so far. I am still bouncing back from “vacation” mode, meaning I’m still figuring out my workflow and readjusting to a “normal” sleep schedule. I have only been focusing on Javascript this past week, and I still have no idea when I can start working on other classes. Despite all of that though, I can easily see myself enjoying learning more as time goes on. I feel like I’m learning more “real world” skills such as creating a professional portfolio, and hopefully creating a high quality, “professional” website by the end of the semester. As someone who sees myself being a web developer in the future, the stress I’m experiencing now might pay off in the end.
Java vs. Javascript
Other than the name, Java and Javascript are two completely different languages. For one, Java isn’t strongly typed, and variables will accept any values you assign them as, and this took some getting used to. For example, I kept declaring my increment variables for loops as an integer, rather than just using the let keyword. Another big difference is the fact that Javascript runs in a browser, whereas Java needs an external IDE to run, such as JGrasp or VSCode. The convienence of not needing to download any external software to start coding is a massive advantage Javascript has over Java, considering how I’m the type of person who wants to take the least amount of steps possible to accomplish a task.
A New Style of Learning
A big part of why I’ve found this class so stressful is the transition from a more “traditional” style of learning to an “athletic” one. The pacing of this course is absolutely killing me at the moment, but I believe I will eventually find a schedule that I can stick to. As I’ve mentioned before, I am still transitioning from hanging out with friends every day and staying up all night to having a very busy schedule all of the sudden. Just the idea of having something due almost every day fills me with anxiety, but at the same time, I really enjoy learning the material (something 17 year old me would’ve never said!).
Final Remarks
To recap, Javascript is a much more convienent language compared to other languages I’ve dabbled in. This new style of learning is… Different. It’s definitely not the way I’m used to learning. More to come.
Note: ChatGPT was used to fix any spelling/grammatical errors.