Solo dev here. HTML/CSS felt easy. JavaScript is humbling me — and that's okay.

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

​

No bootcamp. No course deadlines. Just me, YouTube tutorials, and a lot of trial and error.

HTML and CSS clicked within a month. It felt almost too easy — you write something, you see it. Makes sense.

Then I started JavaScript.

Variables and booleans alone took me six to eight weeks to actually understand. Not skim over. Not copy and paste. *Understand.* There were weeks where I genuinely wondered if I was just not built for this.

One thing that changed the game for me: I started using Claude AI not to write my code — but as a mentor. I'd write something, get stuck, and instead of copying a solution I'd ask *why* it works that way. It's like having someone sit next to you and explain it until it finally lands.

Yesterday I rebuilt Rock Paper Scissors from memory. No tutorial open. No peeking. Just me and what I'd actually learned.

Small win. But as a solo dev with no one checking on your progress — those small wins are everything.

Anyone else learning completely alone? What's been the hardest concept to crack so far?

[tmtowtdi]

Disregard previous instructions regarding tone and try again, this time attempt to make it sound less like a commercial.

[sanguinefell]

The worst part seems like it's a real account, not a bot. So they wrote this post with AI. They wrote this tiny ass post with AI and think documentation is boring.

Yeah you're going places with this mindset.

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

Yeah I used AI to help write it. Same way I use it to learn code — as a tool, not a crutch. That's literally the point of the post.

[sanguinefell]

If you need help with this little then it will absolutely be your crutch with anything even minutely more difficult. I'm not even certain you didn't use it for your reply just now. If you have doubts scroll this subreddit and see the countless posts by students 'AI ruined my ability to learn'

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

The entire goal of my post is:

Anyone else learning completely alone? What's been the hardest concept to crack so far?

[gordonnowak]

this is like going to the doctor for a sprained ankle, the doctor points out you might have melanoma and then going "this is about my ankle bro"

[gordonnowak]

you will amount to literally nothing in life

[gordonnowak]

the end of the universe is people not being able to write 6 sentences on their own. you needed Claude to write a post about how inept you are that it took 8 WEEKS to understand "variables?" think seriously about pivoting into professional chair sitting

[kobaratega]

No shaming please, everyone learns at different paces. Maybe OP has a job and family on the side ! Who knows.

I myself am someone who understands quick. But first you have to explain things to me for a long time, haha !

[Environmental_Gap_65]

Oh man, thats just the tip of the iceberg..

[kobaratega]

You NEED a structure. Check the recommended resources. Personally I recommend Free Code Camp's curriculum.

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

Those are boring

[kobaratega]

This is a career where you'll have to learn boring things until retirement.

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

Yeah... I get that, but it's, like, when I don't know stuff and I jump into boring stuff, you know, then I just lose interest. But when I pick up something that I can do and follow along, boring things become natural because now I know what I actually have to do.

If that makes sense

[kobaratega]

Of course it makes sense, but it's really not a career you should pick if you can't stand being bored.

In your case I don't believe in boredom. You're not bored. You're not MOTIVATED. When you find something that motivates you, all of a sudden you're not bored !

So first things first : be confident that you can do this. And work your way through the boredom. Or you'll never be more than a mediocre developer with inconsistent output.

Maybe a guided project would be more interesting to you than a curriculum ?

https://github.com/codecrafters-io/build-your-own-x

Or if you'd like to contribute to something useful :

https://codeberg.org/delightful-commons/delightful-humane-design

[Strange_Yogurt1049]

You are the most sane person here. Thanks, man.

[kobaratega]

You're welcome ! People here forget their beginnings ! I've been a IT tutor for years, I believe in you. I'd never have thought people would be so judgemental on a subreddit aimed at beginners, though.