Can I Learn JavaScript On My Own?

Learning technical skills like coding can be challenging on your own. While JavaScript is simple and intuitive relative to other programming languages, it still takes thought, practice, and experience to master. Basic or ‘vanilla’ JavaScript, written manually without libraries or other tools, is easiest to learn through self-guided study, but skilled instruction will still speed up a student’s progress. Such early skill suffices to create or edit simple websites, JavaScript’s most common use. Greater difficulty appears when a self-taught student wants to build larger projects like complete applications, when they study more complex coding techniques that multiply their possible errors, and when they seek tools that will make their work more efficient and professional. Such advanced uses of JavaScript will take more time to master no matter how you learn, but their complications and potential setbacks are harder to overcome alone. Most students who need to learn JavaScript for their professional work find that self-guided study takes too long and creates too many frustrations to be practical. Still, if you have extra time, strong motivation, and practical experience with other programming languages, you could potentially learn any aspect of JavaScript on your own.

Advantages to Self-Teaching JavaScript

When compared to formal instruction, self-guided study has two major advantages: lower price and greater freedom. Some JavaScript tutorials are even free of cost and available online at any time. Tutorials posted on social media, sample lessons offered by technical schools, and lessons shared on dedicated JavaScript teaching sites can be useful free resources. Another low-cost option is to purchase pre-written or pre-recorded lessons from an on-demand learning platform, which is sometimes called asynchronous or self-paced study. Since these lessons don’t require a live instructor or a classroom, their costs are lower than for live classes. The exact costs for on-demand classes can vary depending on how they are purchased, but in general, on-demand classes covering the same material as a live class will cost much less. 

The other advantage of self-guided study is freedom: freedom from a fixed schedule or syllabus. Students can study whenever they are available, for as long or as little as they want, which helps those with irregular schedules or who are dividing time between study and work or other responsibilities. Students can work through lessons slower if they need extra time, which is helpful for people who find technical subjects difficult. Or, students can progress through lessons faster, without having to wait on class meetings, as long as they can handle a quicker pace. This acceleration is especially helpful for students who need to learn new skills in a limited time frame. Students can also study just the lessons they need, without repeating introductory material they already know or taking additional lessons that don’t match their goals. Each student can also work through lessons in any order, pausing difficult topics and returning when they have more time or have found missing information.

JavaScript Self-Teaching Tools

Several sources offer self-guided lessons on JavaScript, and each source has advantages and drawbacks. Social media sites like YouTube host video tutorials on JavaScript. These videos usually either introduce the language, teach specific applications of JavaScript like writing user interfaces or creating animated content, or address common problems encountered by JavaScript programmers. While these videos are numerous and free, their instructional quality and accuracy are only as good as their creators’ abilities and can vary widely. Social media videos also provide no organizational structure, making it difficult to connect concepts across separate lessons. Further, free videos rarely include practice projects, and the few that do cannot give feedback on students’ work. In most cases, the only feedback on free videos is viewer comments, where useful information is rare and accurate answers are rarer. Such free videos can familiarize novices with JavaScript or address specific problems, but their value is limited when learning the language in detail and even less useful for professional training.

Free video tutorials are also available through some technical training platforms like Coursera and Udemy. These tutorials are typically offered as limited demonstrations of more complete, paid courses. Coding-specific websites, like freeCodeCamp and CodeMentor, also offer free tutorials, some designed as interactive programs. Compared to social media videos, both kinds of tutorials tend to be of better quality, are more clearly ordered and explained, and sometimes come with practice projects and examples of correct solutions. Training sites may also include downloadable study materials. Some websites offer enough lessons to equal an introductory JavaScript course, usually offered to prepare students for further studies. Still, even when these sites provide good-quality, complete courses, their free lessons do not give any direct feedback. They also do not cover most advanced subjects, address professional JavaScript use, or provide career guidance.

Another option for self-guided study requires payment but offers several benefits in return. On-demand courses, also called self-paced or asynchronous study, are offered by many online schools, usually in the form of pre-recorded video lessons plus written materials. In some cases, on-demand JavaScript courses can include interactive web apps. These classes are often organized into formal courses, including both introductory and/or advanced JavaScript. Depending on the school, students may purchase these classes individually, as bundles of several classes, as complete courses, or through subscription plans. Enrolled students are then responsible for viewing and reading each lesson, completing its assignments, and taking any required tests, but they can schedule their work however they prefer. On-demand courses can vary in quality depending on the school, but are generally better than free lessons: more complete, better taught, and with more additional resources. Many on-demand schools supplement their classes with indirect feedback through message boards, chat rooms, email, or limited direct contact via phone or video meetings. Some schools also provide additional reference material and free or discounted software downloads. For JavaScript, coding tools are rarely expensive, but it can be convenient to have all the necessary tools provided in one place. Finally, on-demand schools usually provide certificates of completion verifying students’ accomplishments, and some even offer career guidance and placement. 

Finally, some dedicated websites, such as Learn-js.org, Learn JavaScript, and JavaScript.info, offer lessons specifically on JavaScript. These resources are a mixture of web-based text, interactive features, video tutorials, and practice projects. Most such sites are free, created by active coders to share their knowledge with new users, peers, or both. As such, these resources are likely to be accurate and informative, especially when the lessons themselves were written in JavaScript! These sites also attract expert and professional users who can answer students’ questions. Some dedicated JavaScript sites include paid content, either self-paced lessons or tutoring services, with their free content limited to introductory lessons. Others may include lessons on advanced topics like difficult programming techniques or popular JavaScript libraries. While these sites usually do not have the business reputation of an established technical school, they are recognized resources and certainly more trustworthy than social media videos. Often, these lessons are more thorough than the free resources on commercial sites, though their instructional quality can vary. A few JavaScript-specific sites even boast testimonials from past students, confirming their value for both introductory studies and advanced topical research.

Drawbacks to Learning JavaScript on Your Own

The most significant drawback of self-guided study is the absence of a live instructor, which sacrifices not only the frequency of in-class feedback — especially valuable when learning complex technical skills like coding — but also the knowledge and perspective of an expert. Two other disadvantages of self-guided learning are trade-offs from its advantages: lessons obtained at a lower cost come with fewer benefits, and greater freedom puts more responsibility on the student.

Free and on-demand classes lower their costs mainly by removing the need for an instructor’s regular preparation and presence. An instructor is usually involved when creating and recording each lesson, but that same expert might not be available when the lesson is viewed. Different classes may also be written or presented by different instructors, so while each school may strive for a high overall reputation, individual lessons may vary in quality. Further, each lesson remains the same until it is re-recorded and cannot be updated continuously with better explanations or new information. Live instructors, by comparison, can improve the quality, consistency, and currency of their classes. JavaScript instructors are usually expert users and are often professional programmers. In live classes, these experts can share useful experience, including advice about JavaScript-related careers. Free lessons usually provide no such guidance, or at best, link to pre-written articles. On-demand schools sometimes offer contact with instructors or other experts, but this contact is often infrequent, delayed by response time, and may not match a student with the same instructor who created their current lesson.

The absence of a live instructor is of particular concern when students encounter problems. Learning to code means getting the details correct, and errors are often difficult to spot, both for novice coders and in longer, advanced scripts. Some programming techniques are complex and unintuitive, and students may need alternate explanations to grasp these methods. In some cases, a student cannot find the term, function, or tool they need. These challenges create delays when students must wait for every answer… or search for information on their own. At best, on-demand schools may offer resources like FAQs, message boards, chats, or tutor appointments where students can eventually get help. Free tutorials rarely supply any feedback, and most free lessons lack reference guides that could help students find answers for themselves. These delays can make self-guided study take far longer than expected. For longer study programs, self-guided study is almost always longer than a live course.

Self-guided lessons do not require students to attend fixed class meetings, and they do not need a classroom, physical or virtual. Unfortunately, this freedom creates drawbacks. Having no shared classroom not only limits students’ contact with instructors but also their opportunities to meet with one another. In addition to sharing ideas and solutions for coursework, students in live classes can work together on projects, learning how to collaborate on large programming tasks. 

Also, while some students can work steadily without scheduled class sessions, others find that this structure helps to motivate their study. A live lesson is more engaging than a text or video, and the urgency to complete assignments between classes combats the urge to procrastinate. Self-guided students must find other ways to maintain focus and motivation. Self-paced study can become self-delayed study unless students set and enforce their learning goals. Worse, some on-demand schools have time limits on course access or charge a subscription rate, making delays costly. Students must push themselves to finish on time, or else they could pay far more than a course’s original cost. Worse, due to limited time or funds, some students could abandon their studies altogether, losing everything they already purchased. 

Aside from the speed of their progress, students must also maintain the quality of their studies. If they skip lessons or work too fast, they could miss important concepts, requiring them to backtrack at best or leaving them with gaps in their knowledge at worst. If they take too long of a break between lessons, they may forget important information and have to redo a prior module. Also, without an instructor, students may not work as hard or recognize when their knowledge is incomplete. While on-demand classes can include graded projects and examinations, students need only complete a necessary minimum to pass and may not get detailed feedback on their mistakes. Free lessons lack any required evaluations, and some free tutorials have no means of evaluation at all. 

Overall, compared to live classes, self-guided classes have fewer assurances of quality and are less likely to ensure that students get a complete, accurate, and timely education. For introductory JavaScript studies, the disadvantages of self-guided learning are minimal for most students. However, students with learning styles that make self-guided study more difficult may be significantly slowed. Practiced experts may also be able to manage advanced topical classes on their own without problems since their existing knowledge and resources can overcome the deficits of self-guided study. The disadvantages of self-guided study have their greatest effect in longer, more complete, and career-oriented lessons. Over time, students are slowed, frustrated, and disserved by lower-quality lessons, lack of feedback, and motivational challenges. In the worst cases, self-guided study will fail to meet a student’s educational goals, due to delays, unforeseen costs, informational gaps, or lack of necessary resources.

Alternatives to Learning JavaScript on Your Own

The alternative to self-guided JavaScript study is scheduled, formal study with a live instructor. Students can attend live classes either in a physical classroom or online through video streaming services like Zoom. In-person classes are limited to the class sites a student can reach, which also limits their available instructors and scheduling options. However, in-person classes allow the easiest interaction with instructors and students, and classrooms can directly provide computer hardware, software, and course materials. Online classes generally require students to provide their own computers and to have a quiet space for study, but without the limitations of geography, live online classes offer far more schools, instructors, and scheduling options. For all live classes, students do have to commit to a fixed schedule, but there are many options available for online courses that can accommodate most students’ needs. Plus, scheduled classes can provide motivation and reduce procrastination, since students must maintain their focus during classes and keep up with assigned work between classes.

Whether delivered in-person or online, live classes benefit most from the presence of a live instructor, a skilled teacher who, for JavaScript classes, is usually an experienced programmer. Before classes start, the instructor creates an ordered, thorough syllabus so that students know exactly what topics will be covered. Instructors then present each class based on that lesson plan, but they can flexibly adjust their presentations based on students’ questions and concerns. Instructors will also work through sample code and practice projects with students, helping them navigate complicated topics and diagnosing their mistakes. This way, the instructor ensures that students have understood every necessary concept. Such fast, focused, skillful feedback helps students progress faster and with fewer frustrations. For introductory JavaScript classes, greater speed and ease may be more of a convenience than a necessity, but for advanced and career-oriented JavaScript courses, these advantages may be necessary to ensure that students receive a timely, thorough, high-quality education. In live classes, students also benefit from the presence of other students, both for additional feedback and for practice working on larger collaborative projects. 

Learn JavaScript with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers several live online JavaScript courses. These courses are primarily focused on JavaScript’s use in web development but include features used in all JavaScript applications. The shortest of their JavaScript courses, JavaScript for Front-End, addresses JavaScript’s uses for front end web development. This course is recommended for students with some knowledge of web design or front end web development, or at a minimum, experience coding in HTML and CSS. The short course begins with lessons on JavaScript’s fundamental concepts, commands, and techniques, progressing through multiple examples teaching students basic JavaScript programming. The second half of the course teaches the GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP), an animation tool built on JavaScript that assists in creating animated content for websites. This course includes a proprietary workbook and awards a certificate upon completion. Students can also retake the course once within a year.

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp is recommended for students with prior web design or front end web development experience and focuses specifically on JavaScript programming for web development. The instructor will address each important topic in depth, beginning with lessons on JavaScript’s fundamental elements and programming methods. This training includes core techniques, features unique to newer JavaScript releases, and several commonly used JavaScript libraries. The bootcamp course includes several projects that allow students to demonstrate and practice their skills and also create a starting portfolio. Finally, the instructor will discuss career planning and interview preparation, both in class and in an individual, 1-on-1 training session for each student. This bootcamp includes a proprietary workbook and a certificate of completion, and students may retake the course once, if needed, for up to one year.

The most complete of Noble Desktop’s JavaScript courses is the JavaScript Development Certificate program, an immersive course designed to train professional JavaScript programmers. This certificate course takes about three months on a full-time schedule or five to six months for part-time students. The course begins with the same lessons as Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp and has the same recommended prerequisites. The program’s second unit addresses the use of JavaScript in web development, explaining additional JavaScript tools like the Node.js and Express.js libraries and integration of JavaScript with MongoDB, a database management system for websites. The third unit, equivalent to Noble Desktop’s React Development Bootcamp, explains the React library, which enables the creation of reusable blocks of code called components. This unit also demonstrates React’s uses for web development. The course also includes a bonus unit on SQL, a data management language used in web development. The program concludes with several portfolio-quality projects and career guidance for the web development industry. In addition to its live online classes, this course also offers supplemental written materials, access to class recordings, and eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with an instructor. Upon completion of the program, students receive an official certificate and may retake the full course once within a year.