How Difficult is it to Learn MERN Stack?

Are you curious about learning the MERN stack but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning the MERN stack depend on factors like your prior experience as a programmer and how many different elements of computer programming you’ve worked on in a real-world context. 

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with the MERN stack, plenty of tools are available to help make learning more manageable than you might think.

What is the MERN Stack?

The MERN stack is a colloquial name given the full stack JavaScript development framework consisting of MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js. As a full stack framework, the MERN stack covers front end operations with React, server infrastructure with Express.js and Node.js, and database operations with MongoDB. MERN is quickly becoming one of the most commonly used full stack development frameworks owing to its versatility and the integration between the stack's various elements. Learning to use the MERN stack will let users build complex websites and applications.

Each aspect of the Stack serves a different function. Still, they are all built off the JavaScript programming language, meaning skilled JavaScript users can easily pick up each aspect of the stack. React is used to build client-side assets and component bundles of code that can be replicated and repurposed as developers see fit. This framework is built to improve workflow and create more dynamic single-page applications. Node.js and Express.js provide the infrastructure for programs to query and access server-side requests, allowing those applications to run JavaScript code outside a web browser. MongoDB is used for sorting, analyzing, and querying databases as part of a web application. Taken together, MERN stack training will let users design all aspects of complex web design projects.

Read more about what the MERN stack is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with the MERN Stack?

Using the MERN stack, skilled programmers can develop and maintain all aspects of a web application. Using these four JavaScript frameworks, you can build the front end, back end, and database infrastructure for complex webpages, including the increasingly in-demand single-page applications and internet-enabled devices we use daily. The more complex a web application is, the more complex its programming will need to be, and learning the MERN stack offers students an accessible way to learn full stack web development skills. Learning the MERN stack will also let users take advantage of the functionalities of each framework for their non-full stack web development projects.

The most significant advantage of learning the MERN stack is that it allows you to do full stack web development projects without combining multiple programming languages. Since MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js are all JavaScript frameworks, MERN stack training will let users build the entire infrastructure of a web application in a single programming language, JavaScript. This is ideal both for making a student’s JavaScript training more versatile and for improving workflow since developers can be confident that there won’t be any problems owing to the server and client-side elements of the application running off of different languages. MERN is an ideal skill set for users hoping to build complex, multi-functional web applications without learning multiple programming languages.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning the MERN Stack?

The most challenging part of learning the MERN stack is becoming experienced enough with computer programming to begin learning a series of complex full stack development libraries. Since these are advanced skills, it is less challenging to learn the MERN stack than it is to become sufficiently skilled to start learning the MERN stack.

How Does Learning the MERN Stack Compare to Other Tech Stacks?

The MERN stack is not the only tech stack that developers can learn to build full stack web development infrastructure. Other stacks include MEAN (which is identical to MERN except that it utilizes Angular.js rather than React for front end development), Ruby on Rails, Python and Django, and LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). Each of these stacks provides the same functionality and makes full stack development more efficient, so developers will need to compare their strengths and weaknesses to decide which stack is best suited for their needs.

Python and Django are the most commonly used alternatives to the MERN stack and are recommended for developers who want to build simple, fast web applications, such as blogs and news update sites. By contrast, the MERN stack is more complicated and slower but better at handling large, complex requests and functions than Django. Django isn’t a complete full stack development framework, so anyone hoping to do full stack work will need to complement Django with other programming frameworks.

Similarly, Ruby on Rails is a faster, easier-to-utilize framework that will produce cleaner code, but it isn’t as powerful as its MERN alternatives. Node.js, in particular, will be very useful for building single-page applications, and neither Ruby on Rails or Django readily replicate this functionality. This means that more elaborate event-driven web applications, particularly those which run chat features or in-app browser games, will benefit from the MERN stack framework.

Students interested in learning Django or Ruby on Rails should explore the options available through Noble Desktop.

Prior Programming Experience

The primary challenge for students learning MERN tends to be mastering the prerequisite skills necessary to start meaningfully working with full stack web development frameworks. Students will need to learn HTML and CSS and the JavaScript programming language, and they will need to understand the functions and theories of both front end and back end development. Each of these is a complex skill set; learning them is necessary for successfully learning the MERN stack.

Learn the MERN Stack with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to master the MERN stack can turn to Noble Desktop for comprehensive skills training, regardless of their prior programming experience. These courses are taught through live online instruction or in person at Noble’s Manhattan campus. Regardless of which delivery method a student chooses, they will be taught by Noble’s experienced instructors in real-time. Students can ask questions, receive feedback, and get assistance directly from their instructors. Plus, all of Noble’s courses provide students with the chance to retake the class within one year, allowing students to receive extra instruction and more hands-on experience in all of the component frameworks that make up the MERN stack.

Students with prior coding experience who want to learn the extent of the MERN stack should consider enrolling in Noble’s JavaScript Development Certificate program. In this career-focused skills training program, students will learn how to develop web applications using JavaScript and, once comfortable with that training, will learn the functions and uses of each element of the MERN stack. By the conclusion of this class, students will be prepared to enter the workforce as JavaScript Developers. Since this is a career-focused course, students will also benefit from professionalization training seminars, including one-on-one career mentorship and portfolio-building training sessions. This course expects students to have a working knowledge of coding fundamentals and HTML and CSS, so students should consider the requirements before enrolling.

Students looking to become expert coders from scratch will instead want to look into Noble’s Full Stack Web Development Certificate. This immersive training course is designed to take students with no prior coding experience and teach them all of the elements of professional web development. MERN is a relatively advanced set of skills with many prerequisites to learn, and this course will teach students all of those prerequisites, including JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Once that training is out of the way, students will learn MERN stack frameworks and tools like Flex, Git, Virtual Studio Code, and Bootstrap. On top of this, students will also receive the same top-notch professionalization training that they can expect from any Noble certificate program, meaning they will leave the class ready to start working as Full Stack Web Developers.

Students looking for more directed training in some aspects of the MERN stack or wanting to space their training to fit their needs and schedules should explore Noble’s JavaScript classes and bootcamps. These immersive skills courses will teach students the ins and outs of the frameworks that make up the MERN stack, but they are less directly focused on helping students find new careers.