Are React Classes Worth It?

There are many things to consider when deciding if a React class is worth it. Your time and money are valuable resources, so it’s a good idea to be sure you’re investing both wisely. React training courses and certificates can be expensive and time consuming, although these two factors will vary from class to class. Plus, there are so many ways to study React, from free tutorials to associate certificates and college degrees to bootcamps, and each will have varying benefits and challenges. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, this article will help you weigh the pros and cons so you can decide if a React class is worth it for you. Regardless of which option you choose, learning React is absolutely worth the effort as it can open up alternative career paths, allowing you to earn more money and find professional fulfillment in a range of industries. 

Consider the Costs

Attending a live (either online or in-person) React training will most likely cost several hundred to a few thousand dollars, so there’s no denying that it’s a financial commitment. There are also on-demand virtual courses that are more cost effective and allow you to learn at your own pace. And, of course, there are free online tutorials and YouTube videos to help you grasp the basics. Each of these options have their own benefits and drawbacks, so understanding the pros and cons of each learning option is the first step in deciding if it’s worth the cost. 

Advantages of a React Class

There are substantial advantages to a React class (as opposed to free online resources) that might make the price tag worth it for you. Outlined below are some of the top advantages of attending a React course with a live instructor-led curriculum. 

General Benefits

A live course, whether online or in-person, has obvious advantages like real-time interactions with an instructor and other students, allowing you to ask questions and receive feedback instantly. This can be especially helpful when you’re struggling with any specific lessons in the course and can have the added benefit of built-in accountability. If you don’t show up for your scheduled class times, your absence will be noticed. For some students, this level of accountability can keep them motivated and on task. Finally, these structured courses are built on top-notch curriculum, covering every aspect of React in-depth and often using real-world examples to help you apply skills and techniques. 

Access to Current and Relevant Information

It can be hard to decipher the most current best practices and strategies for a field like React, especially when you’re just sifting through free tutorials online. React is a constantly evolving field and its practices must adapt to keep up with current market trends and consumer habits. A quality React class will have the most up-to-date practices and theories to ensure what you’re learning is useful in the current world. 

Learning Theory and Practices

React is a multifaceted field, so having a firm foundation in the theories and practices will be very important. At its base, React is the go-to JavaScript library that allows new user interface (UI) components to appear on websites and apps without reloading the page. A website or app would typically need to pull information from its server to generate new information or images. React enables websites and apps to skip that step by creating reusable components that can be added to the page as the user scrolls. An experienced instructor will walk you through all the fundamentals of React and help you learn how best to apply them. 

Personalized Feedback

A lot of learning React is trial and error. Most courses will provide real-world examples and projects so that you can learn to apply your skills and make valuable mistakes along the way. A live class allows an instructor to provide you with feedback on your work in the moment. Plus, a course led by an expert instructor also provides a chance for that expert to look over your projects outside of class and provide thoughtful, more in-depth advice later. Many courses even include 1:1 mentoring or virtual office hours, giving you ample opportunities to learn from your mistakes and build your skills. 

Collaboration and Communication

React professionals are typically members of a larger marketing team that includes developers, programmers, and user interface (UI) designers. Collaboration and communication are important skills that can be practiced in a React course. You could work on projects with other students, present your data for the class, or learn tips and tricks for successfully communicating and collaborating with your experienced instructor. Online tutorials may provide some insight into this, but won’t create opportunities for you to practice these things like a live class. 

Building a Portfolio

A quality React course will help you create a portfolio that can prove your competency as an expert through the success of your work. You can create a personal website or app, track your successes and failures, and use that data to improve your practices and techniques. A portfolio also gives you a chance to show off your personality, helping to set you apart from other React experts. The companies and content you prefer, as well as your unique voice and strategy, will all be things that potential employers focus on when considering you for a role. Think of it as developing your own personal brand; your portfolio is a way to show off that brand and let it shine. 

Considerations When Looking at React Classes

There are additional things to consider before enrolling in a course beyond your interest level or career dreams. While learning React is accessible for most, it may not be for everyone.

General Considerations

As previously mentioned, live online classes offer a structured learning environment and accountability with scheduled class times. While these can be valuable benefits, if you work full time or have other commitments that occupy your day, scheduled class times could be difficult to accommodate. A live class also requires you to learn at the same pace as the other students. If you master new subjects quickly or are already competent in some topics covered in a React course, you may wish to skip ahead to save yourself some time. This also applies in the opposite direction: if you require more time on a specific subject, a live online class may not accommodate.

Finding the Right Balance of Skills

It’s important that you know what skills and subjects you’d like to focus on before you enroll in a course. Or, if you’re entirely new to React, it’s recommended that you look for a class that has the right balance of technical skills, theory, soft skills, and project-based work. A comprehensive training program or bootcamp will offer a robust curriculum that covers these aspects, but shorter classes may only focus on the basics or specific features. 

Is it Worth Enrolling in a React Class?

Who will find it worthwhile?

If you have a penchant for web or app design and love for coding, then you will find learning React worthwhile. There were about 11.9 million websites using React JS in 2022, and a whopping 40.6 percent of surveyed software developers in 2023 reported it as their most-used web framework.

Programmers and web developers who don’t currently use React could benefit from learning it, but they aren’t the only ones. If you’re into UX or UI design, or even are just a coding hobbyist, learning React could be a rewarding endeavor and build upon your existing skills. Having knowledge of both the technical and creative sides of web and app design can make you a formidable force in the professional sphere. 

Who probably doesn’t need a React class?

For those who pursue website or app creation as a hobby, the time and financial commitment of a professional training course is probably not necessary. If you have your own site where you post original content and are familiar with the basics of web development or programming, then you only need to know the basic skills that can be learned easily through free resources on YouTube or blogs. 

Instead of taking a full-length course, you could try attending a short one-day class to master current practices, or enroll in an on-demand course where you can jump to the sections that you need, ignoring the ones that you don’t. 

Learn React Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers in-depth courses both live online and in-person at their New York office. Their React Development Bootcamp covers everything from the basics of React and Node.js to advanced components and server deployment. You'll start with learning how to compose components, the foundations of React, and then move on to building dynamic fully functioning web applications and deploying them using AWS (Amazon Web Services). This Noble Desktop course (and many others) boasts small class sizes, one free retake, and setup assistance. If you’re interested in pursuing further education, this course counts towards three of Noble’s certificate programs: Full-Stack Web Development, Software Engineering, and JavaScript Development. 

Want to take your skills to the next level? Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Development Certificate is a longer professional training program that will teach you how to build web apps with JavaScript, one of the most popular programming languages in the world. You’ll learn to master React and Node.js, create APIs with Express.js, and work with databases with MongoDB. This course also covers additional topics like Browser Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) built into web browsers, third-party APIs, and third-party frameworks and libraries. If you’re a new developer or an existing one coming from a different background, learning JavaScript will up your game to web application development.

Similarly, the Full-Stack Web Development Certificate helps you develop the skills and knowledge to meet the growing demand for developing and maintaining web applications. This course will teach you to use programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript to program memorable, interactive web pages. You’ll also use the MERN tech stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js) to add databases, APIs, AWS and other server environments, and interactivity for those web applications. Focused on a series of projects, you’ll leave this course with a portfolio of working web applications to show to potential employers. 

Finally, Noble’s Software Engineering Certificate covers HTML & CSS, JavaScript, and React, and back end development with Python, Django, and Node.js. You’ll learn HTML to mark up web pages and CSS for styling; the fundamentals of JavaScript; Git for version control; and how to use Flexbox and Grid to layout, align, and reorder web page content, as well as make it adapt to different size screens. The second part of the course will cover JavaScript programming concepts, including variables, data types, loops, and DOM. You’ll also build your very own desktop application using React and deploy it using the AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud environment. Finally, you'll master the lexical syntax of Python and quickly move to more advanced topics like dictionaries, custom functions, and sorting algorithms. You'll then progress to object-oriented programming, working with APIs, and querying databases with SQL. By the end of this course, you’ll have a portfolio of projects, a polished resume, and a professional LinkedIn profile; be prepared for common interview questions; and be armed with tips for applying to jobs.