taylor.jessica•1mo agoProlific Poster

Vent: that friend who said "just learn JavaScript first" almost made me quit coding

My buddy Dave kept pushing me to start with JavaScript because "everything uses it" and I spent 3 weeks struggling with callback functions and promises. I couldn't even make a basic button work and felt like an idiot. Then I switched to Python just to try it and built a simple calculator in my first weekend. Has anyone else had someone push them toward a language that just didn't click for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_ross1mo ago

Three weeks on callbacks and promises is brutal for a beginner. JavaScript makes you learn a dozen weird concepts before you can do anything that feels real. Python handed you a working calculator in a weekend because it gets out of your way. That's not a failure on your part, that's JavaScript being a terrible teaching tool. Dave meant well, but he forgot that feeling like an idiot isn't great motivation to keep going. You found something that clicks, that's what matters. Keep hacking away with Python.

felix_thomas731mo ago

@spencer_ross has it exactly right. Three weeks on callbacks and promises would make anyone feel like theyre banging their head against a wall. I remember my first time with JS, I nearly quit coding altogether because it felt like I was learning a secret handshake instead of building anything useful. Python just works, and that feeling of making something that actually runs within a day is huge for keeping the spark alive. You made the right call switching.