I have been formally learning how to become a mobile application designer and developer since September 2021. It is not an easy journey but I am learning new things and I am confident that my hard work will pay off. My professors have stressed how important it is to not limit our learning to only what is taught during class. So, I have been supplementing my learning by frequenting other resources such as Stack Overflow and DEV Community. These sites are a treasure trove of ideas whether I am looking for a solution to a problem that I have or just reading other people's ideas. A professor once said that to be a good developer we need to practice and read tons of materials. However, I find YouTube tutorials to be the most useful to me especially when I am working on difficult programming assignments and projects. So here are 5 YouTube channels that help better understand programming.
Prof3ssorSt3v3
This is the YouTube channel of one of my professors, Steve Griffith. Maybe I am a bit biased here for talking about his channel but watching his videos absolutely helped me understand the lessons being taught in class. This is my go-to YouTube channel if I need to brush up on my JavaScript. Steve specializes in teaching JS fundamentals and I like how he delivers them. The channel's content includes tutorials and examples aimed at beginners learning the basics of JavaScript programming delivered at an easy-to-follow pace. In my opinion, one of the benefits of watching this channel is it is focused on practical, hands-on learning. Steve shares concepts and theories and then provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to apply them. Steve expertly explains programming concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. This style of learning is perfect for someone who is starting to learn how to code.
The Net Ninja
Another channel that I always use as a reference is The Net Ninja. This channel is owned by Shaun Pelling who is a full-stack web developer. His contents include front-end and back-end programming. Similar to Prof3ssorSt3v3's channel, his videos are easy to follow and are perfect for beginners. Also, his videos include some complicated topics which are ideal for those programmers with more experience. The Net Ninja covers topics about web development including tutorials in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. He also has tutorials on how to create projects using React and Firebase. Moreover, The Net Ninja has several videos on back-end technologies like Node.js, Express, and MongoDB. What I liked about The Net Ninja is that he has a full series of tutorials on how to create a full-stack project from front-end to back-end development which greatly helped me when I was working on a similar assignment. This channel is really instrumental for my learning and I am sure that this is a great resource for all types of developers who want to learn and improve their skills.
WebDev Simplified
WebDev Simplified is another channel that I use as a reference whenever I need a solution to my coding problems. The channel focuses on web development skills and techniques and teaches them in an efficient and practical approach. It has all the necessary course materials for web development as well as the tools that I need to learn the latest and most popular technologies. The channel enables its viewers to learn how to become full-stack developers. Advanced topics are also discussed in Web Dev Simplified and it teaches how to use best practices for more experienced web developers. I remember that I used the tutorials in this channel to learn more about permissions using Express and Node.js
freeCodeCamp
This channel has the most number of subscribers on this list of YouTube channels but to be honest, I did not watch a lot of their videos compared to the channels above. Several of their lessons or tutorials are more than an hour long, which discouraged me. However, they do have an extensive list of topics covered. What I like about this channel is that it is a non-profit organization that aims to teach people to learn to code. As mentioned earlier, they create content on a wide range of topics, including web development, data science, and design. Their videos are geared towards beginners as well as those with more programming experience. If you have plenty of time to spare, FreeCodeCamp is one of the best resources on YouTube for new developers who want to learn how to create programs. They cover a comprehensive curriculum that includes everything from the fundamentals of programming to advanced topics. Some of the example topics they covered include web development using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. Developers who want to include their programming skills would greatly benefit from watching their videos.
DesignCourse
The best thing about this channel is it teaches UI and UX design along with front-end development. I don't only get to learn how to program but also how to make an effective design that solves the user's needs. The channel also teaches how to use the most popular design tools such as Figma and Adode products which are some of the tools I used in my design classes. Their tutorials on how to expertly use these tools are amazing. I have used some of their techniques in my design assignments which are fun to create. I chanced upon their channel quite late and I wish I saw them earlier because their tutorials are focused on UI and UX design methodologies and front-end development which are the majority of the subjects in my course. I could have learned techniques to apply in my assignments and projects.
In just a few more months, I will be joining the job market and as an aspiring developer, I need to continuously improve my skills by learning best practices, techniques and new technologies. The mentioned YouTube channels above will definitely help me stay up-to-date with the latest trends in mobile application design and development that are crucial to my success.