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Educating myself for Web Develoment...where to start?

Lugz

I've decided that I would like to pursue a career in developing for the Web. This type of work genuinely interest me. Be it designing web pages, or developing applications, or even creating mobile apps...I want to develop skills that will let me do all of those.

Problem is, I have no idea where to begin. I know I need some sort of formal education...but from where? I'm currently enrolled at American Public University following the Information Systems Security path....and I hate it. They have a Web Development with .Net degree path, but it seems a bit out of date.

So any suggestions on how I should go about educating myself? Any good online schools that offer great we development focused curriculum?

I really need to make a decision fast...I only have six weeks left in my current semester, and I don't want to waste anymore time at APU if there's a better school I should be attending.

Thanks.

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Comments

Backpacker

I cant help with the web development courses but I would like to know how you like APU so far? Is there a reason your not doing any of the 15 elective web development classes that APU offers?
Im going to be starting the Information Systems Security courses in 2 weeks.
How do you like the online format?
Is doing 3 classes every 8 weeks doable for someone who works full time?
I chose APU over WGU solely for the fact that I could choose my own electives and study things that I had an interest in.They have numerous courses in programming , databases and web development.I intend to get some programming knowledge.

Lugz

Backpacker wrote: »

I cant help with the web development courses but I would like to know how you like APU so far? Is there a reason your not doing any of the 15 elective web development classes that APU offers?
Im going to be starting the Information Systems Security courses in 2 weeks.
How do you like the online format?
Is doing 3 classes every 8 weeks doable for someone who works full time?
I chose APU over WGU solely for the fact that I could choose my own electives and study things that I had an interest in.They have numerous courses in programming , databases and web development.I intend to get some programming knowledge.

I already changed my degree path to Web Development, but I want to make sure that there isn't a better option out there.

I personally wouldn't recommend doing more than two classes at a time. You can structure your class schedule so that you're only taking two at a time. That's what I've been doing and I work 40 hours a week.

However, due to me taking June off, I've had to overlap my first set of classes with my second, resulting in about a three week stretch of doing 4 classes at the same time. Needless to say it's been rough.

As for the format, it's been okay.I'm not enjoying my current classes in ISS (the same path you're on) because it's all been theory so far. I've found it difficult to apply a lot of the concepts that I've learned. If I had a small computer lab, that would be a different story. Plus, the subject matter doesn't interest me as much add I thought it would.

This is what your weekly schedule will look like for most of your security classes:

Submit a weekly forum post on an assigned subject, along with replying to two other students. Posts just be 250 words or more, and you'll need to cite sources of information.

Textbook chapter reading

PowerPoint slide and additional reading for weekly lessons.

A virtual lab assignment, which requires certain information to be inserted into a text document, and submitted as a deliverable. There are also about 10 questions that will need to be answered.

A weekly assignment, usually a 500 word paper, where you research a subject.

Quizzes at various intervals.

The classes will then culminate in a 6-10 page research paper on a topic of your choosing, along with a companion PowerPoint presentation.

That's what must of the classes boil down to.

Hope this helps

DoubleNNs

On your own time you could get the Head First HTML and CSS book, PHP Solutions: Dynamic Web Design Made Easy, Database Design for the Mere Mortal, SQL Queries for the Mere Mortal, and PHP, MySQL & Javascript by O'Reilly.

Each are pretty easy reads, especially if you read them in the order described above. And when you're done you'll have excellent entry-level web dev skills.

On top of that, probably follow some Web Design blogs such as AListApart.

This all could be done on your own time, while you work on your class work.

(There was one point in time where I wanted to go into Web Dev/Web Design too, but I changed my mind.)

Master Of Puppets

You can always pick up HTML, JS and CSS on your own. No courses or degrees required to start like that.

Lugz

Hmmm, well now I'm really at a crossroad.

So let's say I just diy'd my web development education...is there any point at all to continuing my education, outside of just personal accomplishment?

Would there be a good complimentary degree that I can acquire that would look good on my resume?

Xonis1

CS253 (web development) on udacity is a good start

Kimura410

This is just for self study in your free time but w3schools.com is a nice website for beginner's. I enjoy web development too and am considering it as a career when I get good at it. treehouse.com is a good one too, but I think they make you pay after a month. W3 will give you basic tutorials on like 5 different languages, maybe more.