Blood, Sweat, and Bootstraps
22 Feb 2023I’ll admit it; front-end programming is the bane of my existence. I find HTML and CSS confusing and tedious, and I’d much rather write back-end programs any day. However, being able to be proficient in front-end coding is essential for opening as many opportunities for myself as possible. This week, I began learning to create web pages using the UI Framework Bootstrap. This was my experience.
The Learning Mountain That is Bootstrap
We’ve all heard of the learning curve. Bootstrap is more like a learning mountain. I spent an unnecessarily long amount of time messing around with their classes, struggling to get anything to work. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere, I would write another line and suddenly slide all the way back down to square one. Even after messing around with it for almost a full week, I felt like I was more confused than when I started. I’ve been climbing, and climbing, and while I have gotten somewhere, I feel like I’m nowhere near where I should be for the amount of time I’ve put in already.
So Why Learn Bootstrap?
Bootstrap is a widely used UI Framework, and being proficient in it will open up opportunities for me in finding work in the computer science field. That’s more than enough reason for me to go through the torture of learning it. But beyond that, Bootstrap is a good reminder that not everything I work for will come naturally. When I first started back-end programming, I found that I had a talent for it. I was able to pick up and hone my skills in back-end development very quickly. I was put in my place this week in my atrocious attempt to learn Bootstrap. Not everything will come naturally to me, and I’m destined to struggle. But that’s not a reason to give up. I’m sticking with learning front-end development, not because it’s fun, or easy, but because I’m determined to succeed in my field, and I’m willing to give blood, sweat, and tears to get there.