Introduction

As programmers, we deal with different programming languages, frameworks, and libraries in our daily lives. In this time-critical world, it is essential to learn and use specific technologies faster. The best way to achieve this is by utilizing crash courses for rapid learning.

A crash course is an educational or research course conducted over a very short period of time. These rapid learning programs may also be described by the ambiguous term crash program. - Wikipedia

Here, I refer to crash courses as short tutorials within 1-3 hours of content that focus on a specific programming language or framework.

In this blog post, I’ll share my experience with crash courses, drawing on my five years of experience in programming and working with different programming languages, frameworks, and libraries in my day-to-day development work.

We will explore how to use programming crash courses to speed up learning as a developer. In the end, I’ll give you the tips on how to use the knowledge you gained from crash courses in the real world and beyond the tutorial hell.

 

Disclaimer

Before diving deep into crash courses, I want to clarify that I’m not encouraging you to rely solely on crash courses to gain technical knowledge. These crash courses cannot replace long-form content (like bootcamps or comprehensive courses that teach a subject in-depth over many hours).

We can’t fully ignore the invaluable long-form tutorials for mastering programming skills. I assume you have foundational knowledge in at least one programming language and want to expand your knowledge into other programming languages and technologies. These insights and tips are based on my experience, so adjust them to fit your requirements and use cases.

 

Benefits of Crash Courses

Before moving on to how to use crash courses effectively, let’s list out a few advantages of following a crash course:

  • You can learn quickly and apply the knowledge immediately.
  • In this fast-paced world, learning quickly and using that knowledge in real-world projects is a competitive advantage in your developer life.
  • You can reduce procrastination and overcome tutorial hell.
  • Rather than watching and taking notes on long-form content, you can focus directly on key concepts, syntax, and setting up the coding environment.
  • The crash courses are short, so you can see the end results within a few hours, triggering your motivation to learn and do more.
  • JIT (Just-In-Time) learning enables quick application rather than just learning for the sake of learning and then forgetting it.
  • Refresh your existing knowledge with the latest updates quickly.
  • Most programming crash courses are free on the internet.
  • You can combine multiple suitable crash courses quickly.

 

What to Focus on in a Crash Course

  • At first, focus your attention on getting started with the chosen technology:
    • Codebase/environment setup
    • Folder structure and use cases
  • If the technology is related to APIs and databases, focus on CRUD functionality (Create/Read/Update/Delete, the basic functions of data processing).
  • Practice the technology-specific syntax and train your logic to work within this programming environment.
  • Prioritize quality over quantity.

 

Steps to Follow to Get the Most Out of Crash Courses

  • Follow the crash course on YouTube or a blog post:
    • Code along with the tutorial.
    • Shift your mindset from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
  • Try 2-3 courses to understand the unknown aspects of the technology.
    • Since crash courses are short by nature, you can quickly go through multiple courses to get a comprehensive overview.
  • Improvise the project by adding your own features.
  • Contribute to open source projects related to the specific technology.
  • Teach your colleagues, write a blog post, or create a video about what you learned (focus on creativity rather than perfection).
  • Be passionate about leveling up by solving real-world problems using the technology.

 

Typical Pitfalls of Crash Courses

Even though crash courses are a great way to learn new things quickly, you need to consider these few downsides:

  • Illusion of competence: Since crash courses are short, you might expect the technology or framework to be covered comprehensively. But in reality, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
  • Limited shallow understanding: The main focus of crash courses is to get you started with the terminology and syntax. While learning, you need to focus on broader aspects and concepts as well.
  • Quality varies: The quality of a crash course depends on the creator and their experience. So be mindful when choosing a course and do some research as well.

Some of my personal favorite crash course creators on YouTube are:

 

Conclusion

Crash courses can be a powerful tool for quickly learning new programming languages and frameworks. By focusing on key concepts and practicing just-in-time learning, you can gain a competitive edge and stay motivated in your development journey. Remember to balance crash courses with long-form content to master programming skills fully and continue expanding your knowledge.

Happy learning/programming! 🧑🏻‍💻