Hello newcomers! How is it going in learning Angular? Nowadays, side-projects are often discussed in various IT forums. Such projects are mainly carried out by developers who simultaneously study some technology or work for a specific company. Many people talk about the benefits of side projects, the further rise of a third-party product and its retraining into the main one, etc. But is it really so? And what exactly is an activity outside the main activity? Let’s take a closer look at these issues together in this article which is called ‘How Do I Start A Side Project For Learning Angular Development’. In addition, you will learn how to start developing such a project while studying Angular. Let’s start from the beginning.
Not surprisingly, many talented people have no shortage of ideas for new applications that can be developed as third-party projects. You can safely start their implementation if you have enough time, and the income and expenses for such projects will not need to worry. Such ideas can be profitably monetized, while simultaneously developing your knowledge. But let’s first understand what a side project is. The definition of “side project” comes from music. Today it is used in many areas, including IT. In simple terms, a side project is a third-party developer’s work. For example, a person manages the development of a new platform for a small business – this is the main activity. In his free time he restores old cars and collects them – this is a side project. But we’ll talk about side projects in a development context. As a rule, programmers develop large products in a startup or in a company and can simultaneously conduct activities that do not relate to the main place of work (or, in our case, they will learn a new technology). There are many cases when side projects become the main place of work. As a rule, these are “shot” products that have received high demand and have begun to make a profit.
Why do you need a side project? Should you be distracted from studying Angular or your main work and tear yourself apart? If this goes to the detriment of the main activity, then it is better to refuse. But in your free time, no one forbids doing something of your own, and there are several reasons in favor of this.
- It helps your self-development. Today the labor market is moving towards narrowing specializations in order to achieve better results. For example, there used to be a “programmer” who wrote programs in different languages. Accordingly, all programs written in different codes had “holes”. Therefore, there was a division into narrower specializations – JavaScript developer, jQuery, etc. That is, a person specializes in something specific and constantly improves his skills. But the desire for self-development is natural for any of us. And the more we do, the better it is. Therefore, many projects are involved in extra-work activities to learn something new. When studying Angular development, each stage in the progress of mastering the framework must be consolidated in practice. Therefore, the side project here will be more relevant for your self-development than ever. For example, you can create a simple side project for yourself, the same blog (like Twitter) and make it on Angular. I can say from my own experience that this is the most effective method of learning. A side project is not always something successful. In most cases, they do not bring economic success, but they allow you to learn something new and that’s amazing! Do not be upset if your additional activities have not brought success, the main thing is knowledge.
- Side projects need to be done for testing. Testing new ideas on a large project can lead to expensive consequences, but sometimes you really want to try something unusual. Therefore, you can create a side project and “conjure” over it. Such testing helps to check all the options and determine which ones really work, and which ones are better to abandon and generally forget. This factor overlaps with self-development, but at the same time helps to reduce possible losses in advance. Believe me, you will only say thank you for such a side project, especially if a new tested solution has a positive effect on the main project.
- Personal discipline. Side product development helps in self-organization and discipline. Here, no one will rush you, you will not receive any payment in the end, so you have to force yourself to do something. And subsequently, discipline helps in working in the company. Discipline and adherence to the schedule ultimately leads to over fulfillment of plans, earlier achievement of the set goals. Looking to advance your career? Discipline yourself! Does it work? Start a side project!
- The side project helps programmers and other IT workers communicate. If something goes wrong during the implementation of such a project, you can seek advice on the forums where you will receive an answer from the developer. This broadens your views and often allows you to think bigger, which has a positive effect on the study and further work. Without communication, we begin to think narrowly only within the framework of our specialization.
- It will bring you joy. Studying Angular development requires a lot of effort and can turn into a routine and at one point the desire to move on disappears. In such a situation, a side project helps. There is complete freedom of action and creativity, so it is easier to achieve your goals. This provides additional dopamine, which generates strength and enthusiasm for basic activities.
How to start a side project for learning Angular development?
- Learn to manage your time. Learn to manage your own time before taking on outside activities. Some people on the move identify current tasks, take on their implementation and forget about something important. As a result, it takes a lot of time to switch between actions and something constantly remains unresolved. In such conditions, work on additional projects is out of the question. Start planning your day and week. Spend 30-40 minutes on Sunday to define tasks for the next 7 days. For example, add three functions to a project. And then plan each day by breaking down the main tasks into small ones. Set aside actions for a certain amount of time and do everything in sequence. Within a month, you will feel the effect: you will start doing more with less time, the desire to procrastinate will disappear, and enough hours will be freed up to complete side projects.
- Define the goals of your side project. Coming up with an idea for additional activities is not easy. Therefore, it is better to start by defining goals. Think about what you want to achieve by the end of the Angular course? Write it down in a notebook, diary, or notes on your phone. Just do not come up with a large number of goals, 5-7 points are enough. In the process of implementing a third-party product, you will dive deeper into the Angular development topic. In the end you know how to create various applications and can even give advice to novice programmers. Yes, it is possible that your project will not be in demand among a mass user, but your main success is the gained knowledge and pleasure from work.
- Be prepared that the third-party project can be complex due to the many details that are currently incomprehensible. In most cases, projects start moving in a direction that they are not familiar with. You have to learn something new along the way, solve interesting problems, etc.
- Plan your side project. When there are clear goals, the idea of complementary activities can be defined. But don’t think that the side project is being implemented overnight. Implementing an idea takes a certain amount of time, which must be allocated regularly. Otherwise, the work will quickly fade away.
- Motivate yourself. Nobody pays for a side project, so it’s more difficult to motivate yourself. And motivation in this case tends to gradually decrease. And the longer you work without a tangible result, the less you want to do something further. To get a new portion of motivation, constantly analyze the results. Feeling something important (for example, you have mastered a new skill and now you can apply it in practice), you will receive a charge of strength to continue moving in the chosen direction.
Conclusion
As you already know, a side project can bring you tremendous experience and knowledge, even if you study Angular at the same time. I have listed all the benefits of creating such a project and how to start developing it above. Thanks for reading an article ‘‘How Do I Start A Side Project For Learning Angular Development’. Remember that side projects only seem like a simple task. In fact, you have to spend your free time, because the project is not sold at the snap of your fingers. This also requires learning how to manage the schedule, constantly looking for motivation and gathering a team of specialists to bring the idea to life. Wish you good luck!
