Why should I take up web development from an early age?

Thanks to technology and innovation we have an internet web that connects the world making it one small global village. The web has made communication very easy, enabled people far between trade goods and services and generally connected people worldwide. Every single business today is striving to have their own website to move products, companies and corporations are equally getting in on the act and even individual people are making their own website to showcase themselves to the world. 

Unfortunately, not everyone can be able to write code and come up with an attractive website for themselves. This is where web development gurus come in. These are dedicated people who have learned the ever intimidating lines of code and help us come up with meaningful websites to peruse through online. Due to the massive demand for web development skills today, millenials and other young people are encouraged to learn the trade from an early age. Web design and development is now offered as a course in many colleges worldwide and taught as a subject in some schools. This is something that young people are keen to learn and we are here to help them achieve that. We have been receiving a lot of questions and queries about web development and today we would like to address a few of them. Here are the Top 15 Web Development Questions from College Students and their respective answers;

1. Why should I take up web development from an early age?

The world is migrating! Everything is going digital and everyone is doing everything online! Right from learning to business, people are using the internet to achieve everything literally. This means that there are numerous opportunities and jobs for people who have web development skills. There is no better time to learn this skill that when you are young! Start today!

2. Where can I learn web development? 

You can choose to take web development as a course in college or learn it part-time online. There are numerous websites offering lessons in coding and web design. This include codeacademy, Khan Academy, Mozilla Developer Network and many others. 

3. How long will it take me to learn web development?

Well, this depends on the amount of time you have on your hands and the amount of time you are willing to dedicate to learning code. In a few weeks or months you should be able to come up with a functional code that can translate to a good web page. It is not as hard a task as many people deem it to be.

4. How much money does it cost to learn web development online?

Depending on where you are willing to take classes, you can learn web development absolutely free! Places like Khan Academy offer their short video courses for free but you can donate anytime which is a noble thing to do. Some charge a little subscription fee but it’s all worth it in the end.

5. Must I learn all the coding languages to become a web developer?

No you don’t! There are very many programming languages used in developing a website. From HTML to Javascript. Each language serves its own purpose and not all languages go into every web page development. As you advance with the web development though, you will appreciate the importance of mastering as many languages as possible.

6. Where can you get employment as a web developer?

There are very many companies looking for people to develop their websites. Once you have learnt the art and feel like you are competent enough to make a great site, create your own portfolio and start looking for some jobs. Institutions and individuals also offer great market for this skill.

7. How much do web developers earn?

Depends on the complexity of job they carry out and the amount of effort that goes into the work. Small pages with few features and interactivity will cost about $250 while large scale commercial sites can cost upto $2500. This is a skill that pays well.

8. How long does it take to develop a website from scratch?

If you have all the required content and details, a page with less than 10 pages should take you about a month to develop. Large scale projects with more details can however take much longer than this.

9. Can I balance between studies and working as a part-time web developer?

Oh, yes you can! This is something that requires just discipline and dedication. If your main career is not related to web development however, you should be careful because it might take up a lot of your time and potentially affect your grades. Generally dedicating 2-3 hours a day in college will do the trick.

10. What are some of the best programs and software I need to learn web development?

There are programs and software designed to help novices learn web development. These include Dreamweaver, PuTTY, Paintshop Pro among many others. Some are free while others require you to pay something to get them.

11. Should I use ready templates when working on a client’s job?

As a novice, you might be tempted to use a ready template to build a client’s website. I am not against it but templates will generally lower your creativity and are mostly prone to minor errors which can prove costly. Start your own web from scratch and learn from your mistakes.

12. Should I develop my own website first?

Yes, this is a good idea. Once you have tried a few lines of code and the results are great, test your web development skills by coming up with your own personal website. This will be a great tool for marketing and clients can judge your ability by looking at the end product of your site.

13. Of what help is social media to me as a web developer?

Social media platforms are very handy when it comes to web development. They will help you interact with other developers and are also a good place to advertise your skills to the world. Make good use of these platforms and you will succeed in this business.

14. At what point do I go full time as a web developer?

Many people don’t know when the time is right for them to go full-time on web development. As a professional web developer myself, my advice to such people is to always stay patient and make sure they have a large enough client base and reputation before they can go full-time. Don’t hurry because it can take a financial toll on you when the jobs get hard to come by.

15. Any other skills I should learn to complement web development?

This is an important question! Web development on its own is not enough. Learn about marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Graphic Design, Illustration and other related jobs. This way when the jobs in the web development sector are on the low, you can make cash off the other side hustles.