8 tips to prep for Rails Project
This is a post I shared with my cohort in Slack.
Let me set the stage for you guys if yall are anything like me: get ready for tons of errors, so much confusion, so much reference to the Nil Class, banging head against wall, repeat… With that said, figuring this stuff out is like quenching a brain freeze. I always learn most from the projects, but this one here is something else. So here are the biggest tips I can offer as someone about midway through my project that I wish I’d have known going in:
- DRAW OUT YOUR USER STORY
– figuring out early on exactly what you want to happen from login to logout and everywhere in between is CRUCIAL. i should have done this before, but i just started and got going and got lost quickly. if you know each step you want the user to take, it makes it so much easier to plan out.
2. DRAW THE ASSOCIATIONS ON A WHITEBOARD
–this has been the crux of the project, what methods can i call on what objects, what belongs to what, etc. Id advise the simplest associations you can while staying true to your idea.
3. LIVE IN THE CONSOLE // SERVER
–shouldnt have taken me this long but dont be afraid of errors. rails has kick-a** errors that point you in the right direction. try out the weirdest methods ever in the console and then see what happens.
4. TALK THROUGH YOUR APP WITH A FRIEND
–hit up anyone in the cohort, make a zoom, and jsut ask for five minutes of their time. usually talking it out and getting out of your head will go a long way, both of you will learn.
5. TAKE BREAKS, BE MESSY
– ive been afraid to get messy in projects but its the most fun. write crazy custom methods. do everything they tell you not to do. craft the app the way you want to and then go back and form it into “the right way”.
6. FOLLOW CONVENTION
– sounds contradictory to number five but its the most direct path to accomplishing your goal. its like writing a song, i dont want to reinvent the chromatic scale every time, just follow conventions laid out by people smarter than us.
7. JUST GET STARTED
–i didnt know what my app was until i started (still kind of dont LOL), but the more you work on it, the more you will see what it needs to be.
8. KNOW YOUR CODE
–lastly, most important, only you can make this happen. it sucks. its really hard( for me at least). but its so rewarding. we’re like, actual programmers now. we all have our strengths and weaknesses. but through working on these projects, we become immensely more capable every day. knowing ur project inside and out is the best way, in my opinion, toward moving on to the next level. take breaks, chat with other students, et al. obvi im not even done with my project, but i just wanted to share with those of you beginning tomorrow, because it gets really lonely, tiring, and difficult. but you can do it. i PROMISE if I can do this stuff, you absolutely can. happy coding!
