Course Overview
This intensive 10-day course teaches you the foundational skills needed to build modern web applications. You'll start with basic HTML structure and progressively learn CSS styling, JavaScript programming, DOM manipulation, event handling, state management, and API integration. By the end, you'll build a fully functional CRUD application from scratch.
What makes this course different? You'll learn vanilla JavaScript first, building real applications without frameworks. This deep understanding makes learning React 10x easier because you'll understand why frameworks exist and what problems they solve.
Course Outcome
By Day 10, you will build a fully functional CRUD app (budget tracker, to-do list, or habit tracker) and understand:
- How the web actually works
- DOM manipulation and event handling
- State management with arrays and objects
- Making HTTP requests with Fetch API (GET/POST)
- Solving real problems with real solutions in the browser
Who This Course Is For
- Beginners starting their web development journey
- Self-learners who want structured, hands-on practice
- Aspiring React developers who need a solid foundation
- Anyone who wants to understand how web applications really work
Prerequisites
- Basic computer literacy
- A code editor (VS Code recommended)
- A modern web browser (Chrome or Firefox)
- Willingness to practice and build projects
Course Outline
Day 1: HTML is Structure
HTML basics, semantic tags, forms, and input types. Build a complete static profile page with text, lists, and a contact form.
Day 2: CSS is Presentation
Selectors, box model, colors, fonts, and spacing. Transform your profile page from plain HTML into a visually appealing, professional design.
Day 3: Layout with Flexbox
Modern layout with Flexbox. Learn justify-content, align-items, flex-grow/shrink. Build a responsive navbar and sidebar layout without floats.
Day 4: Responsive Design Basics
Media queries, relative units (%, vh, vw, rem), and mobile-first design. Make your profile page responsive and create a collapsible hamburger navigation menu.
Day 5: JavaScript Basics (Data & Logic)
Variables, data types, conditionals, loops, and functions. Write functions to manipulate arrays, calculate averages, and format strings.
Day 6: DOM Manipulation
Connect JavaScript to HTML using querySelector, textContent, innerHTML, and createElement. Build an interactive "add item to list" feature with dynamic DOM updates.
Day 7: Events + User Input
Master addEventListener, handle form submissions with preventDefault, and read input values. Build a functional to-do form that adds items to the page.
Day 8: State Management in Vanilla JS
Store data in arrays of objects, render state to DOM, and keep UI synchronized with data. Implement full CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) in a to-do app.
Day 9: Fetch + Basic API Calls
Learn HTTP requests, promises, async/await, and JSON. Make GET requests to public APIs and POST data to servers. Build a random quote generator.
Day 10: Build a Mini CRUD App
THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY. Build a complete budget tracker, notes app, or habit tracker with full CRUD operations, LocalStorage persistence, and professional UI. This is your "aha" moment.
What You'll Understand After This Course
How the Web Works
The request/response cycle, client-server architecture, and how browsers render HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Why React Exists
After manually manipulating the DOM and managing state in vanilla JavaScript, you'll deeply appreciate what React solves:
- Automatic UI updates when state changes
- Component reusability
- Declarative programming
- Better code organization
The Foundation for Everything
These fundamentals apply to all modern frameworks: React, Vue, Angular, Svelte. Master this, and you can learn any framework.
Real Problem-Solving Skills
You'll learn to break down problems, implement solutions, debug code, and build applications that solve real-world needs.
Course Philosophy
Build First, Understand Deep
Every day includes hands-on building. You'll write code, make mistakes, debug, and learn by doing. Theory is taught in context of practical application.
Progressive Complexity
Each day builds on the previous day's knowledge. By Day 10, you're combining all 10 lessons into one cohesive project.
Production-Ready Practices
Learn best practices from the start: semantic HTML, organized CSS, clean JavaScript, proper error handling, and user-friendly interfaces.
Foundation for Frameworks
This course deliberately teaches vanilla JavaScript first. When you encounter React later, you'll understand what's happening under the hood, making you a better developer.
Course Format
Each day includes:
- Learning Objectives - Clear goals for what you'll master
- Detailed Explanations - Concepts explained with visual examples
- Step-by-Step Tutorials - Build real projects with complete code
- Practice Exercises - Reinforce learning with challenges
- Common Mistakes - Learn what to avoid
- Key Takeaways - Summary of essential concepts
Time Commitment
- Daily Time: 2-4 hours per day
- Total Duration: 10 days
- Project Time: Day 10 may take longer (4-6 hours) as you build your final app
Pro Tip: Don't rush! Take your time on each day. It's better to deeply understand Days 1-9 than to superficially complete all 10 days.
Success Tips
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Type Every Code Example - Don't copy/paste. Typing builds muscle memory and understanding.
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Experiment Freely - Change values, break things, fix them. This is how you learn.
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Build Your Own Version - After completing each tutorial, build your own variation.
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Ask "Why?" - Don't just memorize syntax. Understand why things work the way they do.
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Use Browser DevTools - Inspect elements, check the console, debug actively.
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Take Notes - Write down key concepts in your own words.
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Complete Day 10 - The final project is where everything clicks. Don't skip it!
What Comes Next?
After completing this course, you'll be ready for:
Immediate Next Steps:
- React Fundamentals - Build component-based UIs
- Node.js & Express - Create backend APIs
- Databases - Learn MongoDB or PostgreSQL
- Full-Stack Projects - Connect frontend to backend
Career Paths:
- Frontend Developer
- Full-Stack Developer
- Web Application Developer
- UI Engineer
Continued Learning:
- Build more projects (portfolio website, blog, e-commerce)
- Contribute to open-source projects
- Learn advanced JavaScript (closures, prototypes, async patterns)
- Explore modern frameworks and tools
Final Thoughts
This course is challenging but rewarding. You'll experience frustration, breakthroughs, and genuine excitement when your code works. That's the journey of becoming a developer.
Remember: Every expert developer started exactly where you are now. The difference? They kept building, kept learning, and kept pushing through challenges.
You're not just learning to code—you're learning to think like a developer, solve problems creatively, and build things that matter.
Let's begin your journey! Start with Day 1 and build something amazing.
Quick Start
- Create a project folder on your computer
- Open it in VS Code (or your preferred editor)
- Start with Day 1: HTML is Structure
- Follow the tutorials in order
- Complete the exercises
- Build the final project on Day 10
Good luck, and happy coding! 🚀
GlenH - Nov 4, 2025gghayoge at gmail.com