Before this summer, I had just finished 2 semesters of university almost 9-10 months of coursework and all I really knew was C and C++. I could write programs, solve problems, print things to the console... but that was it.
I remember constantly looking at apps and websites and thinking, how do people actually build these things? Console output felt like a completely different universe from a real website or app someone could open in their browser and use. I didn't even know where to start.
Then summer break started, and I decided to stop wondering and just start learning. I picked up Scrimba's Full Stack Developer Path, and it completely changed how I see software.
What I actually learned
I went from knowing only C/C++ to learning:
- JavaScript : the language that finally let me build for the web
- CSS : actually styling things instead of staring at a blank console
- React : building real, interactive UIs with components and state
- TypeScript : writing safer, more structured code
- Node.js & Express.js : building my own backend and REST APIs
- SQL : working with databases instead of hardcoded arrays
- UI Design & Testing in React : not just making things work, but making them good and reliable
What I built
The biggest shift was realizing I wasn't just learning about web dev anymore — I was building things:
- REST APIs— including a Startup Planet Express API, a Wild Horizon API, and a Vinyl Store API built with Express
- Websites — from a real estate listing site to a space exploration site to a personal hometown webpage
- Games— a Tic-Tac-Toe vs Computer game, a Blackjack casino game, and Dracarys Duel, a House of the Dragon–themed 2-player dragon battle game with real-time matchmaking
- Apps — a currency converter, weather app, unit converter, to-do list, random password generator, basketball scorecard, and more
Every single one of these started as "I have no idea how this works" and ended as a working, deployed project I built with my own hands.
By the end of the summer, I'd pushed almost 100 commits to my GitHub — you can check it all out here: github.com/muhamad-hashir
The real takeaway
Nine months of university taught me how a computer thinks. One summer with Scrimba taught me how to actually build something a person can use. That gap between "I understand programming" and "I can build the things I use every day" is the gap Scrimba closed for me.
To anyone else out there staring at a console output wondering how people build real apps: it's closer than you think. Pick a project-based path, and just start.
Onward to the new semester and to learning Next.js and Tailwind CSS next. 🚀
