Daydream: From Website Builders to Self-Taught Full-Stack Developer

Some journeys begin with simple tools that spark curiosity. Mine started in primary school with website builders that would eventually lead me to become a self-taught programmer, mastering multiple languages in just 4 months during the COVID pandemic.

The Spark: Primary School Discovery

I was in primary school when I first discovered the magic of creating websites. Unlike many of my peers who were busy with games and toys, I found myself drawn to the idea of building something that others could see online.

"What are you doing?" my teacher asked one day, finding me completely absorbed in the computer lab.

"Making a website," I replied proudly, not looking up from the screen where I had opened Wix and was dragging elements onto my first creation.

My journey with website creation began with simple drag-and-drop builders:

• Wix: My first introduction to website creation, where I spent hours customizing templates
• Google Sites: The platform I used for school projects, amazed at how easily I could publish content
• Many other builders: I tried everything I could get my hands on, comparing features and possibilities

While other kids saw these tools as just another way to complete assignments, I saw them as gateways to endless possibilities. Each new website I created fueled my curiosity about how these platforms actually worked behind the scenes.

The Foundation: From Using Tools to Understanding Them

As I progressed through primary school, my relationship with website builders evolved. I began to push against their limitations:

My Early Website Adventures

• School project websites: I created sites for book reports and science projects that went far beyond what teachers expected
• Family event pages: I built sites for family gatherings and celebrations, complete with photo galleries and RSVP forms
• Fan pages: I dedicated countless hours to creating fan sites for my favorite books, games, and movies

Beyond the Basics

By the end of primary school, I had developed a frustration with the constraints of website builders. I wanted to:

1. Customize elements that the builders wouldn't let me change
2. Create interactions that weren't available in the templates
3. Understand what was happening when I clicked "Publish"

"The limitations of tools become the catalyst for deeper learning."

The Transition: Middle School and Real Programming

Middle school marked the pivotal moment when I transitioned from using website builders to learning actual programming. The limitations I had encountered with Wix and Google Sites had created a hunger to understand what was happening under the hood.

Without formal classes or structured curriculum, I began teaching myself:

First Steps into Real Web Development

I taught myself HTML and CSS by:

1. Viewing page sources: I right-clicked on websites and selected "View Source" to see their code
2. Experimenting with code: I started modifying the HTML of my website builder sites, adding custom code snippets
3. Learning through tutorials: I discovered online resources that explained the fundamentals of web development

The Breakthrough

The moment everything changed was when I created my first website from scratch—no builders, no templates, just code. It was a simple page with basic styling, but it was entirely mine, built with nothing but a text editor and a browser.

The COVID Catalyst: 7th Grade Coding Explosion

When COVID hit during my 7th grade year, the world shut down—but my learning accelerated dramatically. With school moved online and extracurricular activities canceled, I suddenly had an abundance of time. I decided to use it to dive deep into programming.

In just 4 months of lockdown, I taught myself:

• TypeScript & JavaScript: I started with JavaScript basics and quickly progressed to TypeScript, appreciating its type safety
• Next.js: I fell in love with this React framework and how it simplified building full-stack applications
• Python: I learned this versatile language for backend development and automation
• Golang: I challenged myself with Go's unique approach to concurrency and efficiency
• Java: I tackled object-oriented programming through Java's structured approach

I tried PHP but found it didn't click with me—a valuable lesson that not every language would be my cup of tea.

My Learning Methodology

My pandemic learning strategy was intense but effective:

1. Morning: Study language fundamentals through documentation and tutorials
2. Afternoon: Build small projects applying what I'd learned that morning
3. Evening: Debug problems and plan the next day's learning
4. Weekends: Integrate multiple technologies in larger projects

"Four months of focused learning during lockdown equaled years of casual exploration."

The Evolution: From Hobbyist to Developer

As I progressed through middle school, my self-education became more structured. What had started with website builders had evolved into a serious pursuit of programming knowledge, accelerated dramatically by my COVID coding marathon.

Without formal classes or teachers, I:

• Built full-stack applications: Using Next.js with TypeScript for the frontend and Python or Go for backend services
• Created increasingly complex projects: Each new application incorporated more advanced concepts
• Joined online communities: I found forums and Discord servers where I could learn from others and share my work

The Turning Point

By the end of middle school, I had built several production-quality applications. The website builders that had once seemed magical now appeared primitive compared to what I could create with code. My COVID coding sprint had transformed me from a curious hobbyist to a capable developer in a remarkably short time.

The Challenge: Self-Teaching the Full Stack

High school brought new challenges and opportunities. While my classmates were taking their first formal computer classes, I was already far beyond the curriculum, thanks to my self-directed learning journey that had begun with those simple website builders in primary school and accelerated during the pandemic.

I continued to expand my full-stack development skills, which meant deepening my knowledge of:

• Frontend frameworks: Mastering Next.js and exploring other React-based solutions
• Backend systems: Building robust APIs with Go and Python
• Database management: Working with SQL and NoSQL solutions
• DevOps: Learning about deployment, containerization, and cloud services

The Methodology

My self-teaching approach evolved into a system:

1. Build something that interests me: Personal projects drove my learning
2. When I hit a wall, research specifically what I needed: Targeted learning rather than comprehensive courses
3. Implement immediately: Theory without practice never stuck with me
4. Refine through iteration: Each version of a project taught me something new

The Reality: Self-Taught in a Credentialed World

As I approached adulthood, I faced a new challenge: the professional world valued credentials I didn't have. While my peers were applying to computer science programs, I had years of practical experience but no formal education.

This led to some difficult realizations:

• Self-teaching had limits: There were theoretical gaps in my knowledge
• Proving my skills required extra effort: Without a degree, my work had to speak louder
• Some doors remained closed: Certain opportunities weren't available without credentials

Yet these challenges only strengthened my resolve. I doubled down on building a portfolio that demonstrated what I could do, regardless of how I learned to do it.

The Triumph: Becoming a Full-Stack Developer

The journey from primary school website builders to full-stack development wasn't linear or easy. There were countless moments of frustration, dead ends, and complete failures. But the self-directed nature of my learning—especially those intense 4 months during COVID—gave me something perhaps more valuable than a traditional education: resilience and problem-solving skills.

Today, I work as a full-stack developer, building applications that millions of people use. When colleagues ask where I learned to code, my answer surprises them: "I started with Wix in primary school, then taught myself TypeScript, JavaScript, Next.js, Python, Golang, and Java in just 4 months during COVID lockdown in 7th grade."

The websites and applications I build now are far more sophisticated than anything I could have imagined when I was dragging and dropping elements in Wix. But the approach remains the same—curiosity-driven, self-directed, and fueled by the pure joy of creation.

Lessons From My Self-Taught Journey

• Simple tools can be gateways to deeper understanding
• Limitations often become the best teachers
• Concentrated effort can compress years of learning into months
• Not every language or technology will resonate with you (like PHP didn't with me)
• Self-teaching requires discipline but offers freedom

What I'm Building Now

My current work spans the entire stack—from TypeScript and Next.js frontends to Go and Python backends, with various database technologies in between. Each project still begins the same way: with curiosity and the question, "How could I build this?"

Soundtrack to My Journey

The song that captures the essence of my self-taught journey? "Learn to Fly" by Foo Fighters—because that's exactly what I did, starting with the training wheels of website builders and eventually soaring with code I wrote myself during those transformative months of the pandemic.