# Welcome to MERN Full Stack
### Who this course is designed for?
* Interested in becoming a web developer
* Would benefit from mentoring to help direct your learning
* No prior knowledge assumed
* Eager to put in the time required to benefit from fast-paced program.
### What will the course cover?
The essential technologies necessary to become a web developer in the shortest possible time.
The MERN Stack stands for **M**ongoDB **E**xpress **R**eact **N**ode.
* **M**ongoDB is a database that runs on the back-end server.
* **E**xpress is a web application framework for building web services on the back-end.
* **R**eact is a front-end library for building UI components.
* **N**ode.js is a JavaScript runtime environment (like a web browser) that allows JavaScript to run on a web server.
### Why MERN?
* Lots of jobs. It is the most in-demand front-end library/framework.
* Back-end leverages JavaScript knowledge.
* Only have to learn one programming language.
* Web Services are written in JavaScript
* MongoDB data format based on JavaScript object syntax.
####
#### Fundamentals
Learn the three core technologies upon which every web site depends.
| Technology | Description |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **HTML** | A *mark-up language* to describe the content of web pages |
| **CSS** | A *stylesheet language* used to express the presentation of web pages. |
| **JavaScript** | A programming language used for both front-end and back-end development. |
####
#### Front-end Web Developer
| Technology | Description |
| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **React** | An open-source library, built by Facebook, to easily build front-end components for web sites. |
####
#### Back-end Web Developer
| Technology | Description |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Node.js, Express.js** | Tools to build the web API (Application Programming Interface) which communicates with the front-end to deliver data back and forth. |
| **MongoDB** | Database to store application data |
####
#### Developer Tools
| Tool | Description |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Git/GitHub** | The most popular source code version control system. |
| **Visual Studio Code** | The most popular source code editor. |
| **Slack** | Team Communication/Collaboration |
### Where you'll be by the end of this course?
* You will learn a lot in this course. Three months of challenging material that will give you a solid foundation to becoming a web developer.
* How strong your skills are at the end depends on how much time you have to put into practice what you learn and how deeply you engage with the material.
* If you work really hard, you will be in the home-stretch of what it takes to become a web developer. What will be left to learn, you can do through self-directing learning and building more projects to strengthen your skills and build your portfolio.
### How to benefit the most from the course
* Engage in learning: struggle, research, try again, struggle, research, try again, succeed.
* Learning is iterative - eventually it all starts to fit together and make sense, but you can feel overwhelmed at times along the way.
* Let me know when you don't get a concept
* You're not dumb if you don't understand something, I'm just not explaining it well.
* My job is to figure out how to present the information in a way that YOU understand.
### Which skills are the most important?
* JavaScript programming skills are essential, and the hardest part of what you'll learn in this course.
* If you're a strong programmer, that will carry you much further than any other skill.
* Prioritize front-end skills, before back-end. There is less to learn, and plenty of jobs. It is better to be strong in one area than spread too thin across the full stack.
### Course Details
| | |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Online Class** | Monday-Thursdays 6pm-9pm
Saturdays 9am-6pm
|
| **Homework** | Minimum 10 hours/week |
| | Assigned after each class
Due by next class session
|
| | Assignments will be posted on Canvas Calendar |
| **Grading** | You must complete all homework/projects with 80% to receive a passing grade. |
| | Any homework/project can be re-submitted with improvements to reach full credit |