Summer is the perfect time for students to recharge and get ready for the future. Below are some tips, advice, and resources to consider taking advantage of in-between semesters.
Take Care of Yourself
- Get Healthy. Establish a healthy personal routine that includes exercise, eating healthy, and getting plenty of sleep regularly. Start by being mindful and honest with yourself and set realistic goals.
- Get Organized. Clean up your workspace and computer. Start with your desktop and go through all of your old project folders and files. Establish a healthy digital routine that includes backing up your data (e.g. in the cloud) regularly.
- Get Ahead. Do not wait for the next project or deadline. You can always work on internal documentation such as your resume, portfolio, and personal design system and branding assets.
- Get Educated. There is so much to learn and so many wonderful books, websites, and educational resources available. Start by drafting a summer reading list and then stick to it. Consider taking an online course and/or completing online tutorials.
Summer To-do List
- Design Your Resume
- Create a Portfolio Website (consider a Simple Thumb-Image-Grid Portfolio Site or a Featured Project Portfolio Site)
Summer Reading List
- Read Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think (this is a MUST READ and worth purchasing)
- Read Robert Bringhurst’s The Element’s of Typographic Style (another MUST READ and worth purchasing)
- Other books to ckeck out:
- HTML & CSS by Jon Duckett
- Javascript & JQuery by Jon Duckett
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
Summer Listening List
- Listen to The CSS Podcast
- Listen to episodes 1-8 for css basics (e.g. the box model, the cascade, inheritance, & specificity)
- Listen to episodes 9-11 for layout-specific css (e.g. flexbox & grid)
- Other Podcasts to check out:
- Shop Talk Show hosted by Chris Coyier & Dave Rupert
- Syntax hosted by Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski
Summer Watch List
- Youtube Videos to Watch:
- Watch The Futur’s Building a Brand Series (Season 1)
- Watch Chris Coyier’s talk entitled Ooooops I guess we’re full-stack developers now
- Watch Jen Simmon’s talk entitled Designing With CSS Grid
- Other videos and films to check out:
- Watch the film Helvetica (if you haven’t already, this is a MUST SEE film)
- Watch any of the conference talk videos on YouTube from A List Apart and Jamstack Conf
Take an Online Class
- Take [watch] Jen Simmon’s HTML Essential Training course on LinkedIn Learning (FREE)
- Take [read] Google’s Learn CSS! course on Web.dev (FREE)
- Take a Wes Bos Course:
- JavaScript 30 (FREE)
- What the Flexbox? (FREE)
- CSS Grid (FREE)
- Take Ethan Marcotte’ Designing Accessible and Responsive Websites course via The Gymnasium (FREE)
- Take any of the courses at Frontend Masters (PAID)