QUESTION
“I’ve seen lots of CSS tutorials, and practiced it too, but I don’t seem to get the hang of it… What should I do?”
Answer
Hey Samarth,
Great question! I am going to share six strategies for mastering CSS below :D
6 tips for mastering CSS
1. Learning CSS takes practice.
It won’t click right away. Accept that first and foremost. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve been working with CSS for awhile now, and I still discover new things (and tricks) regularly.
2. Reverse engineer others’ code.
The best thing about HTML and CSS is that you can view it on any website, right in the browser. That said, reverse engineer other people’s websites. See how they achieve certain effects. You can then apply similar to your own projects. (This is something I do all the time!)
3. Build your own projects.
This is key. You need to step away from the tutorial and/or course that you’re following along. Instead, build your own websites. It doesn’t even have to be an entire website. It can just specific things on Codepen—like a navigation bar or buttons.
4. Get a mentor.
You can do this online or offline. Check out Codementor.io . Nothing beats one-on-one help. When you talk to a person directly, you can get answers to questions that no book or Stack Overflow thread could ever answer.
5. Diversify learning mediums.
What I mean is: don’t just follow a video course, or even a book. Your brain works better when it absorbs information in different ways. Read, watch videos, listen, do, etc.
6. Remember: failure is a *good* thing.
There is this theory known as “productive failure.” This basically means the more you struggle to learn something, the better you’ll recall that information later.
Additional CSS resources to look at
In the end, doing is better than reading another article or watching another online course.
So get out there, and start building!
– Laurence