I’m Khalid Azmatullah, a college student with a passion for tech and a never-ending pile of textbooks. Over the past two weeks, I embarked on a journey that many of you might find both exciting and challenging: I built my very own website from scratch! It was an intense, rewarding experience that taught me a lot about web development and even more about balancing my academic life with personal projects. I wanted to share how I managed to pull this off in such a short time frame while keeping up with my studies.
Day 1-2: Planning and Research,
The first couple of days were all about planning. I knew I wanted to create a portfolio website to showcase my projects and skills. I spent time researching different website builders and coding languages. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to use HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript. Why? Because it’s a great learning experience, and I wanted full control over the design and functionality.
Day 3-4: Learning the Basics,
Next up, I brushed up on my coding skills. I revisited some online tutorials and used resources like W3Schools and MDN Web Docs. Balancing this with my study schedule was tricky. I found that dedicating a couple of hours in the evening after classes was the best approach. It meant staying up a bit later than usual, but it was worth it for the progress I made.
Day 5-7: Starting the Build,
With the basics down, I started building the site. I set clear goals for each day: Day 1 was the homepage layout, Day 2 was adding the navigation bar, and so on. To manage my time effectively, I used a Pomodoro timer to work in focused 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks. This method helped me stay productive without burning out.
In the end, building a website in just two weeks while managing my studies was challenging but incredibly rewarding. It taught me a lot about time management, coding, and perseverance. If you’re considering a similar project, my advice is to go for it—just plan carefully and stay committed.
Thanks for reading!
Feel free to drop any questions or tips you have about balancing personal projects with academic life in my inbox. I’d love to hear about your experiences!