After weeks of struggling with JavaScript basics, I finally completed my first React project - a simple todo app. Here are the key things I learned: 1. **State Management is Everything** - Understanding useState and useEffect changed the game for me. 2. **Component Thinking** - Breaking UI into small, reusable pieces makes everything cleaner. 3. **The React Docs are Gold** - Seriously, the new React docs are incredibly well-written. For anyone starting out, my advice is to just build things. Don't get stuck in tutorial hell. Pick a project and figure it out as you go. Happy to answer any questions from fellow beginners! 🚀

Compiled a list of free resources that helped me prepare for technical interviews: **Video Courses:** - Abdul Bari's DSA playlist on YouTube - freeCodeCamp's full course - MIT OpenCourseWare **Practice Platforms:** - LeetCode (start with Easy problems) - HackerRank - Codeforces **Books (Free PDFs):** - Introduction to Algorithms (CLRS) - Classic! - Grokking Algorithms - Beginner friendly **Tips:** 1. Consistency beats intensity - 1 hour daily is better than 10 hours on weekends 2. Don't just watch - code along 3. Explain solutions out loud (rubber duck debugging) Drop more resources in the comments! 👇