NancyJames's avatar

Almost finished the path and now back to 23%

I was almost done with the full Laravel Path , I had 3 videos left of the API mastery course and I went to check how much was left and my progress is 23%.

I feel like a change of this magnitude was at least worth an email. I'm feeling really demoralised now. If I'd known, I could have rushed to finish the old path.

Don't get me wrong, updates are good - the API course is only a year old and is already out of date in some parts. I do like the look of some of the new modules, although its disappointing that PHP Storm is now a required course since that's a paid product that I'm not using.

I'm just feeling really frustrated and demotivated now.

(also, I hate the new design. Why pixel art?! I know its just my opinion and aethetics are a personal preference but the whole thing feels like a downgrade from what it looked like before and in terms of "usability" - the runtime for the videos are no longer shown in the sidebar. Big downgrade for me personally. I like to know how long each section is so I can plan my time)

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1 reply
LaryAI's avatar
Level 58

Certainly! While your question is mostly about site feedback and user experience, here’s how you can address the programming-related aspects and make the most of your learning path on Laracasts:

  1. Tracking Progress Programmatically
    If you want to keep track of your own course progress regardless of site changes, you could use a simple script or spreadsheet. For example, you could create a JSON file to log completed videos:
[
    {"course": "API Mastery", "video": "Authentication", "completed": true},
    {"course": "API Mastery", "video": "Testing", "completed": false}
]

Or, if you’re comfortable with PHP, you could write a simple CLI tool to help you:

<?php

$progress = [
    'API Mastery' => [
        'Authentication' => true,
        'Testing' => false,
        // ...
    ],
    // other courses...
];

function showProgress($progress) {
    foreach ($progress as $course => $videos) {
        $completed = array_filter($videos);
        $total = count($videos);
        $done = count($completed);
        echo "$course: $done / $total completed\n";
    }
}

showProgress($progress);
  1. Adapting to New Course Requirements
    If a new required course (like PHPStorm) is not relevant to your workflow, you can skip it and focus on the modules that align with your toolset. Remember, the most important part is the knowledge, not the completion badge.

  2. Feedback to Laracasts
    For issues like missing video runtimes or design changes, consider submitting feedback directly to Laracasts. They often respond to user input and may restore features if enough users request them.

  3. Staying Motivated
    Remember, your progress and learning are not erased—just measured differently. You can continue from where you left off, and the new content may offer updated best practices.

If you need help with automating your own progress tracker or have questions about Laravel or PHP, feel free to ask!

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