Dedicate daily time to revisiting and truly understanding HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and front-end frameworks so you can explain them clearly in projects and interviews.
It's common to meet developers with five or more years of experience who can use frameworks and libraries fluently, but who struggle when asked about the fundamentals.
They can ship features in React or Angular, but if you ask how the browser handles focus, what the CSS box model really means, or how the event loop works in JavaScript, they freeze. That's a red flag.
Frameworks and tools are powerful, but they all rely on the core building blocks of the web: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and browser APIs. If you don't understand these, you don't fully understand what your framework is doing for you, and that gap shows quickly in interviews, code reviews, or real projects.
This lesson is about reinforcing those foundations. The goal is not just to "know the syntax," but to develop a working mental model of how the web operates. With that, you'll be able to reason about problems, debug more effectively, and gain the trust of clients and teammates who expect you to truly know your craft.
Frameworks come and go, but core front-end skills are permanent. Mastering them sets you apart from developers who only know how to follow patterns.
When I prepared myself before joining a new project, I quickly realized something: the internet has too many resources. If you don't choose wisely, you'll end up jumping from one article to another without finishing anything. That's why I recommend picking one solid resource per technology and sticking with it.
Here are some that I'd personally start with:
These are not the only resources out there, but they're trustworthy and complete. They're maintained by the people behind the technologies themselves, so you know the explanations are solid. They won't teach you every advanced trick, but they'll help you confirm that your foundation is strong, and that matters much more.
The key point is: don't exaggerate. Don't spend your time searching for the “perfect” material. Pick one big resource, use it, and go through it carefully.
Jump endlessly between tutorials and never finish anything
Stick with one solid resource per technology to build your foundation
What if you're reading about JavaScript promises and realize you can't really explain them clearly? That's the moment to pause and go deeper. Search for extra articles, a video tutorial, or ask AI to break it down with examples.
This step is all about targeted deepening. You don't need to cover every single corner case of HTML or CSS, but if you stumble upon a weak spot, don't skip it. Strengthen it before moving on. Over time, this builds confidence because you'll know you're not carrying hidden gaps.
AI is especially useful here. Treat it like a colleague who always asks “what else?” Some prompts you can try:
This way, you check your understanding against new angles and discover blind spots you might have ignored.
Rush forward while ignoring concepts you don't really understand
Pause and search deeper whenever you hit a weak spot
Not everyone learns the same way. Some prefer watching videos, others like solving quizzes, others like building small demos. The good news is that you can shape your learning process to your own style.
Here are some ways to make learning stick:
I've often revisited topics I thought I knew, only to realize I couldn't explain them clearly. That's why this step matters: it forces you to test your knowledge actively instead of just reading passively.
Your preparation is not about memorizing everything. It's about being able to explain and apply the fundamentals in a clear, confident way.
This step in the roadmap is about building a strong theoretical core. Don't overcomplicate it. Choose one resource per technology, study it carefully, and deepen only when you notice weak spots. Use AI and interactive formats to make the process engaging.
Once you reach the point where you can explain how the event loop works in JavaScript, how CSS Grid differs from Flexbox, or how state flows in React, you'll feel much more confident — not only in interviews but in any project you take on.
There are countless free and paid resources out there. When I'm learning something completely new, I usually prefer a full course to guide me through. But when I want to refresh my memory on topics I already know, I turn to text-based resources. They're easier to scan, and I can also use them to interact with AI and create quick quizzes for practice. The resources in this lesson fall into that second category.
Do you fully understand how metadata works, what semantic HTML really means, or how to ensure your app has proper element focus? HTML isn't rocket science, but it's the cornerstone of the web. Mastering the basics not only helps you build accessible, reliable applications but also gives you the foundation to appreciate and tackle the more complex parts of front-end development.
https://web.dev/learn/html
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), effective from June 28, 2025, makes it mandatory for websites and digital products in the EU to be accessible to people with disabilities. That's all that needs to be said. Accessibility is no longer a "nice to have", honestly, it never was. But now it's crystal clear, front-end developers must have accessibility skills. It's not an afterthought, it's part of the job.
https://web.dev/learn/accessibility
There are some critical CSS concepts that often come up in interviews, things like the box model, specificity, inheritance, grid, and a few others. I've been interviewing developers for years, and to my surprise, many can't properly explain or even understand how these fundamentals work. That's a shame, because if you don't have a solid grasp of CSS basics, it shows a big gap in your front-end foundation.
https://web.dev/learn/css
Responsive design is the natural next step once you've nailed the core CSS concepts. But let's be clear, it's not just about throwing in a media query and calling it done. Often, it requires reorganizing the HTML structure, rethinking layout decisions, and sometimes even pushing back to designers when the proposed design isn't technically feasible. True responsive design is about adaptability, collaboration, and making sure the experience works seamlessly across different devices, not just shrinking things to fit a smaller screen.
https://web.dev/learn/design
JavaScript is easy and not so easy at the same time. For me, one of the hardest parts was using the right terms when explaining things. Even now, I sometimes struggle to clearly explain concepts I use daily because I don't always know the correct terms in English. And beyond syntax, there's a whole world to understand, the event loop, the V8 engine, the Web APIs. JavaScript can feel pretty intimidating at times, with its quirky and sometimes strange core functionalities.
https://web.dev/learn/javascript
Performance is another hot topic, and surprisingly, not every developer can explain, at least in theory, what steps are needed to test and improve a front-end application. As a front-end developer, you're expected to know the basics, how to measure, what tools to use, and what strategies can help optimize both loading speed and runtime behavior. Even if you're not a performance specialist, being able to talk about these steps in an interview shows maturity and awareness of your craft.
https://web.dev/learn/performance
From time to time, I like going back to vanilla JavaScript and building simple functionalities. It helps me refresh my memory of the core patterns that have shaped how we code in JS. When working with libraries like React, you mostly rely on other patterns, hooks, composition, and abstraction layers. But it's valuable for any developer to revisit the fundamentals. These classic patterns have stood the test of time, and relearning them sharpens your professional mindset and strengthens your foundation as a developer.
https://www.patterns.dev
The React official docs are a great resource for learning about React. They're written by the people who built React, so you know the explanations are solid.
https://react.dev/learn