Beginning
If you are a JavaScript or React enthusiast and user, then you would most certainly be familiar with Next.js. A trendy React framework, Next.js is the dearest of all web development news portals out there.
A major part of its popularity can be attributed to the assistance it provides in server-side rendering, thereby enhancing the user experience of page load ties.
As a result, parties making use of server-side rendering cannot only churn out websites that are more indexable and crawlable than their competitors but also improve their SEO scores in the process.
Next.js - The Next Big Thing
These reasons have resulted in Next.js being touted as the next big thing in the web development world right now. From a developer’s perspective, now’s a time as good as any to get on the bandwagon and add Next.js to your skillset.
However, you must canvass thoroughly through the vast number of resources at your disposal before you do so. And settle on one that promises to give the maximum value for time.
Picking a project-based online course is extremely crucial in this regard. Such courses usually aid simulations and demonstrations and include modules that encourage you to build non-trivial projects.
In the process, students develop a deeper and more practical understanding of the theoretical concepts and become more industry-proficient compared to their peers.
Here’s thus a curated list of the best online Next.js resources for interested individuals out there.
Beautiful Portfolio App by Eincode
https://academy.eincode.com/courses/complete-next-js-with-react-node-beautiful-portfolio-app
Curated by experienced software engineer and freelance developer Filip Jerga, this course by Eincode certainly features among the choicest Next.js resources on the internet. Designed to cater to beginners, this course is perfect for you if you’re planning to start your career as a developer or hone your programming skills.
- The course starts with simple Web Development modules and moves on to comparatively advanced topics as the course progresses. The end goal of this course is to let students deploy their application to either Heroku or Vercel and make it accessible on the Internet for everyone.
- The modules enclosed in this resource are sufficient to kickstart your Web Development career using Next.js, React, and Node. Moreover, it instills in you the requisite skills and confidence to build and develop your projects.
- Besides rendering you with the appropriate mindset for a developer career, the course also improves your approaches to modern frameworks such as Next.js, React.js, and Node.js
- The structure of the curriculum involves students integrating the base layout of their portfolio application at the outset. In the subsequent times, you are made to break down this layout into smaller pieces and fashion a host of reusable components like portfolio, navbar, and many others.
- During building the entire application, students get to work on authentication, portfolio features, blog features, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) improvements, and the eventual deployment of the app.
Should students find themselves stuck during a certain segment of the course, they can create a post describing the issue and expect the instructor to address it within 1 business day.
Though you are not expected to have any prior Next.js knowledge before taking this course, you must have a fundamental understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and of course React
React- The Complete Guide (Including Hooks, React Router, Redux) by Maximilian Schwarzmuller
https://www.udemy.com/course/react-the-complete-guide-incl-redux/
The course is helmed by veteran instructor and Academind co-founder Maximilian Schwarzmuller whose concise explanation makes this course all the more valuable.
- This is an excellent course for students who are looking to familiarise themselves with the various React concepts such as React.js, React Router, Redux, and Hooks.
- To date, this continues to feature among the most successful Udemy courses out there, with over 180,000 student enrollments and an average of 4.7 ratings from as many as 55,000 participants to its name.
Individuals looking to pick up React.js from scratch need not look any further.
Universal React with Next.js- The Ultimate Guide by Reed Barger
https://www.udemy.com/course/universal-react-with-nextjs-the-ultimate-guide/
This course offered by Udemy is a great alternative for students looking to pick up Next.js and server-side rendering via a hands-on and project-based approach.
In this course, students get to build 4 complete React / Next.js projects in an end-to-end manner, starting from laying out the base to deploying it on the web.
- These projects include making a portfolio application built as a static site, a full-stack social media application built with React.js / Next.js and armed with a complete Express API, Passport Authentication, MongoDB and more
- Besides, you also get to develop a user authentication system and a Hacker News Progressive web application
In the process, students pick up multiple concepts about frontend, backend, styling, and security that are incredibly crucial for full-stack developers.
Building Server-Side Rendered React Apps for Beginners by Peter Kellner
https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/building-server-side-rendered-react-apps-beginners
This course is helmed by instructor Peter Kellner, best known as the Silicon Valley Code Camp founder.
- Offered by popular online learning website Pluralsight, this course teaches students to use React to solve the first-page download problem that plagues most single-page apps (SPAs).
- The process enables you to use the Next.js framework to build high-performance web apps that employ server-side rendering on every landing page.
Ultimate Way To Build React Apps by Eric Wallen
https://www.educative.io/courses/next-js-build-react-apps
This Next.js course facilitated by Educative is an excellent interactive and project-based course that teaches students to develop powerful React applications.
You are taught to build a Giphy search application with the help of the Giphy API.
The course is divided strategically into two halves-
- In the first half, students learn how to optimize a Next.js page to create a super-fast loading experience for users.
- In the latter half, you learn to optimize SEO as well as deploy your application.
Wrapping up
While the internet presents multiple Next.js resources, it is important that you first identify your own needs and requirements before opting for one. Some of these resources are curated and tailor-made specifically for amateurs. In contrast, a few others are meant for intermediate learners and those looking to upgrade their knowledge of the framework.
Above and beyond, you must select a project-based and hands-on course rather than one that relies solely on theoretical modules. Such a course will enable you to gain an in-depth understanding of the Next.js framework but also help you become industry and market-ready.