Project 1: Mockup to Website
Intro to HTML and CSS
It was a very beginner course and I already had experience of HTML, albeit a long time ago with a different generation of technology. The main thing I got from this was an intro to using bootstrap.
Submission: webpage
Copy of the Project 1 page, as submitted and the actually repository.
Pretty straight-forward, 0% mismatch on the auto-checker. Annoyingly their render was slightly different to mine, probably because I'm on Windows and they're on OSX or Linux. I was forced to do a good bit of trial and error though their test page, which was of no learning benefit to anyone.
I didn't bother with the optional extra mockups, though they would have surely have been helpful to give me more experience with Bootstrap and HTML5 / CSS3, I won't lack for exposure to these in the future. I wasn't convinced they were good enough value.
Intro to Git and GitHub
Version Control I had completed before beginning the Nanodegree course. I got the basics of Git, but for something so simple it does seem very needlessly messy. The 'mindmap' of relationships in Git was not helpful, but the 2 instructors were both great. The reflections exercises were great and prompted me to use a similar style for all learning projects in the future, including this Nanodegree.
I did not complete the optional extras as it didn't appear to be good value. I have since used a couple of other short Intro courses for Git and GitHub, and still find it awkward. I blame the technology, not the course. I might come back to it, if I find I need anything more than basic ability. Probably go to codeschool.