Ben Heaton
I am a
About
About a year ago I was a chemistry Teaching & Research Technician at the University of Reading.
Whilst working I gained a lot of experience, and even earned my science degree through part-time study!
However, I gradually lost enthusiasm and realised I needed to do something different and truly engaging.
After some soul-searching I chose coding because there is ample opportunity for growth and career progression.
So far I am still enjoying it, and I reinforce new skills by building projects when I can.
For example, I made this little game whilst learning about jQuery. You can try it here!
Portfolio
Featured here are some projects that I have completed, as well as project ideas.
Memory Game
Built With:
Description
A simple memory card game I built whilst learning about jQuery; and also my first solo project, later improved upon with Bootstrap.
The player can flip two cards per turn in an attempt to find all the matching card pairs. It features an attempt counter which keeps track of how many tries it took.
This project developed core programming logic skills alongside jQuery.
Try it out!
Gazetteer
Built With:
Description
A LeafletJS based map application that lets users explore countries around the world.
Selecting or clicking on any country retrieves general information, local news, current weather, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, airports, and more about that country.
This is largely powered jQuery AJAX calls and a PHP backend querying multiple APIs.
Try it out!
Future Project
Possibly built with:
Description
An app that lets users record and explore information about their favourite drinks — from tasting notes, pictures and more. Data would be stored in a database, allowing users to sort and filter their collection.
Ultimately I'd like to see it published on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This project would also be an opportunity to learn React, and reinforce my Python skills.
Skills
Below is an honest self assessment of my skills in particular languages.
Experience & Education
Below is a timeline of my coding journey up to now.
The journey begins...
- After reading through and enjoying Python Crash Course, and seeking a new career path, I decided to make a change.
Online tutorials
- Watched and followed along with online tutorials; mainly focused on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Completed additional courses
- Learn Bootstrap
- Learn C#
- Learn Java
- Learn jQuery
- Learn PHP
- Learn Python 3
- Inspired to start my first true solo project (Memory Game) whilst learning about jQuery.
Built another project
- Built a more complex project (Gazetteer) after learning the importance of APIs.
Portfolio website built
- Customised a portfolio template — in collaboration with Claude AI — to build this website and showcase my work.
The journey continues...
- Looking into learning React, and reinforce my Python skills to create my personal future project.
- Looking for a junior role to gain professional experience.
Contact Me
From questions to opportunities — I'd love to hear from you.
Please fill in the form, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
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