(Spoiler: Number 10 will blow your mind!)
It’s that time of year again. Kids are back in the classroom, backpacks stuffed with sharpened pencils, and parents everywhere are finally able to have some routine. While they’re learning fractions, spelling, and the periodic table, I’ve been reflecting on some lessons I’ve picked up over the years. Not from textbooks, but from being a freelance web developer.
Turns out, school never really ends. The lessons just look different.
1. Sometimes You Need Some Code
Think of this like high school math. You can get pretty far with a calculator or a no-code builder, but sooner or later you’ll need to actually do the math. The same goes for websites. Out-of-the-box builders are great until you want something truly custom. Then it’s time to crack open some CSS or JavaScript.
2. Invoice on Time
Remember how teachers never accepted late homework? The same applies here. I learned early that if I don’t send invoices on time, I don’t get paid. You can only control how quickly your clients pay by so much with net 15 or net 30 due dates, but if you delay sending the invoice, you’ve just pushed your payment back even further. Staying on schedule keeps the money flowing.
3. Use the Right Tools
Typing up an essay in Comic Sans was never a great look. Sending invoices out of InDesign with duplicate numbers was also not a great look. Once I switched to actual invoicing software, my “grades” in bookkeeping improved dramatically.
4. Speak Your Customer’s Language
Teachers don’t hand you a science test written in Shakespearean English. Why? Because you wouldn’t understand it. The same goes for clients. There’s an old example from the early days of SEO where airlines were optimizing for “low fares” but customers were searching for “cheap flights”. Listen, learn, and use their language in your content.
5. Allow Time for the Unknowns
Procrastinating on a project and pulling an all-nighter is something we have all experienced. But as a developer, I’ve learned that padding the schedule for surprises means fewer late nights and fewer panic attacks. If I think something will take four weeks, I tell the client six. That way, I can be the kid who turns in homework early for once.
6. Just Because I Use a Computer Doesn’t Mean I Fix Them
This one is like assuming your English teacher can also grade your math homework. Just because I work on a computer does not mean I want to – or even know how to – fix your Windows error or troubleshoot your email. I will fail at IT support.
7. You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself
In grade school, one person could handle a project. These days, websites are more like grad school group projects. They take a team. Designers, developers, copywriters, SEO folks, it’s a village effort. Collaboration isn’t just more productive, it’s more fun and leads to better results.
8. Time Away From Screens is Good
Teachers call it recess. I call it sanity. Breaks make us better. Go outside, stare at a tree, or just look away from the wall in front of you. The internet will still be there when you come back.
Pro Tip: Try to position your computer so it’s not right up against a wall so you can look past the screen more easily.
9. Listen, Then Guide
Students want candy for lunch every day, but teachers guide them toward veggies. The same is true with clients. Listen to what they want, but also recommend what they need.
10. And Finally: Bake Smart
This one has nothing to do with websites, but is still incredibly important. If you’re baking cookies, crinkle up the parchment paper so it lays flat. And say no to silicone baking mats. Trust me.
At the end of the day, whether you’re in a classroom or at a keyboard, the real takeaway is this: learning never stops. And sometimes, the best lessons come from trial, error, and the occasional cookie.