Like Google Drive for your project — upload once, save again when you edit
Finished Episode 13 or Episode 14? You have a project on your laptop. This episode puts a copy in the cloud — right from VS Code.
If you already use Google Drive, you know the pattern: upload your work, then save new versions when you edit. GitHub works the same way for your VS Code project.
Sign up → open VS Code → Publish to GitHub → pick a name → Public or Private → check in your browser
Like your first upload to Google Drive
Edit your work → + Stage → write a note → Commit → Sync ↑
Like saving a new version to Drive
Your project lives on one machine. You wouldn’t keep an important Google Doc only on your desktop — you’d put it on Drive. Same idea here: if the laptop is lost, stolen, or wiped, your work goes with it unless there’s a copy online.
Lost laptop · broken drive · deleted file
Edit on laptop · backup stays online
GitHub is cloud storage for your project — not social media
Go to github.com and sign up — like creating a Google account. Use a real email. Pick a username carefully — it’s your name on GitHub and you can’t change it later. Short, professional, easy to spell.
Treat it like your online address — pick something you’re proud to share
Free plan is enough for learning projects
In VS Code or Cursor: File → Open Folder → pick your project. On the left sidebar, click the Y-shaped icon — that panel is called Source Control. This is where you upload and save your work. VS Code handles the setup for you.
No Publish button? Use File → Open Folder and pick your whole project
The blue Publish to GitHub button appears the first time. Click it. VS Code asks what to call your project online (e.g. My Portfolio) and who can see it: Public (anyone) or Private (only you). Sign in to GitHub in the browser if asked → click Allow.
Like your first upload to Google Drive — everything goes to the cloud
VS Code uploads your work — that’s your first save to the cloud. Open GitHub in your browser, sign in, and find your project. You should see all your files there. Journey 1 is done.
You’ll edit your project over time. Each time, go back to Source Control (Y-shaped icon) and run four moves. Here’s what each button means if you think in Google Drive:
Upload at the end of a work session — same habit as saving to Drive
First upload — send your whole project to the cloud
Select what to include in this save
Save this version with a short note
Upload the saved version to GitHub
The Y-shaped panel — your upload & save area
Learning portfolios → Public is fine. Personal work → Private. You can switch later in GitHub settings.
Same Y-shaped icon, same Publish and Sync buttons.
Google Drive for Docs and slides. GitHub for projects you build in VS Code.
One plain sentence when you Commit: “Added contact section.” That’s enough.
GitHub is your project’s safety net. Publish once, then Sync whenever you make a change worth keeping.
1. GitHub is closest to…
2. First time — which button?
3. After editing your work, the order is…
4. “Commit” means…