Which libraries do you actually need, and what do you lose by picking the wrong one?
Before any specific library, settle how you decide whether to add one at all.
Need it yet?
Every library you add ships to your users, sits in your bundle, and has to stay compatible with everything else. The question is not "is this good?" but "do I need it right now?"
For the next category I am picking a library for: do I need it on day one, or am I reaching for it out of habit? What specific problem would it solve that Next.js and React cannot handle without it?
What it costs you later
A dependency is a long-term commitment. Weigh the cost of adding it against the cost of living without it.
For a Next.js App Router project, what is the cost of adding [library name] versus living without it for a two-week internship project, and what happens if it stops being maintained or breaks on a future Next.js version?
A library ships to your users and ties you to its future. Add it only when you can name the problem it solves today.
Additional Resources
Explore these carefully curated resources to deepen your understanding and practice the concepts covered in this lesson.