Hey everyone, I'm a junior developer working at a large company, and I'm trying to enhance my coding skills by tackling projects on my own without relying on AI tools. I have a Computer Science degree and I can handle some leetcode challenges by myself. Recently, I decided to embark on a personal coding project without AI assistance, and it was really disheartening. I felt completely stuck and didn't even know where to begin, which led to some panic. I've seen other people build things from scratch, and I can't help but worry about my own abilities. I'm eager to become a proficient programmer one day, but I'm concerned about becoming too dependent on AI. Any advice for overcoming this feeling? If anyone has experienced something similar, I'd love to hear how you navigated through it!
4 Answers
I think the key issue might be your approach to problem-solving rather than programming itself. Have you tried outlining what you want to achieve in comments first? Just jotting down ideas can make it easier to transition to actual coding.
How did you land your job or complete your degree without doing much leetcode? That puzzles me!
I mean, I can vibe with leetcode, but building real applications is a different beast for sure.
It might also be worth reflecting on whether software development is truly the right path for you. Have you considered that at all?
Not really, that thought hasn’t crossed my mind!
It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed, which is totally normal when starting out on a new project. My best tip is to focus on breaking your project down into smaller, manageable tasks. Write out a plan in comments before diving into the code to give yourself direction. It helps a lot to see your steps laid out! Stick with it, and the next steps will become clearer as you progress.
Thanks! I realized this is my main hurdle too; I often try to tackle everything at once. Leetcode is easier since it’s just one problem, but building an entire app feels way more daunting!
Good point! Just taking it step by step can make a huge difference.
Definitely! Writing everything out beforehand would probably clear a lot of confusion for me.