As a software engineering student, I'm constantly looking up information and trying to figure out how much is considered normal. I also use AI tools but I'm cautious about relying on them too much. I often find AI helpful for specific coding questions, but I worry about whether this is truly acceptable in a professional environment. Should I be aiming to reduce how often I look things up?
4 Answers
I google things frequently while I’m working. It helps me skip the lengthy documentation. Just make sure you can debug your code effectively without needing Google. Also, be careful with AI suggestions; they can sometimes be misleading, so always verify before applying.
It's totally okay to use tools like AI, but remember, they shouldn't replace actual learning. If you can't code without relying on them, you might struggle in the long run. So, use them wisely and keep learning the fundamentals alongside.
Seriously, don’t stress about it! I've been a software developer for 28 years, and I still Google basic stuff all the time. The key is not memorizing every command but understanding the architecture and concepts behind them. It's all part of the job.
What really matters is understanding what you're looking up. You can Google as much as you want, but if you're just copying and pasting code without knowing what it does, that’s where the problem lies. Learn the concepts and you'll be fine!

Absolutely! My strategy is to analyze the code I find and then try to rewrite it myself. Most of the time, I realize I can solve my problem more efficiently.