I'm a Malaysian computer science student who has just finished my second year and have about two months of semester break. My grades have been strong so far, with a CGPA above 3.75, but I'm worried that my practical programming ability is weak. I've become too dependent on AI for assignments, and I struggle to write programs from scratch without it.
I'm considering relearning programming fundamentals, but I'm unsure whether starting over is the best use of my time. I'm not interested in AI or machine learning, although backend or full-stack development might suit me. I also don't want to graduate with only basic skills that AI tools can easily reproduce.
What would be a sensible way to use this break? Should I systematically review programming fundamentals, build projects, explore different areas, or follow another path? I'd also like to find peers who are serious about learning and growing in technology, since my current friends aren't very interested in joining technical programs or projects.
4 Answers
Full-stack development is competitive, so having a generic list of technologies probably won’t distinguish you. You also don’t have enough experience yet to know which specialization you’ll enjoy. Try different kinds of work through small projects, such as backend services, databases, testing, systems, or deployment, and pay attention to what keeps your interest. An internship, co-op, or short industry placement would also be extremely useful if your university can help arrange one.
Don’t spend the whole break searching for the perfect roadmap. Pick one language you already know reasonably well, review the fundamentals through practice, and build several small projects. For example, make a command-line tool, a simple API, and a small application with a database. The goal is to finish things, debug them, and improve them rather than just follow tutorials.
Being able to write and understand code without AI is probably the most valuable thing to work on first. You don’t need to memorize every piece of syntax, but you should be comfortable breaking down problems, designing a solution, debugging it, and explaining why it works. Once you have that foundation, AI becomes a useful accelerator instead of something you depend on blindly.
That makes sense. I used to solve programming problems on my own, but I gradually started relying on AI to finish assignments faster. I’m going to rebuild that independence and use AI mainly for hints, explanations, and code review.
Building a small product can teach you much more than isolated exercises. You’ll have to make decisions about architecture, data storage, error handling, deployment, and cost. AI can help along the way, but try to understand and verify every important piece of code. Working on projects with classmates, joining a campus group, or attending local technical events could also help you find the motivated peers you’re looking for.
I think I’ve been overthinking the ideal path instead of actually making things. I’ll use the break to review fundamentals, build a few small projects, and look into internships or university programs.