I recently finished high school and I'm still unsure what career or course I want to pursue, so I'd like to explore a few options first. Programming is one field I'm interested in, but I want to learn it independently rather than depending on AI tools or enrolling in a formal course. I'm considering Python and would appreciate recommendations for beginner-friendly books, videos, websites, or a good way to structure my learning. I'd also like to know how to practice effectively without having AI write or solve the code for me.
4 Answers
It’s fine to avoid AI while you’re building your fundamentals. Practice by solving exercises on your own and treating them like tests. If you eventually use AI, consider using it only as a tutor that explains concepts or points out mistakes, not as something that writes the solution for you. The important part is understanding and producing the code yourself.
Start by choosing one language instead of searching for programming in general. Python is a solid beginner choice. Free resources such as Dive Into Python and other introductory books can teach the fundamentals without AI. Try writing the examples yourself and changing them to see what happens.
A good starting point is Harvard’s CS50 course, which gives beginners a broad introduction to computer science and programming. After that, choose Python and build small projects such as a calculator, a text-based game, a weather tool, or something that solves a simple problem in your life. Websites like W3Schools can help you look up the concepts and tools you need.
I don’t have a project idea yet, but I’m hoping an introductory course will give me some inspiration.
You definitely don’t need AI to learn programming. Older tutorials and books are still completely useful, especially for learning basic syntax, variables, loops, functions, and data structures. A free introductory computer science course can also give you a broad overview before you focus on Python.
I realized I was searching for tutorials with the phrase “without AI” instead of simply searching for Python tutorials. I’m finding better resources now.
Thanks! I’m planning to start with Python, so I’ll look for beginner books and work through the examples.