I started a computer science bachelor's degree four weeks ago with almost no programming experience. We are learning Rust, and the basics like if/else statements and while loops initially seemed manageable. Then we moved on to writing functions, calculating values such as minimum, maximum, and averages, and translating mathematical formulas like Newton's method into code. More recently, we began studying structs, enums, options, and tuples, and I'm struggling to apply these concepts in assignments even when I feel like I understand them individually.
I attend tutorials, ask teaching assistants questions, read the Rust book, watch videos, and use an AI assistant for hints when I'm stuck. I usually try to understand any suggested code line by line afterward, but I still feel unable to write programs independently. Programming also makes me feel less capable than subjects like math, where seeing an example usually helps me solve similar exercises.
I know that practice and making mistakes are necessary, but I'm wondering whether using AI to generate similar exercises at gradually increasing difficulty would be a good way to build confidence and problem-solving skills. How can I use outside help without becoming dependent on it?
3 Answers
Be careful with anyone who concludes that you aren’t suited for software development after only four weeks. Different parts of computer science click at different speeds for different people, and an introductory course is not a reliable test of your long-term potential. Give yourself more time before judging whether programming is for you.
A useful routine is: understand the requirements, write a few examples, describe the steps in plain language, implement one small piece, test it, and repeat. If you’re stuck, ask for a nudge about that specific step rather than requesting the whole program.
Don’t measure your programming ability by how quickly you solve beginner assignments. Being stuck for a long time is often part of learning, especially when the underlying problem-solving process is new. Looking things up is normal even for experienced programmers; the goal is gradually changing the kind of help you need from basic explanations to reminders about syntax or library features.
Generating extra exercises is a good idea. Make them small and focused: one exercise for functions, another for enums, another for options, and then a few that combine them. Increase the difficulty slowly and redo problems without looking at your previous solution.
What you’re experiencing is very normal. You’re learning two things at once: how to think through programming problems and how Rust expresses those solutions. Decomposing a problem into smaller steps is itself a skill that takes a lot of repetition. Keep revisiting old exercises and try solving them again from memory after a few days.
Using an AI assistant can be helpful if you treat it as a tutor rather than an answer machine. Try a problem yourself first, ask for a hint or explanation instead of a complete solution, and then close the answer and recreate the solution independently. If you can explain every line and modify the program afterward, you’re learning from it rather than simply copying it.
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