I'm a beginner in coding and I've been learning for about a year and a half now. I'm currently working on a MERN stack project and heading into an internship soon. However, I'm feeling really stuck and dealing with a lot of imposter syndrome. With many people using AI to help them code, I'm worried about how I can ensure my work feels genuinely created by me and doesn't just mimic the tutorials or AI suggestions. I'm mixing both AI tools and YouTube tutorials, but I'm not sure which approach to prioritize. How can I progress beyond just being a beginner? I want to get out of 'tutorial hell' and build confidence in my skills, but I feel lost about where to start.
1 Answer
Embrace being a beginner! It’s normal to feel that way for a couple of years. Focus on writing your own code instead of just watching tutorials. Use those resources to understand concepts but practice what you've learned right away to solidify your grasp on syntax and patterns. And don’t rush to AI for help—try to troubleshoot on your own first. That struggle is where the real learning and satisfaction come from!
I’m in a similar situation with React, where my friend handles back-end. Watching tutorials has been helpful, but when I sit down to code, I get overwhelmed and forget the syntax. I keep second-guessing whether I should set up my routers first or which components to write. It’s so frustrating! Any tips for overcoming that confusion?