I'm 15 and eager to start my programming journey. This year, I'm looking to dive into learning JavaScript, Python, and SQL, aiming to build a strong foundation rather than just copying code. My ultimate goal is to create my own SaaS products down the line, so I know getting solid fundamentals early is important. I've noticed AI coding tools like Claude Code are quite popular, and while I see their usefulness, I'm concerned that relying on them too much might hinder my understanding of programming fundamentals and critical thinking. For someone my age who wants to learn these languages properly and prepare for a future in SaaS, what would you suggest? How can I balance self-learning with the usage of AI tools? Any tips or resources would be really helpful!
4 Answers
Just jump in and start! Look for projects that interest you, explore documentation, and take some trusted online courses (avoid the ones promoted by influencers). It's all about experimenting—don't hesitate to fail and learn from it. The key is to keep building stuff on your own and truly understand what you're doing instead of just following tutorials mindlessly.
I'd recommend steering clear of AI tools for now. Focus on mastering the basics first. Use AI only when you feel confident about your own skills. If you can’t read or write the code yourself, you might end up depending too much on AI, which won’t help you in the long run.
Forget about AI for now! Just find a way to learn without it. Dive into documentation, watch tutorial videos, and work on your projects. It's especially important for you right now to learn how to learn independently. If you lean on AI too much, it might make you lazy, and you’ll miss out on developing critical problem-solving skills.
I highly recommend checking out Harvard's CS50 course—it’s a great place to build a foundation. Also, Kaggle has fantastic resources. Don't shy away from using AI tools, but make sure you're getting them to explain things thoroughly and always do your own research to complement it.

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