Hi everyone! I've been doing some programming with Unity, and I used to be really stubborn about looking things up when I got stuck. I recently started working on a simple car project where I managed to make the car move in all directions. I get the logic behind the driving mechanics, but I'm not entirely sure about the specific input methods I should use. I looked up how to handle input in Unity and found some helpful resources, but I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this. How do I know when it's okay to look up information and when I should try to figure things out on my own?
5 Answers
From my experience, you should definitely look stuff up. No one knows everything, not even those with advanced degrees. The truth is, programming is about constantly learning. Every time I encounter something I don't remember, I look it up. You don’t need to feel bad about it; it means you’re still growing as a programmer!
There's a big difference between effectively using resources and relying on them too much. For instance, looking up function documentation is great, but if you're just copying full code solutions, you might miss out on learning important concepts. Try to understand what you're looking up so you can apply that knowledge later.
Seriously, everyone looks things up constantly! If you don’t know something, just ask or search for it—there’s no shame in that. Remember, programming is also about curiosity and exploration. If you start being stubborn about not looking things up, you may lose that desire to learn, and that’s not good for your career.
Yes! Staying curious is key in this field.
I always keep a browser open with documentation for whatever I'm working on. Honestly, there's no shame in looking things up, especially since programming languages evolve over time. A colleague of mine always says it’s better to memorize where to find the information than to try memorizing everything itself—it’s way more efficient!
Looking things up is absolutely fine! It’s a key part of learning. Just like reading a book, you’re researching how to solve problems. Even seasoned developers forget things or need to check reference materials. I recently had to look up how to use a specific function in JavaScript, and I’ve used it many times before! So don’t beat yourself up for needing to look things up—it's natural.
Thanks for that perspective! I guess it makes sense to view it as part of growing and learning.