I've been feeling like I'm not truly learning coding, even though I put in a lot of effort. I have ideas and want to create, but I often find myself relying heavily on AI. For instance, during a recent CSS assignment at university, instead of coding everything from scratch, I pasted my task into AI, asked it to complete it and explain the process. I then fiddled with the code to grasp how it works. While I feel like I learn by tweaking, I still feel like I'm not making much progress on my own. At the same time, I worry that without AI, tasks would take me an eternity. Does anyone relate to this? How do you strike a balance between learning effectively and getting things done?
5 Answers
If you're at uni, focus on learning rather than finished products. Professors care more that you learn the material than if your project is perfect. Understand that the goal is to master new skills, not just complete assignments.
Exactly! It's about how much you absorb and understand, not just finishing the task.
To get better, break down your assignments into manageable pieces. Identify what you already know and what you need help with, then seek resources to fill those gaps. Documentations are key! Instead of asking AI to solve everything, ask it to help you understand how to search for the right info.
It seems like you're relying too much on AI to do the grunt work. Sure, playing around with code is great, but if you're just handing over the task to an AI, you're missing out on the fundamental learning. Try building things yourself first and only ask AI for hints, not full solutions.
Agreed! Starting from scratch can be frustrating, but that's where true learning happens. Also, asking AI for guidance on areas you're stuck on is a good way to learn.
Definitely! Code is a tool to express your ideas, but figuring out how to get there is half the learning process.
Honestly, you need to embrace the idea that learning takes time. Don't be afraid of making mistakes or spending longer on tasks. It's okay! You're in a learning phase, so let it take as long as it needs to take.
You’ve kind of admitted to outsourcing your learning to AI. That’s not going to help you grow as a developer. Start by solving problems yourself—even if you feel it’s slow. Challenge yourself to type things out instead of copying and pasting; it’ll sink in much better that way.
100%! Typing it out helps you engage with the material more actively, which is crucial for learning.
Absolutely. It takes longer, but it’s the only way to truly learn and understand the concepts.
That's a really good point! The pressure to deliver can sometimes overshadow the importance of truly understanding the process.