Why do I forget programming after taking long breaks, and should I restart from scratch?
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MellowPine47
I mainly program as a hobby, so I tend to study intensely for a while and then stop for around six months. During each motivated period, I work through exercises and small projects, but I have never completed a large one. Over time I've learned parts of C#, Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and React, and I even did some batch scripting when I was younger. Despite that experience, whenever I return to coding, it feels like I'm starting over.
Over the past year or so, I learned and used JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and React. Now that I'm trying to build something again, I've forgotten enough that I feel tempted to repeat entire courses. Even with AI assistance, I can handle small tasks, but when I try to make a simple React app that fetches an API and displays the results in a list, I lose confidence and feel like I need to relearn everything. Is this normal? Should I repeat complete language or framework courses, or is there a better way to regain my skills while actually understanding the code?
Answers
Try choosing one main language and sticking with it for a while instead of continually adding new ones. The syntax comes back more easily when you use the same tools regularly. Pick a project that interests you and finish it, even if it is small. Completing real projects teaches much more than repeatedly watching introductory lessons.
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The important distinction is active practice versus passive learning. If you mostly read tutorials and then rely on AI to solve the difficult parts, the knowledge will not become strong. Try starting the API app yourself without a tutorial. When you get stuck, search for that one narrow problem, understand the solution, and continue. Struggling through those small problems is what builds the skill.
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Forgetting details after six months is completely normal, but you probably haven’t lost everything. Instead of restarting an entire course, build something small and look up only the specific gaps you run into. The second time through should be much faster because the concepts are already familiar.
MellowPine47: That makes sense. I may be expecting myself to remember too much when I come back to it.
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You do not need to avoid AI forever, but don’t let it take over the problem-solving process. Write as much as you can yourself, ask for explanations rather than complete implementations, and make sure you can explain every line you keep. Programming is like learning a language: occasional practice may preserve familiarity, but regular use and completed projects are what create fluency. Pick JavaScript or another language you enjoy and stay with it long enough to become genuinely comfortable.
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MellowPine47: I’ll choose one stack and commit to finishing a project rather than jumping between courses.