Hi, I'm Edith, this is my first post here and i just wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me, which is how AI usage is such a trap for beginner programmers. I'm giving my first hand experience. Apologies if its not all that i will get better at this with practice
(ദ്ദി •⩊• )
Problem at Hand
Okay, let me give you a scenario, you are a beginner programmer (like me) and you really wanna grasp concepts as soon as possible
So you decide to ask chatgpt or whatever generative AI tickles your fancy and ask it to help you but because of the way they are built majority of the time they give you the entire code.
You might say, "yeah it gives me the entire code but i read through it" but i wanna tell you that you are NOT gaining any new knowledge from that it is in fact making you lazier as a programmer.
I say this as a victim, I am currently learning React and I'm so clueless because of my AI abuse but I wanna recover, which leads me to the next segment of this blog:
What Now?
Acknowledge that Programming isn't easy
This was my toughest pill to swallow I wont lie haha... most of us who have passion for programming fail to acknowledge that its not as easy as we thought. You are learning a new language and this requires an identity shift which is the hardest thing to do especially if you are someone like me. You need to change how you think and approach problems.
This video by Andy Sterkowitz can give you an insite into what i mean and he gives a solution at the end its a nice watch:
https://youtu.be/2-ePXrJZ5Oo?si=ouIXR1UZbwu1gRo_
Change how you think and learn
As programmers the most important thing is learning from YOUR mistakes no matter how tedious. Understand your code and master the logic behind it and before anything make sure you think like a programmer; breakdown your problems and find logical solutions to them.
Practice project based learning and learn the art of googling the more you struggle to find a solution the more it sticks and if you google you wont find the exact answer you will need to interpret and apply it in relation to your problem. You should also avoid comparing yourself with others we are all different with different styles of learning and paces you should keep that in mind its YOU VS YOU. This will curb impostor syndrome and help you code for you making more involved with your code. Practice for more than an hour a day and Learn from your mistakes in fact id advice you to note down every mistake you learn from (that's what i do it really motivates you)
Stay persistent
The emotional journey of creating anything great, whether a business, a work of art, or even a personal project, is characterized by a roller-coaster of emotions, from initial optimism and excitement to periods of doubt, stress, and frustration and finally getting the satisfaction of achieving a goal. It's a process that requires resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace the challenges along the way. It can also be applied in the learning process you are creating a skill just keep at it.
In the long term you will be proud of yourself and your future self will thank you for enduring.
ദ്ദി ≽^⎚˕⎚^≼ .ᐟ ദ്ദി๑>•̀๑) ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ )
THANKS FOR READING
Top comments (4)
I appreciate your approach, and fully support it.
That's exactly how I had to learn, and I'm happy I went through all that.
However, it is possible to get AI to give you exactly what you need, without the extra fluff, and here's how:
The Tiny Cat Guide to AI #1: Prompt Engineering – Directing the AI Ballet
Wassim Soltani ・ May 20
Think of AI as a super power. It takes practice, but eventually you get used to it and you learn how to wield it efficiently. And when you do, it's a game-changer!
Let me know what you think, and feel free to ask any questions!
'This blog was really good and i see where you are coming from but for me my prompts were so detailed sometimes the ai would gimme the entire code instead of guiding me and at that point i'm frustrated but i guess it was how i was wording my prompts. I'll get back to it an use the tips you've given thanks ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ )
Glad you liked it! I totally see where you're coming from. That makes me want to write more about system prompts and get into more details about prompting with practical examples and demos. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!
Very true....AI can be super helpful, but for beginners it’s easy to lean on it too much and miss the why behind the code...