How Beginners Can Use AI Without Becoming Dependent On It

Anibal Cuevas — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 19:41:17 +0000

Artificial Intelligence is shaking up the way we learn to code. For those just starting out, tools like ChatGPT and Cursor can seem pretty magical — you type a question, get an answer, and just drop it right into your project (for the most part).

But here’s the catch: if you’re just copying and pasting code, you’re missing out on the most important part of learning — understanding the 'WHY" behind your code. Coding isn’t just about cranking out lines of code; it’s all about solving problems, debugging, and thinking like a developer.

Instead of letting AI handle your programming for you, think of it as a tutor right beside you, the mentor you never had. Here’s how you can make the most of it:

Ask for Explanations, Not Just Code

Instead of saying:

"Write me a JavaScript function that reverses a string."

You might want to try:

"Could you explain the steps I need to take to reverse a string in JavaScript, instead of just giving me the code?" This way, you’ll get a clearer picture of the thought process involved. Then you can have a go at writing that function on your own. If you hit a wall, ask for a little hint instead of the whole answer. My personal way of doing things includes asking for hints or pseudo code first.

Collaborate with AI on Debugging

If your code is throwing errors, don’t just drop it in and ask AI to sort it out. Instead, consider:
"Here’s the error message I’m getting. Could you clarify what this error typically means?" Now you’re learning why the error occurs, rather than just applying a quick fix. Eventually, you’ll start spotting those error patterns on your own.

Break Down Problems Step by Step

Coding is all about solving problems piece by piece. AI can help you practice this:

Describe the problem in your own words.
Ask AI: “What’s the first step I should take?”
Put it into action.
Then ask for what comes next. This helps you build the skill of breaking down problems — a crucial ability for any developer.

Compare Your Code Instead of Just Replacing It

After you’ve come up with your solution, you could ask AI:
"Here’s my code. Can you review it and suggest any improvements?" Now you’re not skipping learning; you’re enhancing it. AI acts as your code reviewer, helping to identify best practices, optimizations, or edge cases you might not have thought of.

Set “No Code” Rules for Yourself

A great way to develop discipline is to make a personal rule:

AI can explain concepts, steps, and errors.
But it can’t hand me finished code until I’ve given it a go myself first. This approach pushes you to try finding solutions, while still having AI there as a backup.

Final Thoughts

AI is a fantastic tool — but it should serve as your guide, not your autopilot. As you’re starting out, the aim isn’t just to wrap up a project; it’s to build the skills to tackle problems independently.
Think of AI like a tutor who offers hints when you get stuck. If you use it thoughtfully, you’ll develop into a much more capable developer — someone who understands the why behind the code, not just the what.

💡 How about you? How are you incorporating AI into your learning? Do you see it as a helper, a teacher, or maybe… a crutch?

The importance of the basics...

Anibal Cuevas — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 16:58:07 +0000

WebDev beginners..

So you learned HTML, CSS/JS and now you’re ready to move on to a framework. Most frameworks are building on top of basics, the better you understand them the easier you can understand the framework. The mistake I see most beginners make is moving on way too fast! They never seem to really grasp the basics.

Most of the time we breeze through the tutorial and we think that we know how to implement these things. We are fixated on finishing the tutorial instead of understanding the CONCEPTS that will help you build the same project, without the help of a video tutorial!

So how do I understand the basics better? Everyone says to build projects but what should you actually build? In order to build confidence you start with the from the ground up.

HTML

Don’t focus on knowing all the tags, just the most important ones!
Build boiler plates
Learn HOW to nest tags and WHY
Build Navbars! I used to build 3 Navbars a day in order for my mind to understand nesting better. Code everyday!
Learn keyboard shorcuts, learn about containers/divs and create multiple each day.

CSS

CSS is tricky, stick to plain CSS and don’t use any frameworks.
Learn Flexbox and grid. Learn these Separately!
For Flexbox, add to the 3 Navbars a day! Use Flexbox for layout. Once you understand flexbox and can make Navbars easily, move on.
For Grid, make a common photo grid 3x a day! Simple 10 minute project will help install the basics of grid.
Mix both grid and flexbox! Once you can make navbars and photo grids in your sleep, then move on to FULL PAGE LAYOUTS! Start creating simple one page website layouts. Make 3x each day.
Make a simple one page custom portfolio website. Using only what you know now, create a simple portfolio website. Implement what you learned and make mistakes.
The next day, recreate the portfolio website and add an additional page, like an about me.

By this time you should not only have a solid foundation on HTML/CSS but you’ll have real practice that your brain has already implemented as deep knowledge. Practice everyday! Don’t THINK that you know how to do it, go out and DO IT!!

Will continue with Javascript tomorrow..

DEV Community: Anibal Cuevas