This is one way I use AI for coding

The other day, while I was biking, an idea popped into my head: Why don’t I use AI to write pseudo code, then solve the problem using that? So I did it! I went to Claude told me to generate 10 small Python problems that I can practice on. My prompt? I want to hone my problem-solving skills. Can you create me basic problems in Python so I can practice? And voila, Claude created me a set of python projects from beginner to intermediate problems to help me hone my problem solving skills!

After Claude generated the problems, it also taught me how to use them:

How to practice:

1. Work through each problem one at a time.
2. Try to solve it without looking at solutions first.
3. Test your code with the examples provided
4. Once you've solved a problem, you can ask me to review your solution or provide hints if you get stuck.

After that, Claude told me what the problems covered:

What these problems cover:

1. Basic string and number manipulation
2. Lists and data structures
3. Loops and conditionals
4. Logic and algorithm thinking
5. Working with built-in functions

The goal here is to condition my mind into learning how to be a problem solver rather than letting AI do everything. I start off with 10 basic problems, which I’ll explain later in the article. I plan to do this for a few months to a year with random times I’ll be doing HackerRank just like what I did the other day.

Listed below are the problems, their difficulty, and topics covered:

1	Sum of Digits	Beginner	Loops, Math
2	Palindrome Checker	Beginner	Strings, Logic
3	Find Missing Number	Beginner	Lists, Math
4	Count Vowels	Beginners	Strings, Loops
5	Reverse a List	Beginners	Lists, Loops
6	Duplicate Removal	Intermediate	Lists, Sets
7	Factorial	Beginner	Recursion/Loops, Math
8	FizzBuzz	Intermediate	Loops, Conditionals
9	Most Frequent Element	Intermediate	Lists, Dictionaries
10	Flatten a Nested List	Intermediate	Lists, Recursion

I know, I could have just gone with HackerRank for the challenges, but believe me or not, those challenges are more difficult for me than the ones generated by Claude. You might also think that the point of doing challenges is to hone your problem-solving skills, but the point of doing challenges is to get better at problem-solving as a beginner. I haven’t been consistent in coding since 2019, so I know what my limits are.

You may think that Claude would give me direct code to write, but look at this sample pseudo code it generated for me:

        for i from 1 to n (inclusive):
            if i is divisible by both 3 and 5:
                append "FizzBuzz" to results
            else if i is divisible by 3:
                append "Fizz" to results
            else if i is divisible by 5:
                append "Buzz" to results
            else:
                append i to results

I did not understand the first line for i from 1 to n (inclusive): and it took me a few minutes to know what that means. You know what that means? for i in range(1, n + 1): Get my point? It get’s easier as I maneuver through the problems.

Conclusion

This little experiment reminded me that AI doesn’t have to be a shortcut — it can be a learning partner. By letting Claude generate pseudo code and guide me through structured problem-solving, I get to focus on the thinking part rather than just syntax or memorization. It’s not about replacing the effort but reinforcing it with smarter tools.

As I continue this journey, my goal is simple: rebuild my consistency, sharpen my logic, and rediscover the fun of solving problems one line of code at a time. I’ll be breaking down each problem soon — from the pseudo code to the final solution — so stay tuned for the next article.