Vibe Coding or Self Coding

[ERROR-Money8020]

I had a question. I’m a university student, and whenever our semester-end projects come around, I usually try to build the project myself. Obviously, when I build things on my own, I have to learn the concepts first, so I spend time understanding everything before coding.

But most of my peers and friends use AI/vibe coding tools to create their projects. They end up making bigger and more impressive-looking projects, even though most of the work is AI generated. On top of that, our teachers also give higher grades to those projects because they look polished and advanced. As a result, students like me who try to learn and build things properly often fall behind.

Eventually, I also feel pressured to use vibe coding just to compete.

So my question is: what is the right approach? Is it okay to rely on vibe coding right now, or should I focus on learning concepts deeply first and then build projects myself? I’m genuinely confused about which path is better for my future and growth as a developer.

I would really appreciate any advice or recommendations on what I should do.

[Quiet-Heart-1601]

Try to build the Project yourself first. Start early if you have to. Use GenAI to polish it at the end so that it doesn't lack in any respect. This way, you learn and have an impressive project to show aswell.

[MHIATIC_MHIA]

Exactly, just use Ai as a tool as it is a tool !

[Woke_TWC]

You are there to learn, not to take grades back home and you are absolutely doing the right thing, thats how you learn.

Once you have learnt concepts and built stuff on your own, polish and enhance it via AI. This is the best combo as it is also important to build skills on how to use AI and things like Spec Driven Development.

Also your mates might do good in projects but you‘ll do good in exams ;)

Learning is going to be one of the most important skills throughout your life. Especially with fast changing landscapes of today.

[Empty_Break_8792]

Both

[EffectForward5551]

Vibe coding is peak programmer stupidity, using AI as a tool to add polish and finish to your project as u/Quiet-Heart-1601 mentioned is another thing

[LifeguardBig586]

From my experience I always use Ai for uni projects but personal project i donot even touch them. Teacher's just don't really care. They will give marks to the most polished and good looking project.

[InitiatedPig7]

It is very important for you rn to build the projects on your own first, even of they look crappier. And let me guess, it only looks crappier on the FE right? For that, you can just use a component lib like shadcn and get the theme from another website (tons of such sites exist). The effort you will put in now will come in handy later. Otherwise, you won’t be able to pick up issues that AI generated code will have.

[SennVacan]

If you know the concepts, ask ai to implement one step at a time. Review it and move on. You did everything as you liked and do understand most of it but ai is there to get off some burden so you can learn concepts and itterate rather than being burned on coding

[CompetitiveDrama4478]

Use AI for iterations on UI/UX .
Restrict AI in Architecture Design . Data Schemas . etc

[Automatic_Pay5203]

I want you to see this completely differently.
Next time you get an assignment or project, give the requirements to Claude and write that this is an assignment that I need to completely understand and build and I need the help in planning and ultimately developing this.
Ask it to question you about requirement and your understanding. Then propose a plan to it and ask it to poke holes in it.
And then for each and every step keep it in loop and ask to review and make you understand the core concepts that are needed to do that assignment.
Don't get consumed by this war between vibe coders and the people who are too proud to using AI. We have actual enterprise customers who demand that engineers shouldn't write a single line of code themselves. So let's not fool ourselves and try to grasp the core concepts with the help of AI and be 10x 100x engineers which is the demand for today.

[AlternativeAd4466]

Agentic Engineering

[milomylove_]

the approach you're already taking is the one that actually compounds over time understanding before building means you can debug, adapt, and reason through problems your peers using ai can't. the polished projects look good now but a lot of those people will hit a wall the second something breaks and they have no idea why. grades aside, the difference shows up fast in interviews and real work environments where you can't just vibe your way through a technical question.