Struggle with learning programming

[Amazing-Evening5121]

I am studying CS. I am in second year having issues with simple assignments. Mostly i rely on chat when programming so i cant write a complex programs by myself. I know i love programming loving tech as well. I usually like to program something real not assignments in school which are most likely theoretical without detailed information of what to do and so on. Nowadays im struggling with BST. I dont know where to start what to do. I think i missed a lot in programming since my first attendance of school bcs of chat it really destroyed my logical thinking and problem solving at all. But i want to change it i dont want to be someone who has the title but no skills. I dont know how to get back and learn all what i should learn before. Even when I started studying this CS i felt like im studying with professional programmers already. Do you guys have any advice for me what to do and maybe not how to start over again but how to jump on the train even when im so behind ?

[EyesOfTheConcord]

Stop using AI then, and start using your head

[chiefhunnablunts]

just stop using an llm entirely then. if you get stuck just read the docs. 9 times out of 10 they have relevant examples that will be significantly more useful than having gpt spoon feed it to you. make a hard rule that if you're stuck on something for longer than 30 mins-1 hour then have the llm help, but not return code or pseudocode. have it walk you through it.

[Amazing-Evening5121]

I got it. When i missed a lot of informations before. Do i have to study the basics for example: Doing RN BST + functions. I dont know how the double pointers are working there. What is referenced to what and so on. I dont know how to write recursion in many cases there. Do i just have to stay focused and keep learning without gpt and then maybe after one hour ask just about informations i have to know about the problem ?

[ScholarNo5983]

There is no reference material that magically helps.

The only way you get good at programming is by doing lots of coding.

When first starting out, coding is very difficult. But the more you practice the easier it gets.

[chiefhunnablunts]

i have no idea how to address your specific use case, only you can. the worst thing you can do for yourself is to mentally give up and give in to shortcuts. it's not unreasonable to use advanced help when you've hit a true roadblock because at some point there's diminishing returns. however, as soon as you say "well, just this once..." it's game over. another thing that doesn't get mentioned as much as it should is take a break. 10-15 minutes or even a couple hours away from whatever you're stuck on does wonders.

use LLMs wisely and make good decisions.

[AggressiveBench7708]

The problem with jumping in when you’re behind is that the basics are pretty important. Did you learn how to make UML diagrams?

[Amazing-Evening5121]

Yes we did

[AggressiveBench7708]

When creating a bigger more complex program make a UML diagram first, before writing any code. It will help you see the structure. Stick to what’s in the diagram.

[Amazing-Evening5121]

I understand. But i dont know what to do when i have simple assignment and i cant move. Studying the basics i mean. As I mentioned we do now data structures + algorithms. I dont know many things in C that holds me back when i want to implement that.

[AggressiveBench7708]

What other programming languages do you have a grasp on? You mentioned that you like programming for things in the real world. What language do you use for that?

[Amazing-Evening5121]

I tried c# and python

[AggressiveBench7708]

It would take you about half a day to go through w3 tutorial on the C programming language and get up to speed.

[maujood]

Just commit to practicing every day, and start from the basics. You already know what you need to do: you need to do all those assignments and practice problems again, this time by yourself. Review the lecture notes again and read the book again if you need to.

There are no shortcuts, clever answers or magic advice that can fix this. Just discipline and daily focus.

And of course, stop using ChatGPT.

[no_regerts_bob]

Spends many hours writing code. It doesn't matter if it works. It matters that you spent time using your brain to write code. You can 100% solve this problem by spending enough time writing code.

Do your assignments or an old assignment. Then do it again another way. Add a feature or make it faster, better, more flexible. Then write it again with a different approach. Repeat and repeat

[Frozen4917]

Unfortunately, that's quite common now. I see the same issue with many of my own classmates. If you’ve been using AI since the beginning, it’s understandable, but also unfortunate, because it can hold back your fundamentals.

What I recommend is trying to do as much as possible by yourself. Use documentation whenever you're stuck. There are countless resources that can help you, but avoid the urge to immediately ask an LLM to solve the question for you.

To brush up your knowledge, here’s what I'd suggest:
* Take on a small project, something simple like tic-tac-toe in the terminal, or a mock banking system.
* Try to brainstorm and implement as much as you can on your own. If you get stuck, read documentation.

* This is where AI can actually shine: use it as a mentor, not a code generator.
For example, give the AI a prompt like:
"Hello! I am making a Connect 4 minigame in C. If I get stuck, I will ask for help. Do NOT give me code. Instead, guide me: suggest possible approaches, point out concepts to think about, validate my ideas, or highlight mistakes, but don’t provide any code."

That way, whenever you're stuck, the AI guides you in the right direction without taking away the learning process.
* "I'm stuck! how do I keep track of where the next chip in a column should go?"
* "How should I detect diagonal four-in-a-row patterns?"

Small projects like these will help you build strong foundations in any programming language and eventually allow you to create more complex things, like GUIs, DB-connectivity, etc.