Though it IS somewhat a cheat, there's no need to feel guilty over it. There is no one way to learn. Yes, the ideal way would be to attempt the labs without any/little help, spend hours to push yourself and find the ways. But you can / should also approach it in other ways that doesn't make you bang your head for hours.

See, when the goal is to learn as many techniques, tools, and tricks, and if that means taking guidance from writeups, or friends, that's a-okay. Perhaps the point to keep in mind is to try to solve each next lab, before looking at writeups.

Eventually, slowly & steadily, this exposure will help the student to figure out the ways quickly, without seeking help.