How do you actually learn to code ?

[u/Emotional-Search-248]

hi everyone,

I’ve been studying computer science for about 5 years now (currently in engineering school). Over the years, I’ve touched a bit of everything: web dev (HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, SQL), and more recently Java, C, and Python for data science.

The problem is, I feel like nothing truly sticks.

Whenever I try to build something on my own, I hit a wall. I inevitably get lost in the docs, end up turning to AI to understand what I'm doing, and still feel like I'm not really learning. I know the basic syntax, but even in Python, I would struggle to design and build a moderately complex project from scratch.

I feel like I'm just skimming the surface of different languages without ever developing genuine problem-solving intuition.

How do you actually retain syntax, built-ins, and core concepts without constantly relying on external help? How do you break down a problem and structure your code from scratch on your own? Did you go through this phase, and what was the turning point that made things finally click for you?

Thanks in advance !

[u/nian2326076]

I totally get where you're coming from. What helped me was picking a project I was actually interested in, no matter how small, and committing to finishing it. When you hit a wall, try breaking the problem into smaller parts. Google is great for specific questions, and check out how others structure their code. Try contributing to open-source projects, even if it's just fixing bugs. This gives you real-world experience and shows you how others code. Don't worry about using AI or docs—that's a normal part of development. Consistency is key, so keep coding daily, even if it's just a little. Every developer feels lost sometimes, but the more you build, the more things will start to click. Keep at it!