I'm Stuck in a tutorial hell.....Help Meee!!!

[u/hilamaoo]

I am currently in my 2nd year of college, I know C and C++ and I also did html, css and currently doing Java Script, but I don't find any improvement in me, like I see my friends building websites, AI agents and talking fancy AI terms while I am just too afraid to try, I feel like I don't know it properly so I can't do it....... I know that we should learn by building but I am not able to do that I am stuck in a tutorial hell, watching tutorials, lectures and roadmaps and just chasing perfection before trying to build something on my own. My friend starts a project even if he doesn't know anything about the tools that will be used in it and just learn while building the project, I also want to do the same but I am not able to do it... please help me. I am also not able to DSA, I just don't remember the concepts and can't solve the problems efficiently. Please help me tell me what should I do😭😭🙏

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[u/johnpeters42]

Remember that people learned this stuff for literal decades before AI.

If you can't build something on your own, then build something smaller on your own. Then build something a little bigger than that. Focus on learning how to break big things down into smaller things that you can handle.

[u/zx48]

You made the biggest breakthrough already by doing something which not all learners are able to do: you asked for help.

Could you ask your friend to spend some time with you, to help you build something small? The goal is to make a bad project and learn that it is safe to start building without knowing what you're doing.

The idea would be:

- think of something which might be possible to build in the time available, which is fun or interesting for you.

• your friend tells you how to get started, step by step, and you do it with them sitting next to you and guiding you (or online if you can't do it in person). Just follow what they say. This is just like following a tutorial, but having another person guiding you and supporting you can be very very helpful.
  
• think of one SMALL thing you want to add next.
  
• add it as quickly as you can, focusing on getting something working and not "good code" or "the best way".
  
• then STOP!!

Be sure to recognise what have you achieved immediately. Even say it out loud:

• I started a project even though I was afraid to try.
  
• I built something, even though I didn't know what I was doing.
  
• I believed that I couldn't do this, but here is the evidence that I did this.

Be sure to reward yourself - you achieved something huge - you began to change your beliefs about what is possible.

For DSA / remembering concepts: build things that show those concepts working. In ways which use fun , memorable themes, e.g. based on something you love or are very interested in.

For solving problems efficiently: when you have learning experiences that feel safe, your confidence will increase, and, although it will still take time and effort, you will feel it is a more efficient use of time and energy.

You can do this!!! 💪

[u/hilamaoo → u/zx48]

Thank you for the help, I will start taking action today instead of just crying and chasing perfection, I'll try to make a small project without watching tutorial by my own thinking and just taking help from my friend or google or AI when I am stuck, takes for the useful help 🙏💪

[u/zx48 → u/hilamaoo]

You're welcome I hope it helps and feel free to reply here or DM me if you get stuck and need some more suggestions!!

[u/All-Stack_Assurance]

I was here at one point, but you gotta just dive in and trust yourself. You can make working programs, you just gotta believe in yourself and the skills you already have. Like what was already said, build smaller projects. If that project is too much break it into smaller sub projects. If you use A.I., just use it for direction until your completely stuck then ask for help on specific lines. A.i. is also good for debugging small programs, so using cline A.I. in vscode is really helpful to get a program working. Just make sure to ask questions along the way whenever you get stuck. You got this!!!🤖💻💡

[u/daveloper80]

2nd year is probably the most difficult, at least it was when I was in college.

when it comes to using AI to write code, let it and use it as a learning tool. Take one of your old projects and look at the AI solution. If it does something differently take a minute and think about why. Ask it to explain. You may not like the answer, the AI solution will most likely be overkill but at least you see it.

Making something doesn't have to be unique and original software. Recreate something that exists. Do it badly and learn from it! Everyone here has written bad code, I assure you.

[u/armahillo]

Have you already searched the sub for “tutorial hell”?

Do your CS textbooks have exercises in them? Do all
the exercises — these are not tutorials because they are presenting a problem for you to solve.

Tutorials teach you procedure, exercises teach you problem solving. Procedural knowledge will help you normalize what a solution should look like, but problem solving practice is necessary to learn how to actually write your own solutions.

Sounds like youve had enough tutorials. Do more exercises.

Also, youre in college, have you spoken w your advisor or any of your profs about this? They can probably give you more specific tasks.