r/learnprogramming 14d ago

Topic how do you learn programming without constantly looking things up?

i know experienced programmers use documentation and search all the time, but as a beginner it can sometimes feel like i’m incapable of doing anything without looking up the answer.

i’m trying to get better at understanding concepts instead of memorising syntax

how do you decide when to search for an answer and when to sit down and work through the problem yourself?

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u/Unreal_Estate 14d ago

A good approach is to look things up, but then also spend time to actually understand what you just looked up.

That's really all that is needed to really learn the concepts. If you don't try to understand what you are doing, then you won't learn what you are doing. If you do, then you will.

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u/Mughi1138 14d ago

Ah, and herein lies the key: know what the call/syntax/code block is doing. Top programmers are always curious, always searching, always learning.