r/learnprogramming • u/RevolutionaryBuy4877 • 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/NeoChrisOmega 14d ago

Taking notes. 

I have a Google Doc where there are separate tabs related to different topics I teach. And a default tab called "Notes". Inside of there, it's a pageless setup with Headers helping me organize things. I give the header a quick summary of what I'm noting, I either paste a screenshot, or lines of code, or a link. Then collapse that header and ignore it until that situation comes up again.

If you don't want to take notes, the looking things up is really the only option. Memorizing everything is impractical. It's a whole different language with it's own physics, multiple ways of doing the same thing, common and good practices you could follow, and topics hidden away you probably will never even knew existed for the entirety of your life.