is it bad that i need to constantly search up code even though i know the concepts?
Posted by Naozuko@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 28 comments
for reference: im a math and data science double major and i mainly decided to do my data science degree bc i enjoy coding a lot but didnt want to do cs since i feel itd be much harder considering data science is closer to math than cs. i want to be a teacher in the future as well.
im currently learning python and r (im a first year), and even though during lecture i completely understand the code and know how to use it, but when it comes to projects, homework, or labs i have to go to lecture notes or search documentation online because i can never remember the code despite knowing how to use it. is this bad (if so what should i do about it?)or do i just need to let my coding skills marinate over time?
lachesis17@reddit
I once had a HR manager get an error with some unrelated software and asked for my help because we didn't have dedicated IT. She watched me copy the error code, paste it into Google and find a solution, and was like "huh". You can apply this to literally anything - there's no such thing as stupid questions but most of the time you can answer them yourself by searching before needing to ask another person.
It relates to something I remember for efficiently practicing a musical instrument - you don't focus practice on the bits you do well, you practice on the bits you struggle with. Whether you're googling or using AI, understanding something you don't yet know and asking questions until you get to the solution is the bread and butter of the job.
aanzeijar@reddit
Hey, I'm from a comp-sci background and I need to constantly look up why analytic continuations are uniquely defined. Is that bad?
be_building@reddit
Don't sweat it, the syntax eventually becomes muscle memory once you’ve written it enough times, but the logic is what atcually matters. To speed things up, try doing a 'blind' version of your labs where you don't look at your notes until you've tried to write the line yourself first.
esaule@reddit
Well, that depends what you mean.
I've been programming for about 30 years and I still google things regularly. Things like "oh, is it .size() or .size or .length or .length()?" are hard to remember when going from one language to the next because all forms exist depending on what language and objects you use.
Now if you need to google "how do I define a function again" then there is a problem. You should be defining functions all the time, so you should just know it by now. And if you don't, it actually means you are not learning the basics. Because eventually there will be a difference between this way and that way. Both will look reasonable but only one of them does what you want, and that will blow up in your face.
There are also purely speed questions. If you need to google everything then you will be extremely slow. And too slow means useless. Imagine you call an electrician and the first thing they do upon looking at the electric panel is search for a youtube video on "how to use a screwdriver".
If you can't remember the code, then I'm going to bet you haven't programmed enough. For someone we wants to get good at programming, I usually recommend 15 to 20 hours of programming a week.
Plenty_South_1952@reddit
I still Google the exact same things I've Googled a hundred times — regex syntax, cron expressions, the order of arguments in array.slice(), how to remove duplicates from a list in whatever language I'm in today.
The skill isn't memorizing syntax. The skill is knowing:
- What the problem is called
- Which tool solves it
- How to read the docs fast enough to be productive
keoperz0@reddit
https://codelenstool.lovable.app/
use this tool for code explain im continuly using it
Gapstogrowth2026@reddit
every programmer googles constantly, this is not a bug it's a feature lol.
seriously though the fact that you understand the concept in lecture and can find and apply the right code when you need it is exactly what the job looks like in real life. nobody sits in interviews and writes pandas from memory on a whiteboard and then goes to work and never opens a browser.
the marinate over time thing is also real - after you've looked something up 15 times you'll start remembering it naturally without trying. just keep building things and it happens on its own
Naozuko@reddit (OP)
this assures me a ton, i see a bunch of ppl on tiktok talk about coding with nothing but documentation on their side monitor which i just find impossible haha, tysm !!
losebow2@reddit
There are a few masochists out there, but most of those people are just trying to do that for some weird form of clout.
Emergency_Sugar99@reddit
I'm constantly asking the AI dumb questions.
stlcdr@reddit
This is quite common for developers who use multiple languages. Essentially they are looking up the syntax for this language to do the thing they want.
quietcodelife@reddit
backend dev here and I still google pandas stuff semi-regularly. the things that actually stick are the things you have looked up 30 times because you kept genuinely needing them. your brain builds that pattern automatically when solving real problems. the stuff you only need occasionally you will probably keep looking up indefinitely and that is just fine.
Ordinary-Cycle7809@reddit
Short answer: no, that’s not bad at all. It’s exactly what beginners and even experienced developers do.
What you’re describing is actually a good sign. It means you understand the concepts, but your “recall speed” isn’t built yet. Coding has two parts: understanding what to do, and remembering how to write it. The first one is way more important, and you already have that.
Even people who have been coding for years constantly look things up. Syntax, function names, edge cases, library usage, all of that gets searched. Nobody is walking around with full documentation memorized.
What’s happening with you is normal. In lectures, everything feels clear because you’re seeing it in context. When you sit down alone, your brain has to reconstruct it from scratch, and that’s harder. That gap closes with repetition, not with trying harder to memorize.
You don’t need to force memorization. Instead, focus on using the concepts again and again. The more you write code, the more patterns stick naturally. Over time, the things you look up today will become automatic.
A simple way to improve faster is after you look something up, try to use it again later without checking. Also, small consistent practice helps more than long sessions. Even 30 to 60 minutes regularly will do more than occasional long study blocks.
Given your background in math and data science, you’re actually on a strong path. Understanding logic and structure matters much more than remembering exact syntax, especially in Python and R where you’ll be using libraries anyway.
And if you want to be a teacher, this experience is valuable. You’ll understand what beginners struggle with, which makes you better at explaining things later.
So no, nothing is wrong. Your skills are just in the early stage where things haven’t “stuck” yet. Keep building, keep looking things up when needed, and it will settle over time.
Lower-Instance-4372@reddit
Not bad at all, it’s actually normal early on because coding is more about knowing what to do than memorizing syntax, and over time you’ll naturally remember the common patterns as you keep building and searching.
Training-Attempt-209@reddit
I get that too! Ever feel like you've mastered something in theory, but still look up examples? How often does it happen for you?
iOSCaleb@reddit
No, you don’t. You feel like you do because the lecturer is walking you through it and it all makes sense as they explain it. You understand what you’re being told. But could you trade places with the lecturer and explain the code to the class? Could you write equivalent code?
The reason you need to do programming assignments (and not rely on AI or a friend to do it for you) is that all the things that you don’t realize that you don’t know bubble up to the surface when you’re actively solving the problem. You need hands on experience, and plenty of it, to really get the hang of a new skill.
SimbaPy@reddit
You'll be alright. I've got like 7 years of experience and I still look up stuff - sometimes it's syntax, sometimes it's the actual method/function etc.
What's important is that you know what you want to do with the code, and you know that the code can do that, i.e, you know that the syntax/function/method exists.
Beneficial-Panda-640@reddit
That’s completely normal. Knowing the concept and remembering exact syntax are different skills, and most people look things up all the time.
What matters more is that you understand what to do. The syntax will stick with repetition, especially as you use it in different problems.
Asleep-Party-1870@reddit
No
mattblack77@reddit
I’d be more worried if you were trying to memorize everything. Looking things up is a smarter choice; leave yourself some free space for the larger architecture decisions.
Clear_Cranberry_989@reddit
This is quite normal. Unless you are in a timed environment e.g. interview you don't really need to worry.
ExtraTNT@reddit
Practice… there are guys writing code without syntax highlighting, docs, nor any other form of help… they are rare…
shaq-ille-oatmeal@reddit
100% normal
knowing the concept but forgetting exact syntax is basically how most people code, even experienced devs google things all the time. what matters is that you understand what to do, not that you can recall the exact function name from memory
right now your brain is still building patterns, so you rely on notes and docs. over time, the stuff you use often sticks and the rest you just keep looking up, that never really goes away
honestly if you weren’t looking things up, that would be more concerning because it usually means you’re not pushing yourself
just keep building and using what you learn, repetition will take care of memory. concepts first, syntax later always works better than the other way around
TheRealRatler@reddit
It is almost impossible to keep everything in your mind, especially if you code using multiple languages. The thing is, the more experienced you are, the easier it will be for you to search for concepts/patterns/syntax you learned for one language and how to apply something similar in another.
Feeling_Visual_6139@reddit
I don't know I only a computer science major not a math or a data science double major
notislant@reddit
"i have to go to lecture notes or search documentation online because i can never remember the code despite knowing how to use it."
Well you're better than what seems like 90% of the idiots that ask an LLM for every single thing.
Own_Attention_3392@reddit
Syntax comes with time. I've writing software for more than 20 years and I'm constantly googling stuff. The less familiar I am with a language, the more I Google.
Hybrii-D@reddit
Yo estoy constantemente mirando documentación cuando programo, es normal hasta para programadores experimentados.