Should I drop my Cs1 class?
Posted by One_Discussion7063@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 17 comments
I took a coding class this semester but have cheated on every assignment. I used generated code instead of learning syntax. I have a class in about 3 weeks that’s going to use java as the main language. I would have to learn the entire course in just 3 weeks to prepare. I should mention that I have a horrible attention span. I hate myself for cheating and I can’t make any excuses for myself. Should I just drop the class and take it fall or try to cram in 3 weeks?
Embarrassed_Scar_515@reddit
I have ADHD. If you love the subject you can fixate so well. Might be an indicator for a career change.
Extra_Intro_Version@reddit
I dunno man. I was late diagnosed at age 64 with ADHD.
Attempting to learn fortran (!!) in the mid 80s kicked my ass; utter failure, twice in two different classes. (College in general was a mixed bag of great success and crushing defeats.)
A few years later, “Problems in Mechanical Engineering” was basically a fortran programming class- I could do the homework / projects. But I could not regurgitate the nested loop for multiplying 2d arrays on a written exam. BTW- this was before the internet really took off.
“Numerical Methods” in grad school (mid 90s by now) used fortran for solving various differential equations with established approaches like Newton’s or Runge-Kutta. One day, while discussing a question with the professor, she said: “you’re good at this”. !!
I could go on and on. Skipping 25 years as a mechanical engineer….
Nowadays, I’m doing a lot of Python in ML/AI related applications. In a group with software and computer engineers who are, in most cases, my kids’ ages and younger. I’m not great at it, but I’m making decent money. And doing generally interesting things.
So my point is: it’s not always apparent that struggling with something early on indicates eventual success or failure.
Programming is a tool. Not an ends in itself.
Embarrassed_Scar_515@reddit
Like you, I spoke from personal experience. But if they don’t have any interest in coding, it might be a sign the career isn’t for them.
I think there’s a solid difference between failing to learn and using AI to cheat. With AI, you just paste. There’s hardly an attempt to learn the material.
Your story is hella cool btw. Thanks for sharing. Good job not giving up on yourself.
PM_Me_Compliments@reddit
This is stupid lol
EcruEagle@reddit
What’s your goal? To get a CS degree? If you’re capable of learning to code then do it and take the class. But if you’re just going to try to cheat your way through a degree, if you even succeed, you’ll be exposed as a fraud when you try to interview and get an actual job. Do yourself a favor and stop using AI while trying to learn
Apprehensive_Bench22@reddit
Dont think you should drop it.
1)
You have a 3 week deadline for the course to begin.
That doesn't mean you need to master or pass something before you start the course.
The pre-requisites are never be a master at the previous stuff.
Try to just go over the core concepts and syntax can be learned over time.
So you have plenty of time to actual learn what you skipped over.
2)
Additionally its very important that you take steps to not fall in the same loop again.
Try NOT to use AI at all, and if that is very very critical then make sure to just get hints and never the entire answer.
You can ask your LLM to always give you hints so that you can learn, this can improve it a bit but its significantly better that you dont.
Try to find action that you can take yourself to not cheat and not get dependent on any tool which hampers your learning.
AncientHominidNerd@reddit
If it’s a beginner class then you can 100% relearn all of it. Just rewrite your code that you generated but explain it to yourself as you write it so you can understand what it all does.
bird_feeder_bird@reddit
Just learn Java dawg, you got this. If you can figure out how to print hello world, if/else statements, and for loops, then you can do anything. Celebrate the little wins
SourceScope@reddit
Functions too
The world opened when i learned functions
Boneclockharmony@reddit
https://java-programming.mooc.fi/
udays3721@reddit
If oppenheimer can learn Dutch in six week to give lecture to a university so can you learn Java in 3 weeks
Sweet_Witch@reddit
What was the point of taking coding classes if you didn't learn? Do you really want to be a software developer? Are you truly interested in it? Or do you push yourself for other reasons and have no internal motivation?
It is good to think about, ask yourself hard questions to save wasting more time on something that may not interest you. Perhaps you are only externally motivate by for example money and this external motivation doesn't work?
Personal_Calendar617@reddit
don’t drop it yet
3 weeks is actually enough to get the basics if you’re focused
you don’t need to “learn everything”, just:
variables / control flow functions basic OOP reading and understanding code
also important: stop using generated code for now. you’re just delaying the pain
try to actually write small things yourself, even if it’s slow
worst case: you struggle and retake it later best case: you push through and it clicks
but dropping now guarantees you’ll have the same problem later
Revelation_Now@reddit
When I train engineers how to write code (graduated professionals, not students) I try not to solve the problem since it cheats them of solving a problem which is the principal skill of being a developer. If you've used ai you've cheated yourself of learning. Restart
WelpSigh@reddit
I don't know, I mean, I feel like I could probably learn most of an introductory class in 3 weeks if I buckled down and it was the primary thing I was working on. But I have no idea if *you* can. I would go back and do the original assignments you cheated on and see if you're able to actually get them done on your own in a reasonable amount of time. If you are too far gone, well, maybe then you think about dropping. But that's an awful waste of money.
Snoo28720@reddit
Just learn it
ShameRepresentative7@reddit
Cram it, 3 weeks is more than enough.
The next time you're on a semester break learn how to code on your own. No AI, just learn how the syntax worked.
That's how I got my first footing with C#, the language is similar enough that it also transferred over to Java.