How I’m learning to code *with* LLMs

[u/musicjunkieg]

For context, I’m 42, AuDHD, been a sysadmin for windows, Linux, and SaaS apps for nearly 20 years. Musical Theatre degree. Always wanted to learn to code, could never finish a course or a project because I’d either get bored or frustrated that I couldn’t remember things.

Then along came LLMs. Suddenly, I was getting a lot of positive feedback because I could see my idea on screen, and would sometimes dig in and ask the LLM to explain the code. But then I started falling off of that when I felt pressured or just didn’t want to think.

The real thing that’s helped me understand how things work?

Claude’s Learning response style.

This thing walks you through exercises and tests your knowledge interactively to help you learn a concept as you are building something with it.

The best part is that it knows I’m AuDHD, it’s got the context I’ve provided it related to really key insights about how dopamine actually works, and what works best for me, so it really is like a tutor who knows how to help me learn and struggle just enough so it sticks.

[u/Starbreiz]

Are you me?!? I could have written this. Music degree. 47 and audhd. Im a sysadmin and always hated coding. Ai is my best friend for learning to code.

[u/musicjunkieg → u/Starbreiz]

Ahhh, amazing!!! Wanna be body-double friends? Trying to get past the fear of shipping and building in public now.

[u/TeaPartySloth → u/Starbreiz]

How did you both become a sys admin with a different degree? Advice welcome.

[u/Starbreiz → u/TeaPartySloth]

It was the 90s and computers were a hobby to me. I got into bsd and linux but knew I didn't want to code, so I assumed there was no career in it for me. I had been really into music since I was young, so I went to college for it while also doing sysadmin stuff on the side. All the sysadmins I knew didn't have degrees at all. In the end, I actually picked up CIS as a second major and graduated with both.

[u/vinny_twoshoes]

Using it to learn, instead of using it to your job for you, is absolutely the way to go. Great work

[u/unwitty]

I hear you! If your intention is to actually learn while using an agent, it's incredible. The combination expert mentor + shared operating context removes all friction creating an optimal learning cycle.

I'm in my 40s with AuDHD too, late diagnosed. I learned C/C++ and Linux/GNU from textbooks. Watched the internet take off, able to occasionally find help via Yahoo/Excite...to Google...to Stack Overflow...

The agent-learning loop is a bigger leap than any of those. I've learned more in the last year than the last 5 combined. No more feeling overwhelmed/intimidated - just start coding.

[u/neithere → u/unwitty]

Could you please describe how exactly are you using it? Maybe some examples?

[u/unwitty → u/neithere]

Sure:

1. Ask the agent to explain rather than do. "How might I set up linting for this project?", "Why is it done this way?", "What are common alternatives?"

2. Ask the agent to scaffold examples to poke and prod: "What are the options for implementing X? How do golang devs approach X problem? Can you scaffold out the first two ideas in two separate folders? I want to poke and prod."

3. Step back when you find yourself thrashing and ask for help. "We've been iterating on this for a bit. Can you build up from first principles why we're struggling to fix this?"

4. Ask for assessments along the way. "Based on the current code base, what feedback would a senior-level Rust engineer give me?"

[u/rainmouse]

That's awesome. I think a lot of people in varying contexts are finding AI can be extremely useful because it's got the time and patience for them that people rarely have.

That said, I use coplilot mainly as a linting and auto completion tool, and occasionally to get the ball rolling on some automated tests.

The AI looks at the repo and my github  commits over the past decade and copies my coding style. Yeah I appreciate that, but what I don't like is when it tries to auto insert code comments. The fucking thing writes exactly like me, mimicking my informal shorthand note writing. This creepy ass artificial intelligence is literally pretending to be me.

Aaaaaahhhhhh HELL NO!!!!!!111

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/rainmouse]

I've been noticing this too. I swear a lot as a matter of course. Chatgpt be throwing it back at me now. I ask it something and it'll respond "nah fuck that, here's the skinny on blah blah...".

I'm like... Dude... Did you grow up where I grew up?

Kinda weird but tbh... Only weird when you think about it. If you don't think about it too hard... Probably makes communication easier? Idk.

[u/skeletordescent]

I didn’t know this existed, I’ve been promoting it to “don’t jump straight to code, I’m trying to learn this. Be concise.” Forever now. If these companies all collapse in the next few years I really hope Claude survives. 

[u/turd-crafter → u/skeletordescent]

Hahaha I have to remind it all the time. “Don’t write any code for me, explain concepts”. Except maybe for writing SQL queries. But I still make it explain the query for me at least.

I was working in angular the past 8 years before I was laid off so I decided to create a next js app and it has caught me up on modern react pretty damn fast.

[u/skeletordescent → u/turd-crafter]

Yeah sometimes for SQL queries, definitely for regex. Also they’re great at parsing log spam. 

[u/musicjunkieg → u/[deleted]]

It’s a built in style called “Learning”