The fastest way to learn coding with AI

Hello everybody! In today's article, I want to specifically talk to programmers about how to use AI to learn, understand, and—hopefully—implement new or advanced programming concepts effectively. Step 1: Identify What You Want to Learn Before writing any AI prompt, first determine which concept you need to understand. You can find this in documentation or simply ask AI, for example: Give me a list of important concepts I should know in JavaScript. Once you know what to learn, move to the next step. Step 2: Ask AI to Explain the Concept Now, write a prompt to get an explanation. For example: "What are closures in JavaScript?" The AI will explain, but if the answer is too complex, refine your request: "Please simplify this concept and provide some code examples." If there’s still something unclear, keep asking follow-up questions until you fully grasp the idea. Bonus Step 1: Relate It to a Real-World Example To solidify your understanding, ask AI for a real-world analogy. For closures, I got this: Imagine a bank and an ATM. The bank is the outer function, and the ATM is the inner function. Even if the bank (outer function) closes, you can still access the ATM (inner function). Inside the ATM, you can still withdraw money (access variables from the outer function). Now, every time I think about closures, I remember this analogy. This helps build a mental connection, making abstract concepts more concrete. Bonus Step 2: Write It in Your Own Words To move the concept from short-term to long-term memory, write a short explanation in your own words. Include examples, but avoid copying AI’s response directly. Pro Tip: Handwriting is even better! When you type, only some parts of your brain are active, but writing by hand engages your mind more deeply, helping the concept stick. Conclusion Using AI as a learning assistant can make mastering advanced programming concepts easier and even fun. By breaking down explanations, using analogies, and reinforcing knowledge through writing, you can deepen your understanding effectively. What’s your learning strategy? Do you use AI, or do you have other techniques? Let me know in the comments!

Apr 19, 2025 - 08:19

Hello everybody! In today's article, I want to specifically talk to programmers about how to use AI to learn, understand, and—hopefully—implement new or advanced programming concepts effectively.

Step 1: Identify What You Want to Learn

Before writing any AI prompt, first determine which concept you need to understand. You can find this in documentation or simply ask AI, for example:

Give me a list of important concepts I should know in JavaScript.
Once you know what to learn, move to the next step.

Step 2: Ask AI to Explain the Concept

Now, write a prompt to get an explanation. For example:

"What are closures in JavaScript?"
The AI will explain, but if the answer is too complex, refine your request:
"Please simplify this concept and provide some code examples."

If there’s still something unclear, keep asking follow-up questions until you fully grasp the idea.

Bonus Step 1: Relate It to a Real-World Example

To solidify your understanding, ask AI for a real-world analogy. For closures, I got this:

Imagine a bank and an ATM. The bank is the outer function, and the ATM is the inner function. Even if the bank (outer function) closes, you can still access the ATM (inner function). Inside the ATM, you can still withdraw money (access variables from the outer function). Now, every time I think about closures, I remember this analogy.

This helps build a mental connection, making abstract concepts more concrete.

Bonus Step 2: Write It in Your Own Words

To move the concept from short-term to long-term memory, write a short explanation in your own words. Include examples, but avoid copying AI’s response directly.

Pro Tip: Handwriting is even better! When you type, only some parts of your brain are active, but writing by hand engages your mind more deeply, helping the concept stick.

Conclusion

Using AI as a learning assistant can make mastering advanced programming concepts easier and even fun. By breaking down explanations, using analogies, and reinforcing knowledge through writing, you can deepen your understanding effectively.

What’s your learning strategy? Do you use AI, or do you have other techniques? Let me know in the comments!