How to Vibe Code as a Beginner — Learning First, AI Later
These days, we have AI tools that can write code, fix bugs, and even suggest full projects. It almost feels like magic — you give a prompt, and the code just appears. This new way of working, often called “vibe coding”, lets you build things by intuition and interaction rather than by memorizing syntax.
I’ve tried this approach on a few projects myself. It’s exciting, but I’ve also learned that AI can be a double-edged sword — especially when you’re just starting out.
The Calculator Analogy
Think about calculators. They make life easy, right? But are students below 10th grade usually allowed to use them in exams? No. That’s because at that stage, the goal is to build a foundation — to understand how numbers work, how to think through problems, and how to reason logically.
AI tools are just like calculators for coding. They’re amazing once you already understand the basics. But if you use them too early, they can quietly steal away the learning process.
Why Using AI Too Early Can Hurt Your Learning
When you’re new to a language or technology, your main focus should be on understanding how things work. If you rely on AI to write your code before you’ve learned the fundamentals, you miss out on valuable lessons — debugging, problem-solving, and logical thinking.
It’s like trying to learn swimming by asking someone else to move your arms for you. You’ll get the job done, but you won’t learn the skill.
Learn First, Then Vibe
So here’s my take — start manually. Read the documentation, write your own code, struggle a bit (it’s part of the process!), and understand why your code works or fails.
Once you start recognizing patterns and can predict what the code should look like, that’s when you can bring AI into the picture. At this point, AI becomes your assistant.
Use it to:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Speed up your workflow
- Explore different coding styles
- Brainstorm ideas or structure large projects
When you already know what good code looks like, you can judge AI’s suggestions better and correct them when needed.
So, learn first, then leverage. That’s how you truly vibe with the code.