Ask HN: Can’t study other lessons instead of coding/learning to code • Hacker News Board

Post by m0xai » Sat, Apr 22, 2023, 10:12 AM UTC

Hi, I’m a Bachelor student in Business Informatics. I have to study Discrete Math and Lineare Algebra, instead of procrastinating by coding.

Here in Germany we can only fail three times of an exam. I failed once and have to pass Discrete Math this semester. However I’m a web developer in a company and work two days a week. My works makes me happy and I want to continue doing it.

Today I wanted to do something mew and tried to use ChatGPT to write an app with Go (because I have no experience in Golang, at work I’m doing Django and vue stuff). It gives me some example code, with errors obviously and I’m trying to correct and use. I connected Postgres and created structs, repositories handlers, services and so on. Man, this feels perfect.

But, I have to do Math assignments and repeat what I learned. How can I stop using my computer for programming? I have an iPad for study but I need to use my computer too, without VSCode opened in background. Should I go to library? What would you do if you were me?

Post by KeplerBoy » Sat, Apr 22, 2023, 10:37 AM UTC

You don't need your Computer to study for those undergraduate math course. Stop sabotaging yourself.

Print your lecture notes, old exams and the assignment sheets from the exercises, get your ass in the library and get cracking.

You know exactly what you have to do and the only thing in the world that could stop you is yourself.

Also: This is your best shot at getting higher education for free, while you're still young and mostly free of responsibilities. If you fail to take this opportunity you will remain a coder without actual knowledge of the fundamentals. Do you think coders with little formal knowledge will be in high demand as ChatGPT claws more and more tasks from us? (This take might be overly pessimistic, to get you motivated)