How good is it to practice coding with ChatGPT?

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I’ve been practicing Javascript daily with the help of chatGPT since a few weeks now. I ask it to generate small coding projects ideas based on my progression on the freeCodeCamps lessons, I code it and I ask it to review my code.

From my perspective it feels great! I code 2 or 3 simple projects per day, such as password generators, a quote generator app, or restaurant bill splitters, and I really feel progressing from one project to another.

However, I know ChatGPT tends to be a bit optimistic (if not delusional lol) and I’m a bit afraid of this echo chamber effect.

Has anyone done this for a long period and achieved significant results? Or for more seasoned devs, would you rather recommend another method for daily practice?

Thanks!

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Hi, your method is genuinely solid and clearly effective. I understand your concern about relying too much on ChatGPT. It’s great for quick feedback and general guidance, but it does have its limits. My advice would be to supplement it with human code reviews whenever possible. Having someone who understands your specific goals and career path can give you targeted feedback that ChatGPT simply can’t. That extra layer of mentorship or peer review can really accelerate your growth.

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I wouldn’t bother with asking GPT what it thinks of your code since doesn’t actually have any way to actually think about your code. I would ask humans. Also, I would make sure you aren’t rushing those projects. A smaller number of more complex projects is more representative of professional development work.

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I’m applying a similar approach to Python programming as you. I learn new topics, ask coding questions to GPT, and after solving them, I send my solutions for review and feedback. Honestly, it’s helpful, but I have a question about this approach as well.

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There is a lot of free learning material (including small projects) available, carefully written by real humans who want to help newbies learn. Putting aside the inherent problems with an LLM, I just would always prefer stuff created by experts when it’s available.

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