Is AI Cheating? How I Use AI as a Study Buddy, Not a Shortcut

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Okay, Let’s Talk About AI—and What It Means When You Use It to Help You Learn Coding

There are a lot of opinions floating around, but I think it really comes down to how you use it. AI is a powerful tool we have at our fingertips right now. And, just like fire once was, it can feel a little scary—especially when we don’t fully understand it. No one wants the whole forest to burn down.

So instead of reacting with fear, I say let’s go the Steve Irwin route: with curiosity, awe, and a desire to understand.

Remember when the calculator first came out? People said it was cheating. They thought it would ruin learning. But guess what? We adapted. We raised the bar, made math harder, and taught people how to use a calculator. Now we use it as a tool, not a crutch.

That’s how I see AI, too.

Let me show you how I use it as a study buddy—not a brain replacement.

How I Use AI to Learn Code (Without Letting It Do the Work)

There are so many helpful ways to bring AI into your coding journey without losing your own voice or skills. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Explaining tricky concepts in silly or creative ways
I’ve asked AI to explain code like it’s gossip, or like I’m 10. And it actually helps!

2. Building my own syllabus
AI helps me pace myself and stay organized.

3. Asking AI to act like a teacher, not just a search engine
I’ll say: “Don’t give me the answer—guide me to it.” Bonus: I ask it to hype me up at the end.

4. Practicing with prompts
I ask it to generate mini coding challenges, and then I solve them myself before checking the answer.

5. Debugging with AI-made bugs
I ask it to build small programs with intentional bugs, then I diagnose and fix them. It helps me learn how to spot common errors—because yes, even AI makes mistakes. And that’s a good thing to get used to in the dev world!

Boundaries for Ethical AI Use

Just like Elle Woods has her rules, so do I. These are my personal boundaries for using AI ethically while learning:

  • No submitting AI-generated code unless I fully understand it. If I can't explain it, I won’t use it.

  • Always rewrite AI prompts in my own words before I start coding.

  • Use AI to test my knowledge, not replace it.

  • Question everything it gives me—twice. Just because it sounds confident doesn’t mean it’s right.

Learning means making mistakes, getting stuck, and figuring things out. AI is here to help—not to do it for me.

How AI Makes Me a More Confident Learner

As someone with anxiety, I used to hesitate to ask for help—especially when it felt like everyone else already “got it.” But with AI, I can ask the same question five different ways. I can say, “Okay, explain it again, but simpler,” and no one rolls their eyes.

AI helps me feel braver. It doesn’t get tired of my questions. It’s made me feel like I can actually learn this stuff—and that confidence spills over into other areas too.

Final Thoughts: AI Isn’t the Star. I Am.

At the end of the day, AI is just a tool. A cool one. A smart one. But I’m still the one showing up every day, learning, growing, coding, and creating.

AI is to us what fire was to the cavemen. Scary at first, but ultimately game-changing—if we use it with care.

You’ve got this. I believe in you.

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