CS467 – Wrapping It Up
Blog Post 4
How do you work through being “stuck” on a problem?
In my opinion, the idea of being “stuck” on a problem can often times be likened to thinking of a problem in one way. Usually, I’ll have an idea about how something should work and try my best to solve the problem with this context in mind. Especially in programming, you can often understand the issue but not know how to go about solving it. When a few approaches and syntax changes don’t do the trick I try to scrap the idea and completely change my approach. This might mean choosing the option that may seem less ideal, but testing if it works. After all, it is a lot easier to go back if you bought yourself some time to think further.
Do you use chatGPT or other AI tools? In what way?
With the recent rise in popularity of AI tools, I have began exploring what they can do to improve my workflow in regards to programming. I have found that in some aspects, such as simple arithmetic or small code bits, it can be very helpful. It helps reduce the time spent on a task you know yourself to be able to accomplish. However, when it comes to having an understanding of specific code implementations for an individual tech stack, ChatGPT has been less helpful. It will continue to generate a response for you even when it has exhausted its options. I like AI tools that generate images or automate mundane tasks, but in terms of thinking about system architecture, I favor the old-school approach of figuring things out with Stack Overflow and code examples.
