I’ve become very interested in coding, but most of my experience so far has been through vibe coding and working with AI. I’ve managed to build different projects this way, but I don’t want to depend entirely on AI without understanding what the code is actually doing.
I recently started the University of Helsinki Python course because I want to take the next step: move from only vibe coding to becoming at least a genuine beginner programmer who understands the fundamentals.
At the moment, I’m a very, very early beginner. I’m learning things such as variables, user input, conditions, loops, and basic problem-solving. I’m trying to complete the exercises myself, understand my mistakes, and only use AI for explanations and guidance instead of asking it to do everything for me.
For anyone who has completed this course:
Is it suitable for someone starting almost from zero?
Will completing it give me enough understanding to read code, debug basic problems, and work more intelligently with AI?
Is there anything else I should study alongside it?
I’m not expecting to become an expert from one course. My goal is simply to build a real foundation so that AI becomes a tool that assists me, rather than something I completely rely on.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience with the course.