Wasted $150 on a course that had me copying code for hours

Last month I bought a Python bootcamp that promised to teach me from scratch. Turned out it was just 20 hours of the instructor typing and me typing the exact same lines. I didn't learn why anything worked, just how to copy. By the end I couldn't write a simple loop without looking at his examples. Has anyone else fallen for one of those copy-along courses and found something better?

4 comments

4 Comments

sage_green1mo ago

Copying code for hours is just paid hands-on sleep.

jasonallen1mo ago

Yeah I feel you man. Those copy along courses are the worst scam in tech education. They make you feel like you're learning but really you're just following instructions like a robot. I fell for one that taught "web development" and all I got was carpal tunnel from typing their exact code. What helped me was actually building tiny dumb projects on my own, like a to do list or a calculator. Even if you have to google every line, the struggle of figuring it out yourself sticks way better. The best teacher is hitting a wall and having to unstick yourself. Don't let it discourage you though, we've all been there.

the_mary1mo ago

And honestly, what really clicked for me was finding a middle ground. I took a copy along course but instead of just typing what they typed, I'd pause the video every 5 minutes and try to explain back to myself what that line of code actually did. Like if they added an event listener, I'd close my eyes and say out loud "okay so now when someone clicks this button, this function runs." Sounds dumb but it forced my brain to actually process instead of just going through the motions. And then after finishing the course project, I'd try to change one small thing like the color or the text just to see if I could break it and fix it. That little bit of experimenting made all the difference. So yeah copy along stuff has its place but you really gotta trick yourself into actually learning instead of just copying.

jana_shah1mo ago

Hold up, is it really that deep though? I mean yes copy along courses aren't teaching you to think for yourself, but calling them a scam feels a bit harsh. They serve a purpose for absolute beginners who need to see how things fit together before they can do their own thing. If you got carpal tunnel that's on you for not taking breaks or mixing up the learning style. Plus you can always pause the video and try to add your own twist to the code, that's what I did. It's less about the course being evil and more about how you choose to use it. So yeah, not a scam, just a tool that people misuse sometimes.