What should we do when we see solutions to questions we are trying to solve?

Question

I cannot always tell what exercises or questions are way over my head.
Given there's a question, challenge, etc, and that there are solutions:

When do you suggest we look up solutions?
(if there's nothing in particular in the question that stands out as in demand of some new material to be learned?)

When is intermittent burnout-rest-try again fruitless, when not? (can you be specific, to make it tangible)

How can we get better at analyzing a question, writing pseudocodes? Should we try harder stuff on the side, and practice simpler stuff for learning to pseudocode?

I know I'm seeking advice here but I'm also relying on common experience. Hence, discussions.

Thank you.
(this wall of text was bigger, this is all I could reduce it down to)

Answer 1

Korkunç el Gato whether you look up solutions depends on your role. As a student you will learn more and respect yourself better by first taking the time to completely solve it yourself. After that, go ahead and look to see how others solved it. You will learn even more yet from other solutions.

If you are an employee, then I'd advise that it is better to take the most expedient path to the solution, which may be to look for answers first (that you may legally use). If not found, then spend the effort to develop your own. If you do re-use someone else's work, be certain that you understand it fully and correctly adapt it to your need. Caution: sometimes adapting takes more time than writing it yourself from the beginning.

Answer 2

Korkunç el Gato if you are completely satisfied with your solution, then move on to the next thing. If you have a nagging thought that it could be done better, then see if others found a better way.

It is good to continually refine your techniques, as a craftsman who performs regular maintenance on the tools already in the toolbox and also acquires and invents new tools to improve work quality and efficiency. Keep in touch with others in the trade to exchange tips.

Answer 3

Brian Thank you. May I also ask whether, once we solve it ourselves, we should also check out others' solutions routinely to learn better ways or even new concepts? Or is it better to focus on one thing?

I try to do it myself by the way. I did look up solutions before finishing my own at times but it's almost always to check out other stuff (whether I get the question - questions with shaped, formatted output etc)

Answer 4

I'm just trying to learn this language without a specific goal. I saw articles on the net saying to learn to read code, that it's as important as coding itself so it kind of raised some questions for me, which you cleared up, thank you.

Answer 5

Jay Matthews Thanks a lot. You've been doing that since the beginning, when you were a beginner yourself, right?

Answer 6

Jay Matthews I mean the attitude. Never looking at solutions until you solve a problem no matter how long it takes, you had that from the start, I guess?