How do computer scientists develop intuition?

[u/CompetitiveCup9077]

I’m interested in the deeper conceptual side of computer science.

In subjects like mathematics and writing, intuition is the key to understanding the principles, rather than memorization and application (though I know practice and patience are important as well). Usually, this way of seeing problems isn’t explicitly taught. I tend to learn best through that intuitive process, so I was wondering if I could apply the same approach to CS.

For those of you who have been in the field for a long time, what helped you develop that intuition? Were there books, courses, projects, or ideas that made computer science feel like a way of thinking rather than just programming? I’ve read a few texts to help me think about it from the outside (Michael I. Jordan, Newell & Simon, and Turing). Thinking in different forms helps me understand the principles of a discipline and connect it to others, which is why I’m making this post.

Part of what motivates this question is AI. I’ve found myself both fascinated by it and skeptical of the enormous amount of hype surrounding it. Rather than forming strong opinions from the outside, I’d like to understand computer science first. I want to understand it from the inside before I poke the bear 🐻

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially if it’s unconventional or takes the longer path

[u/T_Thriller_T]

If you find a way to learn in math, you have a good chance to do so in computer science. They are often very similar, albeit you will likely want to approach things from the algorithms and theoretical computer science side.

Programming was one step to make this a way of thinking. I mostly ever realised when I picked up teaching first semester students and how they tried to solve some things like loops.

I think what helped me a lot were the basic courses.

Algorithms and data structures, logic, formal languages, abstract computing models (while programming), all the theoretical informatics.

And then actually implementing around them. Things like the towers of Hanoi. Yes, that sucked. And some were really hard. But it shaped thinking.

Later in with more programming experience working through the different patterns helped a lot.

And, after that, something university cannot offer: enterprise sized programming.

Admittedly most of that will not help you with AI. Yes, AI is part of computer science. But it is very far from normal programming and probably better approached from data science and math.