can you really code?

on may 7, 2025 cursor dropped some pretty big news: ai coding assistant, free for a whole year, right when you're just getting started. honestly? it's kind of amazing. but here's the real question: are you coding? like, really coding? or is cursor quietly doing most of the work for you?

this isn't just about free stuff. it's a full-on race

this move from cursor isn't random. it's strategy. that same day, openai bought windsurf, another cool coding tool, for $3 billion. $3 billion. for a code editor. wild.

these companies know the next generation of developers is learning right now and they all want to be the tool that teaches you. because if you grow up building things inside cursor or windsurf or whatever comes next you'll probably keep using it when you're working at your first job. or your second. or when you're building your own thing.

so giving it away now makes total sense but just remember you're right in the middle of a billion-dollar race and your attention, your habits, your trust is what everyone's chasing.

ai can make things easier but don't let it take the wheel

these tools are amazing. they save time, unblock you, and help you build fast. they make you feel 10x smarter, and sometimes you actually are with the right prompt. a few years ago, building something like a blog or a game might've taken weeks. now with cursor, you could have it done in a weekend. maybe less.

and that's empowering especially for students just getting into coding. but here's the quiet trade-off: if ai is always one step ahead, finishing your thoughts and fixing your bugs, how much are you actually learning? what happens when you turn it off? or when it gives you something that looks right but breaks everything?

don't automate the fun stuff

i've had moments where cursor gave me an answer and it worked, but i didn't understand it. and later, when something else broke, i was stuck. it's tempting to let the tool go on autopilot—write the function, fix the bug, explain the error.

but those tiny struggles, those late-night bugs, that moment when you finally get it—that's where real confidence comes from. it's the difference between copying a recipe and learning how to cook. and no matter how smart ai gets, that joy of figuring something out yourself—nothing beats that.

use the tool, don't become the tool

so yeah, try cursor. it's free, it's powerful, it'll help you build real things. it might even save you hours. but don't let it become a crutch.

because in a few years, when you're interviewing or launching your own thing, you'll want that muscle memory—that confidence from messing up, fixing it, and actually learning. code with cursor. learn with it. get faster with it. but make time to do it the slow, confusing way sometimes. that's how you grow. that's how you get proud. that's how you build stuff that lasts with your own smarts, not someone else's shortcuts.

conclusion

you've got a whole year. make cool stuff. mess up. fix it. and most of all, enjoy the ride. this is your time to learn how to really build. you've got this.

until then,
siddharth