Bioinformatics graduate who can understand Python code but can’t write it from scratch — how should I actually learn?

[u/Life-Detective-395]

I have a Master’s in Data Science with a previous background in wet-lab biology. My programming experience mainly came through my MSc, so I don’t have a traditional CS background.
At this point, I can usually **understand Python code when I see it**, explain what it is doing, and modify parts of it. But if you give me a problem and ask me to write the solution from scratch, I struggle — and I often rely on ChatGPT to get started.
I’m trying to figure out what the right way to overcome this is.
Should I:
go back and systematically learn Python/CS fundamentals through tutorials first, then start projects?
or keep building bioinformatics projects and use ChatGPT as a tutor/coding assistant while gradually becoming more independent?
I find learning programming purely through tutorials quite difficult and passive, especially because I’ve never studied CS formally.
**For people who came into bioinformatics from biology rather than CS: how did you actually learn to code independently? What should I be able to do before I consider myself “good enough” at Python for a junior bioinformatics role?**

[u/lakseol]

If you can understand python when you read it there isn't any reason why you should start at the beginning again. You should write code because that's where you are weak. At the beginning maybe use AI to hint how to solve a problem, but try to avoid that if you can. You can always ask for advice and hints here. It doesn't matter what sort of problem you tackle, you have to learn how to solve a problem with python whether it's bioinformatics or something else.