Most junior devs use Cursor/Copilot/Claude to write code faster. The devs who actually level up use them differently. Three habits worth stealing:

1. Ask for the plan before the code.

Instead of "write a function that does X," try "walk me through 2-3 approaches to X and the tradeoffs, then I'll pick one." You learn the why, not just get a working snippet you can't defend in review.

2. Use it as a rubber duck for your own code, not just a generator.

Paste your own function and ask "what would a senior dev flag in this?" AI is often better at critiquing than originating — and this is where the real skill growth happens.

3. Never merge a diff you can't explain line-by-line.

If Copilot/Cursor suggests something and you can't explain what it does, that's a flag to ask "explain this like I'm reviewing it in a PR," not just accept-and-move-on. This is the #1 habit that separates devs who get faster over time from devs who get stuck depending on the tool.

Building CodePilot AI specifically around workflows like these — happy to answer questions on how any of this fits into your stack.