How I Learned Rust in Two Hours

You probably thought this was clickbait. And to some extent — it is. I'm still learning Rust. But it only took me two hours to start writing real code. Let me tell you how to learn it quickly. My goal is to save you time and help you enjoy this beautiful language.

1. Learn Another Language First

Seriously. If you're a complete beginner, Rust is a tough place to start. Even if you manage to understand the syntax, you won’t know why it works that way — with ownership, borrowing, lifetimes, etc. You’ll most likely switch to something easier, like Go or C#, or to a systems language like C or C++.Depending on your goals, choose another language first. Just not Rust. But if you've already made up your mind — good luck. It’s possible, just harder.

2. Read the Rust Book

Your first step should be reading the Rust Book. It’s the official guide — and probably the best technical book I’ve ever read.It’s well-structured, detailed, and packed with examples. It even references other languages to help explain concepts clearly. The exercises and code snippets make it easier to remember things.I spent exactly two hours reading it — and that was enough for everything to click. It doesn’t cover the entire language, but it’s the perfect foundation for understanding Rust’s design and philosophy.

3. Trust the Compiler

Rust’s compiler is one of the strictest — but also the most helpful. If you see errors like value moved here or lifetime-related messages, don’t panic. The compiler is your mentor. It explains why something went wrong and how to fix it.Read the error messages carefully. This is where Rust truly shines. Also, install rust-analyzer — the official LSP server. It’ll make your life much easier.

4. Don’t Worry About Optimization (At First)

In the beginning, it’s totally fine to use .clone(), .unwrap(), or String instead of &str. It’s hard for beginners to write “perfect” code from day one. What matters is solving the problem.Want to wrap things in Arc, Box, or RefCell to get rid of compiler errors? Go for it. You'll optimize later — after you truly understand the language.

5. Don’t Code on Autopilot

Using an LLM is like driving on autopilot. It’s convenient, but you lose control. That’s dangerous when you’re learning Rust.Instead, disable autocomplete and AI suggestions. Use the Rust Playground and write code manually. If you can’t — that’s a sign you don’t fully understand the concept. And that’s fine! Read the docs, explore the standard library, and take your time.Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.Rust is a challenging, but fascinating language. It combines ideas from both OOP and FP. It was designed to fix the mistakes of the past. Rust has a bright future — and more and more companies are adopting it. Learning it is one of the best investments of your time.Good luck on your journey!