From what I’ve seen, understanding when to pick between Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code really depends on where you’re headed with your projects. In the early days of CS, either works fine for basic coding and learning.
But if you’re diving deeper into C# or .NET-especially in professional or academic settings-Visual Studio’s all-in-one approach with tight Microsoft ecosystem integration gives you an edge in debugging and productivity. On the flip side, VS Code is invaluable for projects that involve multiple languages or frameworks and when you want a faster, more adaptable setup.
My advice? Get comfortable with both. Visual Studio will be your go-to for complex, enterprise-grade work, and Visual Studio Code will keep you nimble and versatile across different tech stacks and lighter projects. Knowing both tools well will definitely broaden your development toolkit as a CS student.