The article explores how students view copying and imitation as positive tools in learning to program. Through interviews, students shared their goals when copying, how they do it, and the results they achieve. The study found that students and instructors agree that copying can be useful for learning programming, but there are some differences in views. Students don't always imitate instructors' approaches and sometimes feel unsure about copying materials. The research suggests that instructors should be clearer about the benefits of legitimate copying and imitation in teaching programming.