Obviously, a new programmer's code will not be as good as an experienced programmer's. I think the important lesson here is to "write code". "like you just learned how to program" modifies "write", not the code.

I found myself in the same position as the author. As I was going through a CS program, I thought back to my early years of writing code. Sure, those early programs didn't have computationally optimal algorithms or the current {design pattern|algorithm|language} of the week, but they were fun, and I got stuff done.

Once I graduated, and now that I've been coding professionally for nearly 8 years, I find that the best way to keep that passion about code and not get encumbered by "how it's supposed to be done" is to read other peoples' code and work with really smart people who encourage you to be a better developer.