A fuzzy issue of responsible disclosure

On the other hand, reading other people's code is a very important skill and while you're a student you're likely to have more time available to practice than you probably will have at any other time in your life.

Sure, there are some very complicated bits of code out there, but there is quite a lot that is reasonably accessible if you're willing to spend a day or two pouring over the code and trying to understand it. Sure, the first time may be frustrating, but you do get better at it.