This talk explores some initial findings of the experiences of novice programmers engaging in both remote or hybrid and in-person pair programming, analysing programming session length and role switching, satisfaction levels and challenges, impact of the environment and recommendations for improvement. Practitioners conducted some pairing sessions face-to-face and some sessions remotely. Initially developers showed a stronger preference for individual coding over pair and group programming emphasising autonomy and scheduling flexibility as key benefits. Pair programming, while less preferred was valued for improved problem-solving and learning, though satisfaction was higher in face-to-face sessions compared with hybrid or remote settings.