Cannot execute rspec using bundle exec rspec - ruby

Question

I am pretty new at programming, just learning for a few months, and I have been trying to run rspec for a ruby project I am working on so I can become more familiar with TDD and when I try to run rspec using bundle exec rspec, I get the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
14: from /usr/local/bin/rspec:23:in `<main>'
13: from /usr/local/bin/rspec:23:in `load'
12: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/exe/rspec:4:in `<top (required)>'
11: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:38:in `invoke'
10: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:70:in `run'
9: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:85:in `run'
8: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/runner.rb:96:in `setup'
7: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration_options.rb:22:in `configure'
6: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration_options.rb:109:in `process_options_into'
5: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration_options.rb:109:in `each'
4: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration_options.rb:110:in `block in process_options_into'
3: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:1181:in `requires='
2: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:1181:in `each'
1: from /var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:1181:in `block in requires='
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems/rspec-core-3.2.3/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb:1181:in `require': cannot load such file -- spec_helper (LoadError)
I think there may be something wrong with my PATH, as i had to install my gems using sudo command. When trying to make sure bundler was updated I got the following warning:
Fetching gem metadata from https://rubygems.org/...........
Resolving dependencies...
Using bundler 2.1.4
Using byebug 11.1.1
Following files may not be writable, so sudo is needed:
/usr/local/bin
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/build_info
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/cache
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/doc
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/extensions
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/gems
/var/lib/gems/2.5.0/specifications
Using diff-lcs 1.3
Using rspec-support 3.2.2
Using rspec-core 3.2.3
Using rspec-expectations 3.2.1
Using rspec-mocks 3.2.1
Using rspec 3.2.0
my computer is currently running the most recent version of ubuntu and I am using VScode if that provides any help. My current PATH seems like it has many repeated instances of the same thing and I don't know if that is contributing to anything.
My current PATH:
/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/home/tom/.rbenv/shims:/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/home/tom/.rbenv/shims:/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/home/tom/.rbenv/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:/snap/bin
any help is greatly appreciated! I am so tired of getting hung up by this and trying to google around figuring out whats wrong hasnt been helping.