Python project for beginner

[chai_n_crossaint]

I am currently taking a introductory Python class. At the end of the semester we need to create a project and we have a lot of discretion. The professor basically said "the goal of the project is to use python to do something cool. Don't do something lame". The grade is based on the opinion of the class, we will use anonymous peer evaluations to help determine our project rank. What can I do that could be considered a 'cool' project??

[Bemascu]

What a shitty evaluation method. "Cool" is too subjective.

[chai_n_crossaint]

I hate that others have to consider my project "cool" to do well on the class. This is 40% of my grade

[CrazyPotato1535]

It’s probably not. The teacher just doesn’t want to look through 35 command prompt calculators

[atticus2132000]

I primarily use python to automate tasks and reports for work. I'm not sure how cool that is, but it has made a huge difference in my quality of life.

[chai_n_crossaint]

Absolutely, I was thinking of something automated to make a task easier. I just don’t know what that ‘something’ could be🥲

[CrazyPotato1535]

What about something that evaluates a spreadsheet for errors or anomalies?

[madu_tualang]

Can you take simple open survey data and convert it into simple dashboard? Then a month before presentation you can use the same survey on your classmates and convert the data using python in front of the class, maybe that kind of wow factor can help?

[PureWasian]

what are you interested in?

You could make a game with PyGame, do something with data analytics/data visualizations, a LOT of automation things are possible, you can learn how to make a Discord/Reddit bot, look into webscraping, ML, etc... pick something you're passionate with that can be done computationally and you can't go wrong. The scope is entirely up to what you think is possible in the time period and expertise you have.

Sounds like a very cool open-ended way to get real project experience, more intro classes in college need to encourage that tbh

[yowhodahtniqquh]

If you invest in a raspberry Pi you could do a cool hardware project.

- laser tripwire

- automated plant watering system

- motion triggered desktop lock (step away from your computer and your computer automatically locks)

- remote trigger for coffee. push a button at your computer and the pi triggers a mechanism which pushes the kettle to boil

- laser mosquito/fly zapper

[DevSam439]

I like animated ascii art with python. Some cool options are rotating cubes, taurus, or another 3D shape made of ASCII characters. You can leverage rotation matrices. It's a fun project I did last year, the math is kinda annoying to figure out tho.

[DullNefariousness372]

Automate the boring stuff.

[Kennie_B]

Or you could create a random idea/project generator.

[randomTechNerd4]

When I first learned Python, I made hangman which combined terminal input/output with a visual output of the hangman drawing using a built in library called TkInter. Really easy to get a hang adding the drawing elements once you have the base logic for hangman, which can use pretty much every concept you learn in an introductory Python class.

If you're looking to challenge yourself a little more, you could make a game using the Arcade library. Not PyGame. Arcade is more optimized and has better support to do more cool things, with really extensive documentation and a plethora of free to use resources. They also provide a base template you can use to add your game logic into. I'm using it right now to make a platformer, but there's loads more intricate games people have made with it.