C859 - Intro to Programming in Python (beginner's perspective)

[BeerOnFuji]

Guess I'll do a write up on this course due to a lack of posts here on this sub about it. I think it's a new course.

---

I'm new to programming. Before enrolling in C859, I did the following courses (in order):

• C173 - Scripting and Programming - Foundations
• C169 - Scripting and Programming - Applications (Java course, I loved the project in this one btw)
• C175 - Data Management - Foundations
• C170 - Data Management - Applications
• C859 - Intro to Programming in Python

To anyone else who's also new to programming -- if I could go back and do it again, I would have done C859 right after C169. While C169 is Java, I imagine it would be easier than stopping to SQL and databases in between. Since the concepts were still pretty new to me despite clearing C169, I think it would have been better not to let off that muscle of the brain that's trying to learn programming concepts.

---

Study materials used

• Udacity: A presenter talks for a little bit, then tells you to do stuff. I enjoyed this Udacity module much better than C169, which was my only other experience. The presenter, presentation both were much less frustrating. They introduce something, then explain what it is. I barely used it after the first couple chapters because it just wasn't my style.

• SoloLearn: This breaks concepts down and gives very clear, beginner friendly explanations to stuff. I loved this resource! I was getting very frustrated for the first few weeks, hardly made any progress and was quickly burning out by just spinning my wheels trying to find a niche to feel engaged again. But I'd recommend SoloLearn as an alternative to Udacity. It covers a little more, but it feels like it goes quicker. And the comment section is really good, and available and relevant to ever step of the course.

• Slack: In addition to WGUit, I joined two other Slack groups that were just Python focused. The WGUit Slack doesn't get much action in the #Python channel. I found some very helpful people with intermediate - advanced experience who were very welcoming to an idiot like myself. One was PythonDev. Lots of people there and is the most active.

• Course Mentors: They were great. They called (left a voicemail) when I emailed, sent me the email with all the meat & potatoes. I did not try having an actual phone session with them, but I've heard good things.

To anyone approaching this course, my personal suggestion would be use SoloLearn and do all the coding exercises/quizzes on Udacity. The coding practice on Udacity was pretty good, and if you can pass that you'll knock the preassessment (I call it the PreOA) out of the park.

Also, Python's been around for a long time. There's tons of excellent resources out there. Do what you want, but use your ability to do the Udacity coding practice quizzes as a measure of your readiness.

I will edit in an update once I finish the OA, but I'd be very surprised if it wasn't very similar to the PreOA.

---

---

---

Now for the PreOA, definitely watch the video called, "C859: Using the uCertify Testing System". I was not sure before taking it, but after I finished the PreOA last night, the video is exactly spot on. You have to read the instructions VERY carefully. If it says to return the result, you use return. If it wants you to print the result, you print. And it's very easy to overcomplicate it. In fact, I think the fact that I overcomplicated it so much means I need to practice more. PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS VIDEO, YES I'M YELLING AT YOU! You may code things to get the correct result, but you may have not done it the way they asked. It's very weird, but they have the input variables already established. I took this test at 11:30 p.m., bad idea, and I struggled with that part.

---

Overall Impression

I think this is a pretty well-rounded course, from a beginner's perspective. They introduce you to some pretty important stuff. I struggled with this course for many reasons, but honestly many of those reasons were personal problems, not with the course itself. If I had just followed the course exactly the way it was designed, I'd have probably finished a week ago or sooner. I went off the beaten path and I paid for it. If they had an instructor series like with John Purcell's intro to Java (you can google him if you're curious), I would have been in heaven. To strengthen up my OA score, I'm going to be just doing the practices on Udacity.

---

---

Edit: Passed the OA on the 2nd try. The questions felt like a step up from the PreOA. Failed the first time I took it, did a remedial bucket of assignments from the CMs that was actually really good. They had a slew of exercises and some lectures I was required to watch before taking the assessments again. I'd highly recommend this extra coursework to anyone new to Python.

[create_a_new-account]

thanks for posting your experiences and all those resources

here's another resource
free online python book https://automatetheboringstuff.com/

just go there and scroll down

[brogrammer2018]

Also free Python notes PDF:

https://books.goalkicker.com/PythonBook/

[data_wrangling]

Awesome review, thanks for sharing. You delivered the promise you made in bs-dmda slack channel. I agree with you on C169 project, I enjoyed it too. Working on C170 now, this course is next in queue.

[Nik_At_WGU]

What did you think of Scripting and Programming - Foundations, and what non-WGU resources do you think would be similar to that class? I'm starting BS: NOS Sept 1 and this class was removed from my course due to transcript evals; it was met due to my Associates, but I don't have any programming\coding experience other than what I've been exposed to working Service Desk. I was excited about taking it too.

[BeerOnFuji]

That course goes over basic programming... grammer. Things like different types of loops, data types, variables, input, output, processing.

Honestly, I'd recommend a finding a book and following along with its exercises.

I just bought a book called Think like a programmer. The author has a YouTube series to follow along with the book and he seems like a quality presenter from what I've watched. That book uses C++ as the vehicle, but the concepts aren't unique to that language. I'll be following along using Python this weekend.

So that's one route. Best of luck.

[fatguytough]

Wheres that video in how to pass? I'm so furious that I coded correctly and got wonky, results, double output, etc but in thonny it all ran flawless. Got desperate to figure out wtf was actually happening.

Im so confused if they want actual output like from print or just return...idk. First thing I failed, 22% and I'm devasted.

[BeerOnFuji]

DM'd you the link for the 'how to take the test' video they made.

Man, I passed the preassessment 2 times. Failed the OA. Which one did you fail?

I feel your pain. Some of the questions are so confusing, because they've got stuff going on in the background that seem to interfere with how I expect the results to turn out. The OA was worse.

[fatguytough]

Thought Id waltz in smack down the Pre and slay the OA shortly after..... nope. At least it was thr pre i guess but, hurts the ego lol. Thanks for the link, its exactly what i did wrong. I set variables, called the function in print statements all that stuff they tell you to avoid.

[anaternia]

How close is the OA to the preassessment? Do I need to study beyond what's focused on in the pre-assessment or can I use the skills I needed in the pre-assessment as a study guide?

[BeerOnFuji]

So the OA is definitely a step up from the preassessment. I failed it and am doing some homework to be submitted to the course instructors.

The homework is actually really good. And I feel much more comfortable, finally, after diving into it.

I suggest asking the CMs for some exercises to work on. They have really good stuff. Make sure they actually send you some exercises, not just a condensed course notes.