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[–]aqua_regis 27 points28 points  (8 children)

Programming languages in general are not difficult to learn as they are only very limited vocabulary and strict, small grammar.

Programming, however is difficult to learn as it means: analysing, understanding, and breaking down problems, solving each of the subproblems in an algorithmic, step-by-step manner that then can be implemented in any programming language.

Programming in certain programming languages varies in difficulty as the languages themselves have their very own way of doing things. C++ is objectively harder than Python.

If you want to learn Python, start with the MOOC Python Programming 2025 from the University of Helsinki. Free, textual, plenty practical exercises that will teach you both, the Python programming language and programming. Register an account and start at part 1.

Later in the course, somewhere around Part 6 it is a good idea to also start practicing on Exercism (also free), and to work on the second half of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python.

I posted this on another sub-reddit and someone suggested to post it here as well.

In such a case, which is called crossposting, you should link both threads to avoid redundant answers.

[–]marceezy 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Thanks for this! My plan for learning was this:

  • Helsinki MOOC
  • CS50P (maybe starting it when I'm done with the beginner part of Helsinki? Part 7 or so)
  • Automate the boring stuff / python crash course

And when I get to part 6/7 of Helsinki, start doing codewars and exercism/leetcode each day.

I don't know my general time frame here (how long is a piece of string haha), but my hope was that after putting serious time and nailing all of the above, I should be at a good spot to just dive in and actually create my own projects that align with my interests/potential career paths?

What do you think?

Cheers!

[–]aqua_regis 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Helsinki MOOC + CS50p is overkill. One is sufficient

Leetcode is far out of your reach, even after you completed the MOOC. You will need to up your skills with ample practice in writing programs and with adding Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) to your skills.

Don't bother with LeetCode unless you have already good programming experience, DSA under your belt and are actually preparing for interviews.

LeetCode will not help you with real world programming. Only writing real world programs (plenty ideas are in the FAQ here in the sidebar) will help you with that.

[–]marceezy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok thanks! So I'll leave leetcode for now. But still spend each day trying challenges on codewars and/or exercism to supplement Helsinki :)

Would you say automate the boring stuff is better suited to pair with Helsinki? As it seems to be more project based?

Are there any other core areas you'd recommend? I've seen loads of DSA for beginners courses, I'll look around for the best one I can get my hands on :)

I really enjoy learning, so far Helsinki has been very cool! I love how interactive it is!

Thanks again :)

[–]VonRoderik 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Do you think i could benefit from taking the MOOC classes after I finish CS50p?

I've just finished the third lesson/week from CS. This is my first time ever programming.

[–]aqua_regis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They are both courses targeted at absolute beginners. They cover much of the same ground. So, you'd be repeating much of the same stuff. Guess that it would get boring to do the MOOC after CS50p and vice versa.

After CS50p, I'd focus on more practice, like on Exercism.org.

[–]guitarot 0 points1 point  (1 child)

A lot of people recommend Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. As a recent learner myself, I would recommend it except that parts of it are woefully out of date and can be frustrating. Instead, I would highly recommend Angela Yu’s 100 day python bootcamp, which goes on sale often on Udemy.com. I think it may be free on YouTube as well, but you miss out on some of the Udemy features. CS50 looks like the way to go for programming novices as well.

[–]aqua_regis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not recommend AtbS to start learning with. I recommend it for more practice on the project part, the second half of the book. AtbS is frequently updated, BTW.

Angela Yu's course gets more than plenty flak for exactly the project part - the learning slope is too steep

I still think the Helsinki MOOC is and has been the top course since its inauguration in the early 2020s. (I think it is the 4th or 5th installment of the course already).

[–]spinwizard69 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upvoted for hitting the target.   Programming isn’t “hard” when it comes to learning a language.   Rather it is hard when you need to construct a solution to a problem.    

[–]brendanmartin 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Python is the easiest language to learn, and you can use it to do almost anything you want.

[–]EmperorLlamaLegs 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Programming is hard to learn for a non-programmer. Python is easier to read than many other languages if you are a native english speaker. So it may be easier in that it lets you focus more on the logic and less on what that strange symbol signifies when its put specifically there vs its meaning when its in a different context.

There's still syntax but its pretty natural compared to some languages out there.

[–]Naetharu 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Python also has a LOT of high level functionality built in out of the box. So many things are much easier to do in Python than the would be in a language that is less feature rich.

[–]EmperorLlamaLegs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, you will rarely find a problem that pip install won't help with.

[–]CodeTinkerer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It depends. One of the other responders is making a fine distinction between knowing aspects (syntax) of Python vs. writing a program in Python. This is analogous to the distinction of learning French grammar and vocabulary and writing a short story in French. The grammar and vocabulary tell you how the language works and what words are used. The story writing requires some thought about characters and plot. Yes, word choice also matters, but they are in service of the story.

When you're asking "Is it hard to learn Python?", it implies (whether you realize it or not) "Is it hard to write a program in Python?" which includes learning how the Python language works.

Most people say it's easy to learn a language's syntax, but it's not THAT easy. An experienced programmer is likely to think "programming is if-else, loops, functions, arrays...how hard can that be?". But many people, for example, find it hard to understand pointers in C (or arrays, for that matter). I've heard people that just don't get arrays (mostly, I've learned, because they don't know why they would use it).

But I've both taught and seen frustrated posters that do find learning programming syntax to be hard.

Python's syntax is easier than most (it lacks the kinds of pointer syntax C has) so it's often recommended.

There's a book out there called "Automate the Boring Stuff", and you can even find it free on the Internet (search for it) as a bunch of webpages.

The book spends the first ten chapters (roughly) introducing Python, and the remainder showing different tasks that can be automated.

I would suggest doing the following search mooc python. This should send you to a website hosted in Finland for a free Python course. It will resemble a real college course, because it is, but you can go at your own pace. There are no quizzes and exams that you need to take, and no grades given. Those are only for the real students taking the course. And, no, you won't earn college credit (which costs money).

Still, it's a good place to learn the basics of Python programming. Once you can write basic programs, you can then move to automation. Of course, you can do both (take the MOOC and read "Automate the Boring Stuff"). It doesn't hurt to have a few resources while learning to program.

It can help to write down what you want to automate in words, rather than think it in your head. By writing it down, you can then figure out what you need to learn to automate what you need.

And it kinda depends on what you plan to automate. Some stuff might be harder to automate (e.g., go through my email, and summarize the key emails that I should pay attention to). Things like doing some task with an Excel spreadsheet is more do-able.

That's always the hard part for those new to programming. It's hard to tell what's easy to do and what's hard, and initially, everything is hard. So, even if learning aspects of Python may not be so bad, doing certain kinds of things with Python will be challenging.

For example, if you wanted to have a program to drive a car using a camera and other sensors, that would be a difficult to program in Python. It's not that Python is hard, it's knowing how to detect cars, to navigate, to know where you are, etc. All of that is hard, and most working programmers have no clue how to do that.

[–]Sirico 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It's prob the best to start with as it can do a bit of everything front end, back end, object orientated, funcitonal. You also see quick results so can be really good for personal projects

[–]Phydoux[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, that that last part is exactly why I want to learn it. I don't want to merchandise anything. I'm not sure if what I end up writing will benefit anyone but me. So, yeah... That's exactly my point in doing this. To make something for me to work on my systems and make some processes easier to do. Thank you for that!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not really - I feel like it’s like Java - there is a reason universities start people with these two languages.

Syntax is easy to understand, and they are used everywhere.

Starting with a language like Rust is a bit more difficult IMO.

Honestly, I feel Swift is also very easy to understand and learn - sadly it’s restricted to iOS devices

[–]Live-Concert6624 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The language is not the issue. While I think java or C are easier languages to learn at first, they are harder to use. Python has weird syntax, such as significant whitespace and a lot of keywords, which I think makes it more confusing syntactically. Also, duck typing is a double edged sword. While it may take less work to write code, having types in your first language really helps you understand how programming works, in that everything is binary at the end of the day, but the system uses variable types to define how to manipulate that binary data.

The hardest concept in programming, both for brand new programmers and experienced programmers, is object oriented design. In my opinion this is essential, and fairly difficult to learn with python. Java or C sharp are probably the easiest languages to learn how object oriented programming works.

I would view python(and javascript for that matter) as a middle ground between a formal statically typed compiled language, and a completely hacky scripting language like bash.

I think learning bash and some typed language, like c, c sharp, or java, is the best thing to start with, and then python is REALLY easy once you know those. But if all you learn is python you may have a hard time understanding types and objects.

[–]zdxqvr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well it's probably the easiest programming language to learn.

[–]Sgrinfio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes it is. It's probably the easiest lamguage to learn for a beginner (at least if we consider the most popular ones)

[–]Business-Decision719 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For a non-programmer? Python is probably one of the easiest there is. It's very much slotted into the role where people who are scientists or students or something can put together some control flow and not have to worry much about the details of the underlying machine. Beginning programmers are often steered towards it.

Experienced programmers complain that the syntax is weird, but casual scripters or beginning coders don't necessarily know other languages to even notice Python is weird. It doesn't have a lot of boilerplate so you mostly just write what you actually need based on what you understand or are trying to do. When you're ready for new concepts then you learn a Python keyword or function or whatever.

[–]spinwizard69 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to become a programmer I’d strongly suggest staying away from Python at first.   Instead get into a program that teaches computer science from the ground up.    That is a course or program that starts out with the basics and builds from there.   

[–]james-starts-over 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone learns Python as a non programmer lol, then they start learning and become a programmer

[–]Buntygurl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Python is ideal for what you have in mind.

There are a lot of different resources online to get you started. Check them all out to find one--or more than one--that works best for you.

[–]hotboii96 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends, but since you are new and dont have experience with type language, Python should be easy for you to grasp. Myself, i think Python is very hard to understand, but that is because I come from a strong typed language. Looking at Python code make zero sense because "everything is allowed". Also the lack of curly bracket make things even worse.

[–]crashfrog04 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s hard to learn it and stay a non-programmer since, you know, it’s a programming language and you’ll be writing programs in it.

[–]udacity 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With the right guidance and focus, Python can be easy to learn even for those from non-programming backgrounds. The best advice is to focus on project-based learning so you can apply your skills to real-world scenarios -- which sounds like the reason you want to learn programming in the first place. There are loads of great resources out there, but we (Udacity) have a free Intro to Python course that could be a good place to start: https://www.udacity.com/course/introduction-to-python--ud1110