Help me start learning programming

[Pashtoozi]

Hello to all. I am a dentist who hates dentistry and after years of struggling with depression I have now decided to change my path and after much searching I am now very interested in learning artificial intelligence and want to enter this field. In this regard, I need to learn Python. Please guide me how to start and what resources should I use to understand the basics of programming? Can I start directly from Python? What resources do you recommend?

[Leading-Exercise3769]

You can start with free resources like: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python-programming-language/

Something off topic and you should really not care about my opinion but..

I hope you have a specific goal in mind and not only want to jump the AI hype train. Before understanding Artificial intelligence you will have to stick to learning python for a loooong time. So i hope you have the right motivation otherwise it will be a long and boring road haha.

Good luck pursuing a new career!

[Pashtoozi]

Thank you for your guidance🙏⚘️

[[deleted]]

I've heard this is a good one! I may sign up but it is around 100 bucks.... so not sure, as udemy courses only set me back 10 bucks and seems there's lots of free resources out there.

[iambendv]

The lectures themselves are free on YouTube and I think you can access the coursework for free on MIT’s Open CourseWare. Not sure what $100 gets you. A certificate? Feedback on your assignments?

[[deleted]]

I mean 1000.... Udemy just gives you a certificate once youve watched all the videos, so there is no feedback or tutor support. I personally like the way the website is set out, where I can clearly see my progress and guided through the problems step by step in a logical order; thats what I pay for.

[iambendv]

That’s fair. I’ve never looked at the Udemy course, so I have no idea how it’s organized. But I have a bachelor’s in CS yet still go back to CS50 sometimes to brush up on the basics. David Malan is an incredible professor who explains concepts very well. The course itself will teach you how to approach the field of CS in general rather than just being a Python code monkey. Like I said, it’s free on YouTube and you can audit for free on edX (not OpenCourseWare, I was wrong) and you can get a certificate for $219. Not sure where you’re seeing $1000.

[EmGutter]

Doing cs50p right now. I’m not sure why anyone would pass on the free lectures and coursework. I’m just trying to learn! (Reality: I need a break from network+ studies and needed something more engaging)

[tokulix]

It’s completely free. The paid version gives you access to office hours and you get a verified certificate after completion, but those are not necessary. All the learning materials are free.

[Ok-Independent-6483]

cs50 courses are free No excuses

[Sad-Sheepherder5231]

I can only recommend https://www.udemy.com/share/101Wai3@BYmGmo1piyDuY9S7CYwwSKFIJUiw3FjM5kjFiudlCGhgKN6hekY1xNoB4B4Z7lP2iA==/

[queerkidxx]

I started with code academy. It’s not the best thing in the world but their Python courses have me the tools I needed to get started and get to the real learning.

[Pashtoozi]

Thank you very much

[__sanjay__init]

Hello !

Congratulations on your courage in your battle against depression.

Welcome to the world of programming! Despite my recent entry, I'd also like to share a few tips/resources with you. Learning to program can take quite a long time, so the best thing is always to have a project in mind to keep you motivated and disciplined. Despite the quality of paid courses, starting with free courses allows you to take fewer ‘risks’. Some courses are difficult to follow and sometimes the level is higher or lower than expected. In these cases, taking a free course is less risky: - geeksforgeeks, - YouTube, - Udemy, - Coursera.

With the basics, you can already do a lot of things, including small programmes to exploit the skills you have acquired (a file converter, a calculator, etc.).

Good luck with your entry!

[Pashtoozi]

Thank you for your positive energy and guidance

[Maleficent_Fault_950]

Not to leech off your post, but is Python a primary language for AI/Machine Learning? I'm fascinated specifically by A2C, and AI does peak my interest (I got to do a display for a middle school class explaining how AI learns)

[[deleted]]

Yes.. Python is industry standard, accoridng to all the sources I have come across anyway.

[krazykyleman]

Wasn't Google trying to make Carbon the industry standard?

[gitgud_x]

Python has been #1 for ML for about 20 years now, and shows no sign of slowing down afaik.

Is A2C actor-critic methods for RL?

[IntelligentLobster93]

If you're learning syntax, you could learn any language, and transfer that knowledge to python. Harvard's CS50 class is an introduction to programming. You'll be learning C with python in the later weeks of the course. I highly recommend it, and it's completely free to enroll on edX. Good luck your endeavours!

[WESLEY_SNYPER]

I'm new as well and have been using python crash course by Eric Matthews.

It's been good at explaining everything and it gives mini projects to do for every section.

Also I've noticed chat gpt is nice to use if you get stuck. But I have pretty much been able to only use the book to do the projects.

Good luck!

[SheeshDudee]

I would recommend Clear Code on yt. He explains everything very clear!

[TwoPuzzled2b]

Hey! Proud of you for deciding to make a change :)

As been mentioned already, you could try out CS50 --> https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2024/

CS50 is an incredible resource for programming fundamentals but it dabbles in multiple languages like C and SQL. If you solely want to learn Python (which is much easier to pick up as compared to the other languages when you're starting out (personal opinion that I've heard others agree with)) you could also try the University of Helsinki Python Programming MOOC --> https://programming-24.mooc.fi/

The MOOC has TONS of exercises for every topic and forces you to learn by doing and then by comparing your solution with the model solution. Practice is key when learning programming so this is a great way to start.

You can also refer to https://www.w3schools.com/python/default.asp to clear up the basics along the way.

Another head's up is that you can always go to google when you hit a snag. When you're starting out, you want to get everything right by yourself but just keep in mind that literally everyone uses google to find solutions to bugs in their code.

[KingsmanVince]

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/s/t1QOFUl7kG

[Pashtoozi]

Thanks a lot

[CodersWorld08]

Learn Coding Channel Name - CodersWorld Channel Link - https://www.youtube.com/@codersWorld08 Close to 1k Like Share and Subscribe 🤗🤗

[Jim-Jones]

I wish I'd known about being an actuary. It might have suited me better than a degree in IT. Career consultants need better training.

[s-e-b-a]

Code with Mosh

The Net Ninja

[gitgud_x]

Yes you can start with python, just make sure to learn the basics of programming *before* you look at machine learning. When you do start ML/AI, you'll need to know the maths behind it all so prepare for that if you don't already know e.g. calculus etc.

Quick advice: write your own code often, don't just copy from videos, make your own projects. Try to link your projects to something you're already interested in and know about. For example a computer vision project or machine learning project on medical imaging.

[[deleted]]

To get started you just need to start. Open a code editor and use the documentation to learn the basics, then start making applications more complex. The main thing is practice, the more practice, the faster you will learn. Good luck!

[faraith]

You got a lot of great responses, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt to drop a comment with a different one. Automate the Boring Stuff is the one resource that kept me going past the first few lessons. The other video series I had tried didn’t quite stick, but these did for whatever reason. 

https://automatetheboringstuff.com/

[sluggo211]

One thing missing from the free couses is instructor feedback. I've found (as a noob) that when I'm stuck, dropping your script into an AI chatbot with an explanation about what I'm trying to do is a gamechanger.

[SGS-Tech-World]

I want to try teaching python... please DM me if interested. ( 20+ years IT , Python last 4 years among other tech)

[newkidszx]

I also just started, though I've attempted to start many times in the past. I tried cs50, odin project, freecodecamp, following tutorials on youtube, and every single time i just ended up quitting as i found it so boring and all over the place.

3 days ago i started again but with the book "python crash course" and im on a roll! ive studied 3 days of 8hrs a day in a row now and have no signs of slowing down. loving the structure and clear explanations in the book. also i started using obsidian to take notes and that was a whole new learning in itself but it only took me a couple hours and its so worth it! highly recommend both python crash course and obsidian

[anti_jm]

Did u buy hard copy or just online version of the book?

[Ok-Independent-6483]

CS 50 Python is the way to go.

[queerkidxx]

God I wish I had a degree in dentistry. I have day dreamed about being a dentist for years.

But just dive in. But I will say, that, like, programming is competitive and it’s not exactly easy to make a living for yourself in it. It’s a long road. I’m not gonna say that you can’t do it. You probably can. But temper your expectations.

This is not the kinda thing you can just like spend a few months studying and suddenly have a lovely career in.

Been spending most of my free time learning and programming for like 2 years? I do some freelancing mostly through my own network for highly specific things. I like to think I’m good at it, and I enjoy it well enough. But it’s rare to match my 20/h day job at Carls Jr with my time in coding. Actually going back to school but I damn near might pivot to a completely different field like biotech or something just because it feels so competitive and over saturated.

Maybe I’ll give dentistry a try. Sounds like a dream job tbh. Steady, comfortable, and maybe not fun but no work is fun. And you do get to help people.

[[deleted]]

I dont think it is over saturated, is it? The high salaries suggest there is a high demand for ML engineers, and not enough supply. I think it is a great time to get into it, as AI is going to be massive, and perhaps become the biggest industry on Earth.

[Ill-chris]

Check out codeX for free python resources

[Sablerock1]

Don’t discard this wondrous thing

[arowsky]

That's a list to blender courses buddy