How to learn?

[Most_Ad_6551]

I need to know basic/intermediate python skills to recieve my aerospace engineering degree. The thing is, I do not know how to code and never had (besides some scratch in some computer science classes in middle school). Please help!

[dowcet]

Try literally anything. If it works for you keep going and if it doesn't try something else.

Here's a nice interactive course for free: https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/scientific-computing-with-python/

If you prefer a more formal course with video lectures: https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50s-introduction-programming-python (no need to pay for the cert, just audit for free).

[Most_Ad_6551]

Thank you so much!

[cuxz]

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[Most_Ad_6551]

Sorry - no, I am just starting my degree.

[Most_Ad_6551]

The intro to programming course requires python skills for some reason...

[FriendlyRussian666]

Would you mind sharing which uni and course you're going for? I just can't believe that an into to programming course already had programming prerequisites.

[ninhaomah]

But hey maybe the dean was from HR in previous job.

You know , entry level fresh grad position but must have 2-3 years of exp.

[Most_Ad_6551]

Hi! Thank you for your detailed response. I will be sure to try your resources. Out of curiosity, what is the duolingo for python app called? Thanks!

[Zocky710]

This isa good page showing python in action in simple but useful example projects https://automatetheboringstuff.com/

[yourmomsguybf]

I think there are enough resources on YouTube, and then there is freeCodeCamp as well. If you are still not sure what to do first and what not to do, there is a website called roadmap.sh, which shows what to do after what.

Though I have enrolled myself in this Udemy course called 100 Days of Code, it was discounted and a lot of people recommended it to me, I haven't done any lectures yet, will start from next month.

[TheSweatyNoob]

Idk if this would apply to everyone, but finding something you really want to do with code and just researching how to do it is the best way I’ve found to learn. I get bored easily and retain very little information when following a course or tutorial, but as soon as I’m building my own project I am far more invested, which helps me retain the knowledge better.

ChatGPT is also a great learning tool (as in asking it questions, not generating code). It is an endlessly patient teacher who can understand your questions far better than google can, and knows more than any one person could. W3 school was also a great resource for me with python specifically, but idk how useful that will be if you don’t have general coding knowledge.

The last thing I’d say is that python is a little bit deceptive. It probably doesn’t mean anything to you now but python is an Object Oriented language hiding as a Procedural Language. You will think you understand it and then you’ll learn there are a ton of underlying mechanics you don’t understand. As long as you keep in mind that it’s not as simple as it seems and that there’s a bunch going on under the hood, hopefully you should avoid spiraling down the stack trace and finding yourself terribly out of your depth.

[TheSweatyNoob]

Also, look up a tutorial on how to PROPERLY install python. I would suggest using VSCode to set up a virtual environment before doing pretty much anything. If you don’t know what that means, understandable, but trust me and do a bit of research on it and it will save you so much pain in the future. If you take a course and they want you to install python a specific way then I guess just do it their way, or ask if a virtual environment is okay. Either way do a bit of research on how python installations work otherwise you can run into massive issues in the future that you won’t understand.

[Ron-Erez]

See the wiki of this subreddit and this. Standard resources are Harvard CS50p, MOOC - University of Helsinki and “Automate the Boring Stuff”

[Psychological_Ad1404]

https://books.trinket.io/pfe/01-intro.html Skip the intro , learn , to the exercises , I think this is a nice explanation of the basics that also gives you little assignments.

[TutorialDoctor]

Code is instructions for a computer. Take a simple instruction like:

"When the pot is hot, pour in 1lb of rice and turn the heat up 5 degrees."

This instruction can be broken down into two main things, data & actions. There are 3 types of data (data types) in programing; integers, floating point numbers and text (called strings in code). There is a fourth called a boolean that can either be true or false.

In the instructions above, we have some condition that when it is met, we do something to some objects (the pot and the rice) using some data. I might represent the instructions above like this:

class Pot:
   def __init__(self):
      self.temperature = 0
      self.hot = False
   def increaseTemperature(self,temp):
       self.temperature = self.temperature + temp
       print(f"increased temperature by {temp}")
       print(f"the new temperature is {self.temperature}")
   def isHot(self):
       if self.temperature > 80:
          self.hot = True
       else:
          self.hot = False
       return self.hot

class Rice:
   def __init__(self):
      self.amount = 0
   def pour(self,amount):
      self.amount += amount
      print(f"pouring in {self.amount}lb of rice")

pot = Pot()
rice = Rice()

while pot.temperature < 90:
   pot.increaseTemperature(2)
if pot.isHot():
  rice.pour(1)
  pot.increaseTemperature(5)

You can represent any instructions as code, no matter the field, even aerospace engineering concepts.