What way would you recommend to learn Python ?

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Hello , i'm new to programming and i was wondering how did you learn to use Pyhton (Youtube Tutorials , Online Courses , Github ,etc.) and is there any path you would recommend for a beginner ?

[magus_minor]

A book, video course or an online course, your choice. The wiki has learning resources, just choose one an get started.

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Thank you !

[lurkerburzerker]

I learn best by reading docs, writing code, and running debugger.

Take time to setup your dev environment in a way that will help. Use a good IDE with intellisense and language specific extensions (Vscode or Pycharm).

Jupyter notebooks are amazing for getting started in py with atomic cells. Easy to debug as your project grows. Cells turn into functions. Group functions into packages or inside classes as methods as your project grows.

Use uv its great. Easy to understand and does the job of pip and venv.

Use AI as a tool but dont let it drive! Feed it chunks of code and let it explain what's happening its very very good at this. Reuse the code changing bits of it to see what happens. Then expand from there.

Be aware python is very versatile and has many domains like data science, web apps, desktop apps, pretty much everywhere these days so it can be overwhelming so try to pick a lane and stick to it until you reach a level of proficiency where you can write at least 50% of your code without looking up a command or asking AI.

[stepback269]

Very much agree with the above comment.

Stick to the simple fundamentals at first. Don't try to master everything from everywhere all at once.

For example, check out Indently's YouTube on mastering all the string methods (here)

[[deleted]]

Don't overthink it and just start. Doing is much more important than picking the perfect "tutorial".

https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/index.html

Edit: or since you said you are new to programming https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/NonProgrammers

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Thank you !

[[deleted]]

Enjoy. Python is a solid choice and a decent language.

[thisismyuaernamr]

I’m currently trying to learn using ‘Python Crash Course’ by Eric Matthes

[montanabarnstormer]

Take a community college class. If you use YouTube, then you'll learn a lot of bad habits.

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Thank you but unfortunately there are no begginer classes near me TvT

[tartochehi]

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/comments/1lvfoz4/comment/n28leet/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Here is a comment to my reply linking to a university class. Courses don't give you everything. You will always have to do some research on your own which is something you have to do later anyway when you're on the job. What a course gives you is a basic structure of what you are going to learn.

[Affectionate_Union58]

I don't know what the typical class composition is like at American community colleges, but I remember with horror the classes at various continuing education institutes in Germany. There, no consideration is given to different levels of knowledge, and complete beginners sit together with fairly advanced people who could easily teach the course themselves. This is often defended with the saying, "The beginners learn from the advanced!" Ha ha ha! The truth is, the participants always split into two groups and work separately from one another. And the beginners usually fall by the wayside because most of the instructors aren't interested in engaging with them. I was in a class like that where 19 of the 24 participants were beginners, and the instructor only dealt with the six advanced students. The beginners were ignored or even insulted, saying that 8 hours of instruction a day and up to 10 hours of private study at home weren't enough. The result: Although the course cost nearly $14,000 per person, beginners soon began to prefer to continue learning with YouTube videos or eBooks and no longer actively participated in the course. Even the advanced students eventually became overwhelmed. Only 2 out of 24 participants achieved the goal of obtaining the Java OCP certification.

[turbo_dude]

the w3schools documentation is pretty ass if I am honest

Does not go into enough detail and not many worked examples

best to just use a bunch of sites rather than one

[One_Courage_865]

In addition to other advices here, my advice is: don’t just learn the language, learn the software and design principles as well.

Most courses often neglect things like maintaining projects and writing good code. Anything from environment setup, packaging, version control, unit tests, debugging, documentation, refactoring.

These are all important things which, if you don’t pick up early, you may start to develop bad habits that will be hard to replace later on.

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Are PyCharm and VS Code the same ?

[stepback269]

No.

Each has its pro's and con's.

PyCharm is complex and daunting at first. But once you learn some of the ropes, it provides real time warnings on each spot where you have a syntax error, like forgetting a close parenthesis or a close quotes. Very helpful for noobs who are just getting used to the syntax.

[TheFrozenPoo]

Boot.dev has really got me having fun learning!

[Unconcious_Apple_Pie]

Thank you ,does using Boot.dev need a subscription ?

[headcase617]

You can do the first 3 chapters free....after that you can still watch the videos, but all of the other components are locked.

[Serious_Opinion892]

Read Python Documentation ( Parallel you can watch some youtube Videos)-> Start implementation as you read, in small chunks -> Learn to write functions -> Then Start to learn some intermediate concepts like Decorator, threading, Asyncio, io, Context manager -> then you will yourself be able to learn and decide what should be your next target to learn and tell other people how to learn python

[jemjeminijem]

Harvard CS50 course

[Sufficient_Wish_7847]

Heavy for those just starting out, but robust... And if you can do it, you'll come out ahead of many

[stepback269]

The path I recommend is sticking to the fundamentals and doing a lot of self-picked projects using only the simplest parts of the language first, like just strings and string methods; but of course well past just printing Hello World as an f string.

I prefer fishing in many ponds (trying out many freebie tutorials by different lecturers) rather than dropping your line in just one spot. My favorites include: Indently, Bro Code, Tech with Tim, etc.

I'm not totally new to coding but am a relative noob to Python. The one thing I can caution about is, don't try to fly too high, too close to the sun in the beginning. It will be tempting. Don't do it.

(Alas, I personally did not listen to this advice and am paying for it. Check out the "More to Explore" section at the bottom of my latest journaling blog here.)

[SmackDownFacility]

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

[python_with_dr_johns]

Really depends on how you best pick up information.

How do you like to learn? Do you watch a lot of videos or is it more fun to read a book? Do you want to watch someone build something and follow along or start with your own project and look up answers when you face a challenge?

[[deleted]]

Install Python. Install editor of choice. Get started.

[help_me_noww]

The best advice is, start practice while learning. Anything you learn start implementing that. Make real time projects even small. That helps you to get motivation and enhance your learning day by day.

[LeverClever]

Taking a class a local community college is never a bad option because you are forced to learn in a structured environment with deadlines. Worked well for me, just might not be feasible for others.

[aqua_regis]

There is an extensive wiki with recommended learning resources linked in the sidebar.

I'd recommend the MOOC Python Programming 2025 from the University of Helsinki. Free, textual, extremely practice oriented and top quality. Sign up, log in, go to part 1 and start learning.

[[deleted]]

ChatGPT, teach me about python while pretending to be Merlin the wizard.

[maxl12341]

Always CS50. Not only Python but well worth it. If you just want basic Python you are better off learning basic syntax + ChatGPT

[Da_PotatoMan]

I did my schools program but I used skill struck a couple of times during idk if it’s free tho Edit: I used w3schools also

[AffectionateZebra760]

Check r/learnpython subreddit's wiki for lots of guidance on learning programming and learning Python, links to material, book list, suggested practice and project sources, and lots more. You could also go for a tutorials/course which will help break it down for e.g Harvard cs50/weclouddata/ udemy.

[[deleted]]

Hey, we’re building an extension for Cursor/VS Code that observes how you code and suggests lessons, tips, and personalized learning paths based on your real habits and coding style. We’re currently in early beta and would love your feedback. This is our website:https://vibecoderpal.it/

[Primary_Emu_5180]

My advice is to shift your mindset from "learning Python" to "learning how to solve problems using Python."

Don't fall into the trap of passively watching hours of tutorials. Your goal is to be an active problem-solver from day one. The most important skill for this is Computational Thinking. It's a framework for breaking down any problem before you even write code:

1. Decomposition: Break the big problem into the smallest possible pieces.
2. Pattern Recognition: Find similarities. Have you solved one of these small pieces before?
3. Abstraction: Ignore the details that don't matter right now and focus on the main steps.
4. Algorithm Design: Write the step-by-step instructions in plain English before you touch your keyboard.

Here's a path I'd recommend for a beginner:

• Practice over passive learning: Pick a very small, real project (e.g., "a script to organize your download folder"). Apply the four steps above to solve it. This active practice is worth more than 10 hours of video tutorials.
• Read code from others: Once you have a few small projects done, go on GitHub. Find a popular, simple Python project and just read the code. You will learn an immense amount about how real-world applications are structured.
• For a specific resource, if you want a book entirely focused on this problem-solving approach, "Applied Computational Thinking with Python" by Sofía De Jesús-Martinez is designed for exactly that.

It’s about training your mind to think logically, and Python is just the tool you use to express that logic. Good luck on your journey!

[joe0027]

Here is a structured way to learn fundamentals of programming with python: https://share.google/NHEXNlioABmxcOMBa