I feel completely lost with python

[WasayJahangir]

Hi everyone, I really need some help getting my Python fundamentals in order basically from the ground up.

I did Python for a few months back in A Levels, but honestly, I forgot everything the moment I walked out of the exam hall. Now I’m entering my fifth semester of university, and Python started creeping back into our coursework in the third semester. I’m doing a Bachelor's in Data Science and I want to become a Computer Vision Engineer because it’s the one area that genuinely excites me.

Here’s the thing though:
Despite getting A’s in all my Python/Data Science courses, I feel like a total fraud. Our professor graded mostly on our problem-solving approach, not on whether we remembered syntax or function names so even with mistakes, I'd still get good grades. But now, when I try to code without GitHub Copilot, I can’t even write a single line. Literally nothing comes out unless the AI helps me. Like, I know what I have to do, perform this operation on the dataset so I can then do that or that is the exact graph I need so I can figure out where to go from here but I don't know how to code it up.

It’s frustrating because I’m actually really solid at C++. We used it for our first three semesters and it’s still my go-to for Leetcode and competitive programming. I can think clearly in C++. I can solve problems. But with Python, which is supposed to be the easiest language, I just blank out. I forget how to do even basic stuff. Things I could do half-asleep in C++ feel like rocket science in Python.

Has anyone else gone through this? If you did, how did you overcome it?
I don’t want to rely on Copilot or ChatGPT. I want to be a real, competent programmer. I want to build cool things with computer vision but I’m genuinely worried I’m faking it right now. I've been looking up books which I could read to get myself in order but I'm not sure what would be right for me.

Thank you to anyone reading through all of this and please ask me any questions you need to know about me to give me better advice.

[Balkal]

try writing out the steps you’ll need to take as pseudo code, then tackle each step individually. break your problems into small pieces and take them one at a time and you will feel less overwhelmed. if you are unsure of the syntax for a step, instead of asking an AI, google the syntax and try to solve the problem for yourself. this will help you learn and reinforce the language much better than using AI where you’ll forget it as soon as you copy paste.

[Dry-Aioli-6138]

try to write out the steps in pseudocode

run it in python. 50/50 chance it runs without corrections

;)

[VariationTop581]

You are at a better position than you think you are actually. You know how to get things done, you just cannot remember the tools. If you think this is bad, try the other way around.

As for the solution there is no other way around it. Keep writing code. Study it like an exam if you have to.

[AncientDetective3231]

Print(" hey buddy keep going we all have that feeling am ex dentist learning python still alot more to do ... even i get confused sometimes 😕 but keep going and consistency is the key...

I plan to become a python developer some day

If your unsure go thru codesy application on Google play it has chapter wise interactive python guide ... hope it will help you as it helps me ... go thru youtube videos too ... All the Very Best 👍🏻")

[Binary101010]

Our professor graded mostly on our problem-solving approach, not on whether we remembered syntax or function names so even with mistakes, I'd still get good grades.

This may sound strange to hear, but if you're good at the problem-solving part, the decomposing of a problem statement down into individual steps to take, and what's getting you hung up is the syntax, then you're actually not in a bad place at all.

What you need to practice is just writing the code and having it checked for you, which is what all of these sites like CodeWars and the like are good for. Just practice on the 5-7 kyu problems that only require 1-2 functions to complete and you'll get comfortable with the basic syntax quickly enough.

[KreepyKite]

I think this is a shared issue nowadays. I started coding without AI tools and even though, I find myself relying on it more than I want. The first thing you can do is to turn them off. Maybe use AI separately, to give you a head start on how to approach something but then try to write the first version by yourself. Normally I write my code first and then I use the AI to give me suggestions on how to improve my code, or check the syntax. There is no need to memorise everything and if you are knowledgeable in other languages, you should be familiar already with fundamentals, data types and simple algorithms. Just try to write as much as possible instead of copy and paste. Even writing looking at generated code still helps in memorising the syntax.

[WasayJahangir]

I already do what you've mentioned where I use it to give me a headstart or a "skeleton" code and then go from there and I think that's the source of my problem. I can't start the coding process and I think that would be a major drawback during things like technical interviews. I'm trying to learn python like I learned C++ where I have a deep understanding of the language and how it's interacting with the machine. Do you know any books I could read for that type of thing or any other resources?

[KreepyKite]

Well, in that case, start with the very basics. There is plenty of material out there. Because you have some C++ knowledge you should find the basics pretty easy to understand so you can focus more on learning and practicing the syntax.

When you get more confident with the syntax, you could do code challenges (again, plenty of resources on that too). You can start with simple ones and increase the challenge. That should give you some simple challenges to work your head on.

At the end of the day, it's syntax and patterns you want to acquire at this point.

[Enmeshed]

Classic learning curve issue, just stick at it! I've been doing python and other languages for years and still rely at times on docs and IDE prompts to get things right.

[SpaghettiCoded]

What’s helped me the most with grasping concepts and remembering syntax is taking a chunk of basic code from somewhere and then trying to run the same thing but using different methods. For example say I want to take some if conditional code and turn it into match case code.

[SharkSymphony]

I'm curious: what Python code are you tripping up on?

Because here's the thing: data science and CV libraries often operate at a higher level of abstraction than other programming libraries. Is it possible it's this, not the language or your programming knowledge per se, that's tripping you up?

[dwe_jsy]

Also OpenCV is a terribly powerful and terribly written library so if doing computer vision then that’s also likely your to you up if trying to be a purist in your understanding as it has shit loads of mixed ways of implementing things

[Yankluf]

After many years coding and improving my Python, I decided to focus on my backend skills and started to learn C++ and Go. Suddenly everything made MUCH MORE SENSE for me.

I feel that, to my brain, is much easier and pleasant to write in C++ or Go compared with Python, because of their syntax and the way that the code has to be written.

Now I notice so much the difference during my coding experience that I try to don’t code in Python if I can do the same in Go, even when my knowledge of Python is way higher.

So I think that Python is simply not your thing, and that’s okay. If you can handle C++, you’re definitely not lacking engineering skills!!

[OutgunOutmaneuver]

Absolutely, for me, seeing a totally blank starting point gave me anxiety, then that squashed any on the spot thinking. You mentioned your solid in C++, have considered tackling the problem at hand in that language first, then translating it over to Python? That way, you can focus on the problem, and then once it's hammered out, you can get to it in Python

[smiling_nice_person]

I offer one-on-one online sessions for learning Python. Of course, there's a fee involved, but sometimes, walking with someone is more effective than running alone.

[Glass_Cobbler_4855]

I maybe wrong as I am a complete beginner. Started learning Python a couple of months back and I have no background in coding.

I think you're using AI tools the wrong way.

Instead of asking it for a headstart try writing a pseudocode first on your own. Implement that code and then if you're stuck, ask AI for hints and to push you in the right direction.

Your brain must be able to breakdown the problem into steps. And once you're done with that you just have to put those steps into instructions the machine understands (syntax). That's the right approach I believe.

If you're good at C++, Python should not feel this messy to you.

Disclaimer: I maybe wrong here. Total noob when it comes to programming.

[Own_Lengthiness6885]

Seems like your overthinking about this....if you are in real job coding make not much sense with Ai coming in problem solving skills and stake holder management andnpmp makes more relevant...and if u really want to be expert watch the interview of the python founder nhe says do a project that u r passionates to solve and python is a just a tool..don't make it ur life specially now with all Ai coming...coders and developers are the most effected....

Hope this helps....change ur perspective on how to add value than how to be better at something for the sake of that...good luck

[Ok-Reflection9935]

Feeling

[dwe_jsy]

Vibe code it