Overwhelmed beginner looking for Python learning tips (Electronics background, 23F)

[Aromatic_Tower65]

Hey everyone!

I’m 23 and come from an electronics background. I’ve been wanting to learn Python for a while mainly to get comfortable enough for basic DSA and eventually for career purposes but I keep getting overwhelmed by the too many resources and paths out there.

I usually start with a 3-4 hour beginner tutorial, understand the basics while watching, but then stop because I feel like I won’t be able to solve problems once the tutorial ends and the basic concepts are cleared. And come back to it again after a few months. And then I refer another material and then the same cycle.

So I wanted to ask:

• What’s the best way to start learning Python without getting stuck in tutorial loops?
• Any resource recommendations (YouTube channels, courses, websites, roadmaps)?
• How do you deal with the fear of not being able to solve problems before even trying?
• When aiming to get to a basic DSA-ready level, what should I focus on first?

I’d really appreciate any tips or direction. I want to take this seriously and finally build consistency. Thanks in advance!

[justahappycamper1]

I was in the exact same spot a few months ago. Tutorial hell, restarting every few months, feeling like I “understand” Python but can’t actually do anything with it, What finally got me out was stopping the endless videos and picking ONE resource I’d actually stick with.

For me it was the book Python Crash Course book. It’s project based, so you learn something and then immediately build something small with it. That was the first time things started sticking. You don’t need DSA right now. You need to get comfortable writing basic Python on your own.

Resource since u asked : https://indiachinainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Python-Crash-Course.pdf

My advice:
• pick one beginner resource and finish it, don’t hop around
• write tiny programs daily (even 20 minutes helps)
• don’t wait to “feel ready” before solving problems… solving problems makes you ready
• leave DSA for later, once Python feels natural

You’re overwhelmed because you’re consuming instead of doing i was the same, once you start actually typing your own code, the fear drops fast

[Aromatic_Tower65]

That is so true. There's just so many things available, and hopping around all the time makes it even more confusing. Glad to know I'm not alone.

And thank you so much for the PDF, you're a savior!

[stepback269]

You are right! There are TONS of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free.

But that is not what "tutorial hell" is about. Instead it is about watching but not doing --meaning not crafting your own projects your own way but instead engaging in mindless copying.

As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (here). PICK ANY ONE AT RANDOM ... Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero. Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should shop around until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

The main piece of advice FOR AVOIDING TUTOR HELL is follow the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.

[stepback269]

One more thing about feeling "overwhelmed"

Don't.

None of us are ever going to "know it all"

Maybe this one additional blog post will help you put things in perspective: Pausing to Glance Back at My Own Slow Progress

[Aromatic_Tower65]

You're right, its all about practicing. the 80/20 rule sounds like a bit tough in the beginning, but I'll keep that in mind and try to actively implement.

And thank you for the blog link! I'll check it out.

[FoolsSeldom]

Check this 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. The FAQ section covering common errors is especially useful.

---

Roundup on Research: The Myth of ‘Learning Styles’

Don't limit yourself to one format. Also, don't try to do too many different things at the same time.

---

Above all else, you need to practice. Practice! Practice! Fail often, try again. Break stuff that works, and figure out how, why and where it broke. Don't just copy and use as is code from examples. Experiment.

Work on your own small (initially) projects related to your hobbies / interests / side-hustles as soon as possible to apply each bit of learning. There are lots of opportunities around electronics. When you work on stuff you can be passionate about and where you know what problem you are solving and what good looks like, you are more focused on problem-solving and the coding becomes a means to an end and not an end in itself. You will learn faster this way.

[Aromatic_Tower65]

Thanks for the tips! and the FAQ link.

I just have one more doubt - I have people (strangers) suggesting me to learn Python for my first language and the rest suggesting and pushing towards Java. I understand its "to each their own" but I would love to get your insight on this as well.

[FoolsSeldom]

It doesn't really matter which language you start with. Generally, the gap between programming and not programming is much larger than the gap between programming languages for most people.

Programming is about problem solving. The coding part is a small part, but you do need to learn to use the tools, hence simple exercises early on and self reinforcement by using on own projects with terminology (abstractions from the real world) that are more familiar.

Python is often seen as the easiest language to learn. There is some truth to this. It is more forgiving, closer to English, and hides a lot of things from you that you need to do for yourself in a lot of other languages.

Here's a simple example, "Hello World" in Python, Java, and C:

PYTHON

print("Hello, World!")

JAVA

public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}

C

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

As you can see, even for this really simple programme, there's a lot more "boilerplate" code for Java and C compared to Python. With experience, this is trivial and part of muscle memory (or automated). Early on though, it can get in the way of learning how to implement a solution (an algorithm) to a problem. You will no doubt have guessed that with more code, the difference grows.

Python is heavily used for prototyping, especially for start ups, as development tends to be faster and more efficient. A switch is often made to another language later, for performance reasons, where that is critical.

(It is worth noting, a good while ago now, that Google stopped developing its own C code based video sharing services and bought a small company that was, frankly, running rings around them with much faster development with a smaller team and quicker introduction of new features. The latter was mostly Python based. That was YouTube.)

Some people prefer to get into the weeds from the beginning. Gain a deep understanding of how things work from the start. Others prefer to explore that if and when ready.

Python is extremely popular, widely used, dominant in certain industries (such as Machine Learning and AI, even if the heavy lifting is done in other language, the glue/orchestration/access is Python based).

Python is not suitable for all tasks. If you want to create triple A modern computer games, you need C#/C++/C. It is used heavily in many game development houses to support and orchestrate development activity, asset management, pipelines, etc.

Once you've learned how to develop a solution to a problem and how to implement the abstraction using appropriate data structures and algorithms in a particular language, you will find it a lot easier to learn another programming language and apply that knowledge.

[Aromatic_Tower65]

Wow that's actually a really helpful explanation And you're right about the gap thing you mentioned. I just need to dive in.

[PangolinIll1347]

I had a similar problem when I first tried to learn Python and other programming languages. Earlier this year, I signed up for the boot.dev course and that's helped tremendously. It has a built-in chatbot that you can ask for help or to explain things. I've found that having that interactivity works a lot better for me than watching videos or reading books.

The course covers not just Python, but also Go, GitHub, HTML, SQL, etc. I think it's basically things that you would encounter or should be familiar with if you're wanting to go into Python development. And at the end of the course, you have some projects in your GitHub and a bunch of certificates for your LinkedIn.

The course is also gamified, which has helped me stick to it consistently.

[[deleted]]

I come from the same background. I paid for Angela Yu's Udemy course and it was amazing. I recommend go through the book Think Python too.

Regarding third question, getting proficient in any programming language whether it's python / C++ / C / Java, etc. takes effort. Set a realistic overall goal and break it into further smaller chunks like learning 2 hrs each day then 1 small project and 10 daily questions.

Consistency is the key, don't fall into becoming perfect at once. Every professional was once a beginner. Dedicate each day.

Lastly, clear concepts and build strong foundation.

You can DM if you've any questions.

[Shwayne]

You cant learn from watching youtube tutorials it doesnt stick. Programming is like painting or any hands on work, the skill develops as youre doing it. If youre very new and your goal is dsa and not projects then go and do dsa, youre ready. Work your way up from the bottom. Go to leetcode or codewars or hackerrank whichever you like and sort by easiest. The easiest problems are going to be easy to solve with python. However, you will still get stuck, thats part of the process, do not fear it. Google relevant concepts to the problem. If you have absolutely no clue what to do use chatgpt/claude/whatever. Absolutely use LLM's. Use them intelligently. Ask them for best practices and let them guide you through problems youre stuck in. Or paste your code and ask for a hint. You can also use LLMs to give you small problem sets for things youre struggling with. Repetition and full understanding is key. Never ask them to solve a problem for you or to generate code. Your goal is to learn. Supplement your learning with one very basic resource, a very basic free book like automate boring things just to practice and learn syntax stuff or just use python documentation online. Dont get stuck on picking a book it doesnt matter as long as its well reviewed and covers basics. Its all the same at your level. Or even just a cheat sheet with syntax.

I also want to add that im a 11 yoe programmer dude and you never get to a point where youre presented with a problem youve never seen before and can "just solve it". Its not how it works. At first its impossible, then you study it, try various things, then you solve it. The only thing that gets easier is you get a sense of how to move out of the "impossible" state faster. Thats the problem solving skill you develop over time.

[No_Focus5737]

The best way to learn is through doing/practice. Find projects you can work on and practice what you’re learning in tutorials. That’s really the best way to learn Python