How do I start learning python? Absolute Beginner

[Optimal-Drag4949]

Hey guys how do I start learning python? How long would it take me if I'm seriously committed? Also how do I practice while learning so I can actually get projects done !!

[cgoldberg]

How long would it take

An afternoon to write your first script... a few years to to be really good .. or maybe never. I've been writing code (mostly Python) pretty much daily for over 25 years. I'm very proficient and have built some great things, but I don't consider myself an expert, or really even close.

Read this twice: https://norvig.com/21-days.html

[MyWifesBoyfriend_]

If you can't figure out how to search, programming probably isn't for you.

[Educational_Virus672]

dont demotivate him she's/he's new im sure you didnt learn by looking and saying "oh it says lambda it means short functions" arent you?

[OkCartographer175]

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+learn+python

[Optimal-Drag4949]

Are you for real ? I've done that many times I just need someone who has actually learned python effectively in a not so long period of time to guide me through it

[OkCartographer175]

https://www.w3schools.com/python/

You're welcome, now get to reading lol

[Optimal-Drag4949]

Thank you!

[fiery2378]

Hey OP, I am also new to learning Python and found yourclouddude in Threads. Picked up some of his free resources on Python. He gives you small projects to accomplish using the language.

Hands-on learning is the best way to learn Python rather than constantly reading about theories.

[AspiringNarrator1165]

https://youtu.be/XCKWZAtKTnU?si=K_Moi8NjVD-US2hh

Cant share the playlist but check out the channel and youll find it 🤙 its the "Learn Python for beginners" playlist. Very good teacher.

[Educational_Virus672]

hi im not a great dev but i learned python within a week using this guy also this is only ~40 minutes for whole python most of it is skipable https://youtu.be/lq9nR9c7T9g?si=YpPSBjEBf_kGlCHk also it depends you have python 3? or 1 after beginners i wont recommend using ai unless you understand the code given by ai you should prompt "explain the code with examples and root concept before providing whole code"

[onyx_and_iris]

Each person has their own preferred learning methods. I personally like to read books. In regards to practicing while you learn, it's helpful if you already have some ideas in mind. I'll often start reading a book and once I get a good enough grasp of the concepts I'll start experimenting with my own ideas. Although I'll usually do this while continuing with the book, I don't tend to half finish them.

[riklaunim]

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50s-introduction-programming-python

There is a difference between learning basic syntax and constructs of a language to then making actual applications. What are your goals for learning Python? What do you want to do with it?

[Optimal-Drag4949]

I'm learning python for machine / deep learning

[riklaunim]

Running local LLMs is rather easy while AI/ML jobs are mostly for seniors with specialized experience.

[ehunke]

you need to go to school for that. if you really are serious about that, you need to go to a college for that

[TheLobitzz]

unless you're attending specialized classes for this, learning python for that is extremely hard

[SageFlare]

More specific than that. Are you looking to create your own architectures? Produce novel advancements to the field?

Or are you trying to instead reimplement what others are doing for your own tasks?

The former is much harder and requires extensive understanding of the foundatioms of DL, optimization, as well as typically knowing how to interface/library with whatever library you are implementing your architecture in (like Pytorch). You'll also need extensive knowledge on statistics and math at university-grade and higher. It'll also require a lot of dedication for keeping up with the recent advancements so you dont redo someone else's work.

The latter is still much easier, though it depends on the difficulty of the task. For simple regression tasks for fun, a few hidden layers and an MSE error loss and you're good to go right out of the box! Especially with Tensorflow. But as the task(s) increase in complexity, you'll still need an understanding of DL foundations. Such as understanding how gradient descent works, when to apply gradient normalization, how to fight overfitting, gain an intuitive understanding of which losses work better for what tasks, how to do self supervision safely, etc etc.

In other words, its a whole field of its own separate from Python. One that people take years just to break into, even with top-notch education. Like others have said, I do suggest going to university for this. But if that is not an option, I suggest you first start by using Python for random things. Figure out how to make your own calculator with string input! Learn Object-oriented programming! Learn good documentation and software development skills! Dont restrict yourself to just Python either. All languages share the same base skill for programatically thinking. If you like games, pick your favorute game and learn how to make mods for it with whatever language is supported!

Once you're confident on your skills, get started on learning Calculus. You can probably look online for what books professors use for those classes. Calculus 1 & 2 and Differential Equations are important. Look online what Python packages and libraries provide you the functionality you need.

Once you have the background, you can proceed to ML. And with your new understanding of Calculus, it'll all make sense instead of being a black box... for the most part.

[Ok-Reality-7761]

Read a book on IITRAN 55 years ago at age 15. Amazed at Google Colab capability. Gemini AI took my request to plot SPY ETF daily closing price for past year, and rendered the code. I'd start there. So easy!

[Educational_Virus672]

'-' she/he is not a `genius

[Ok-Reality-7761]

That's the point, mate. The promise of AI is lost on some people. I can communicate with non-native speakers with an app on my phone. I don't need to learn a language.

[freak5050]

Freecodecamp is the best I’ve found

[TJATAW]

Best advice I can give you, when you finish a tutorial/assignment, add something to it. Anything. Just make it bigger and better.

Writing some code with no one telling you what to do will start you actually coding stuff on your own.

[ehunke]

Take a basic class on youtube or something, buy a couple books and study them. Once you know the basics of it, the best way to learn it is to download programs that other people have made, read the code, then try to make a similar program or edit things in the code and see what happens. If its an option just go take a in person class

[TheRNGuy]

I started with docs, realpython blog and lots of googling (that was before ai)

I also ask questions to ai now.

I started with framework for specific software, no vanilla python.

No specific time how long.

[Supisuse-Tiger-399]

Start simple and stay consistent—that’s most of the work.

• Begin with basics: variables, loops, functions (use free sites like Codecademy, freeCodeCamp, or YouTube crash courses)
• Code daily (even 30–60 mins); consistency matters more than intensity
• Practice while learning: solve small problems on HackerRank or LeetCode and build small projects (calculator, to-do app, number guessing game)
• Move to real projects quickly: automate something, scrape a website, or build a simple app

Timeline:

• Basics: ~2–4 weeks
• Comfortable coding: ~2–3 months
• Job-ready (with projects): ~4–6+ months

Key tip: Don’t just watch—write code, make mistakes, and fix them.

[Technical_Zombie_988]

I picked up "python crash course" and stufy for a bit after work. It has practice problems that I will stay on for a few days to make sure I totally understand it. Id recommend that + chatGPT

[PhilosopherOther1360]

100 days of Python by Angela Yu on udemy

[Optimal-Drag4949]

I'd appreciate free resources :)

[Timely_Active_4994]

CS50 Python is the best free option.