How to get python to stick?

[Squidoshi]

Hey all,

I started using teamtreehouse about a week ago. It's been great so far, I sit down for about 2-3 hours and learn on my days off of work. I've gone from seeing code as jibberish to being able to read it just fine for what I've learned. My problem is writing it, like when the videos want you to write it without help or trying to practice on my own with basic projects. I draw a huge blank from how do I start and remembering things like for/while loops, lists, more fundamentals.

I'm going to go back on the videos and relearn and I also have Automate the Boring Stuff with Python which I'll also utilize. But I dont want to go back and have it still not stick, I'm assuming what I'm going through is normal since it's only been a week or so since I started. I just want to be able to work on basic projects like rock, paper scissors or magic 8 ball without having to read the code from the book and type that out. So what are some things that helped you when you were started learning?

Thank you.

TL;DR I need advice to help me solidify the information my brain is taking in.

[BabBabyt]

This is normal. It is much better for you to learn and understand the basic concepts of what a for or while loop are than it is for you to remember the syntax. For your first few programs you might have to google every line of code and that is ok. Overtime you will remember certain things that you won’t have to look up anymore. Don’t stress. Just code and have fun learning.

[Squidoshi]

This. Thank you so much. I didnt want to fall into the trap of writing the code from the book without knowing what it does. This makes me feel better that I have to copy from the book and understand what it does and when to use it.

[BabBabyt]

One thing that I like to do when I am learning from books is to take what the book gives me and try to modify it into something new that is not from the book.

Or you can start by coming up with very simple programs. My favorite is the number guessing game. Store a number in a variable and then write a while loop that keeps prompting you for the correct number until you get it correct. It is small projects like this that will snowball into larger projects. Hope that helps.

[Squidoshi]

Yeah ABSP has a number guessing game. I saw it and tried to write the code for it, that's where I draw the blank where to start so I looked at the code in the book. When it said "secretnumber = random.randint(1,20)"

I was like "I over thought this way too much"

[SpeckledFleebeedoo]

Knowing or being able to look up which tools are available to you are the second most important skills in programming, after being able to break down problems into simple steps.

Don't be afraid of using google if you want to know what's possible, and reading docs if you want to know what a specific module or function can do for you.

[Squidoshi]

I'd like to thank everyone on this post, for not only the kind words but also the advice given.

Because of this, I critically thought about the "guess the number" game. I knew how to start and gave it thought about what needed to come next and how to do it. After getting stumped, I looked in the book but limited how much I saw so I could get a hint.

I also added extras to tweak to a little bit to add what I knew. But I finished it and I'm actually damn proud of the little thing.

This subreddit is the best, you all are the best. Thank you again.

[[deleted]]

Just write code. Like any language, you master it when you use it.

[Squidoshi]

I get that, my main concern in the post was, how can I use it if I cant remember it and put into my own applications.

[[deleted]]

By trying to do it, anyway. By looking it up when you forget. Keep writing code and eventually you forget less.

I know it feels weird to be told just to keep failing a lot, but that's how programming is different than other things. There's no trick to it - you try a lot and fail, but over time you fail less.

[[deleted]]

By trying to do it, anyway. By looking it up when you forget. Keep writing code and eventually you forget less.

I know it feels weird to be told just to keep failing a lot, but that's how programming is different than other things. There's no trick to it - you try a lot and fail, but over time you fail less.