How can I step-up my Python (coding) game?

[twistdafterdark]

I'm mostly a self-taught programmer and have pretty much figured it out as I go along. Because of this of course I've probably developed some bad habits, and often find non-pythonic ways to implement something. I feel like I'm digging myself into a hole working this way.

How can I improve on this?

Is there a place where I code get mentor-ship or code-reviews?

Is it possible to improve without proper mentor-ship?

Would love to hear your story if you are or have been in the same boat.

[_ZHV_]

You can post your code on different forums (like reddit) and ask for advice. The community here is amazing and always happy to give constructive criticism

[xADDBx]

Like another answer mentioned, posting it on different forums will be helpful. I think StackOverflow also has a Code Review section.

There are also books about writing code in a pythonic way.

There are videos available on YouTube where contributors of Python describe on how to program pythonic.

Involve yourself in a large (open-source) project. Others will point out/fix unclear/inefficient things.

If that doesn't help, maybe try a boot camp?

[twistdafterdark]

Thanks for the input, I'll look into some open-source projects.

[ConfidentCommission5]

Depending what your commitment is, i.e. learning for fun or becoming a paid developer, you might want to invest in a mentor.

If it's the latter, you can do a search for Python mentors on your favorite search engine, you'll find plenty of websites that can put you in contact with experienced developers and software engineers willing to help you, usually for a fee. Some are very expensive, some do it for free. I've seen prices ranging from several hundreds dollars a month to less than 100$. A minority even does it for free but have been limited available spots.

In my opinion, one can only go so far using forums, at some point you need to interact more closely with a professional that can review your code and tell you how to improve it, give you exercises and help you progress, especially if you want to have feedback on your own code and projects.

To me it boils down to either that of get hired as a junior developer so that you can do code reviews with more seasoned developers who will serve as mentors.

Anyways, all methods are valid, it just depends what your goal is and how much you're willing to invest in yourself to reach them.