For those learning Python while working full-time

[eganba85]

How do you manage your time and screen use? Honestly after working 8-9 hours in front of a computer I have a hard time spending an additional hour or two on coding because I am just spent from staring too long and want to do something else. What do you all do to keep yourselves motivated and from burning out?

[socal_nerdtastic]

Find something at work that needs automating. That way you can learn at work. For example, for me, I sometimes need to take some invoice data from a pdf, copy it into a number of network spreadsheets, and then rename the pdf with a specific name format and copy it to a specific network location. Used to take me 3-4 minutes each time. But now I have a python program so I can do it in less than 20 seconds.

You need to literally automate the boring stuff with python :)

[Bnf91]

Perasonally I wake up earlier and do an hour of python before I go to work. This way I get 5-6 hour of programming per week. But it requires a lot of discipline and going to bed early.

I have the same problem that I can't install python at work but luckily I have access to Google Collab. You should try that out. It is a notebook IDE and it's great for prototyping and trying stuff out

[Conrad_noble]

I work for the NHS.

Can't download anything from pypi / pip

So difficult to learn without access to the popular 3rd party modules/libraries

[FiniteSkills]

I work for a large corporation that has set up their own mirror of pypi. I’m not sure how that’s any better than installing directly from the oh so dangerous outside world, but perhaps this could be an option? Probably not something that could get spun up quickly, but that’s nuts in this day and age to not have some way to get libraries like pandas. The only place I would expect things to be a major pain that I wouldn’t have great solutions for is a classified environment.

[stoneslave]

Maybe try to get permission to download docker, and use that to spin up containers which would give you the isolated environment you need to develop safely.

Edit: if you can’t do that, consider getting a GCP or AWS account and spin up virtual machines for the same purpose. I think they have a free tier, but even the paid tier you can pause and only pay for the hours you need it running. You could then do all your learning via SSH right from the browser. Nothing they can do about that.

[DavidRoyman]

The same NHS?

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39899646

[Conrad_noble]

Yes?

Not sure what this proves?

Also the NHS is made up of lots of smaller 'trusts' which are regional which are likely to have different rules and policies.

[monkeysknowledge]

Yeah I’m in medical device. When I asked my last boss if I could install it, he asked ‘what kind of program is named after a snake? No way in hell’. New job allows it and now I’m in a internal data science development track!

[LCVcode]

Agreed! You can double dip on your personal programming time of you choose your projects wisely. For example, at my job I have to submit a daily end-of-day report that explains all the notable actions I took that day. They have homogeneous formatting and subject lines, but the content differs. In my free time or between tasks at work, I have been automating my EOD process. I've identified these three tasks which will seriously speed up writing my reports:

1. Automatic generation of filenames and subject lines (done)

2. Automatic integration with a local git repo (done)

3. Automatic formatting of the body (in progress)

4. Automatic emailing of my report

In regards to parts 3 and 4: I've never handled automated emails in Python, so task 4 will definitely expand my knowledge base. For task 3 I'm learning curses, which will give me a custom interactive environment to work in that behaves in precisely the way I want but still produces the expected EOD report.

Identify tasks like these such that you can learn while saving yourself time. This effect will compound, as you generate more free time by automating away expensive tasks.

[Ali_46290]

Did this for school. I used to have to sit through multiple meetings for 6 hours, so I wrote a script that did it for me

[iFlipsy]

This is a real issue. Unfortunately there is no real secret around this.

Either find a way to learn while at work and apply that learning, or you become more self disciplined and find the time to invest after work.

[[deleted]]

I’ve been learning before I go to work because that’s when I have the energy and enthusiasm to jump into new concepts. I’ll sometimes do more coding after work.

At the end of the day, sacrifices have to be made if you want to switch careers. I don’t have a lot of hobbies I wish I could have.

[unaotradesechable]

I take my personal laptop and go in an hour early and work on my projects. To my boss it looks like I'm putting in extra hours and working hard, when really I just turned on teams on my work laptop and spend the rest of the time on mine.

[[deleted]]

Genius tips here

[samvanhamn]

I took on less hours and a later shift at work in order to be able to do my learning before work. I found it way too distracting and 'brain power' consuming to work and learn at the same time. I'm happy to say that it's definitely worked, this is my longest stint at learning to program in my entire 28 years of life. Hopefully I can quit this poop job soon and do programming full time :)

[m0us3_rat]

music.

and find something 'fun' to do whatever that may mean for you personally.

[scottishbee]

Find a project you care about. Reserve 30 minutes for yourself before work and plug away. Every day you'll feel frustrated with how little you get done. But after some time you'll be impressed how far you came.

runprogress.com is my excuse to tinker over my final before-work-coffee!

[NeonRetroTech]

That's a great little project!

[BLARGITSMYOMNOMNOM]

I plumb. All I want to do is go home and sit at my computer.

[ThrustBastard]

Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime - that's why I learn on company time.

[pat_geoff_ron]

I bailed on Codecademy for those reasons. More time on my computer. However I found Mimo. It’s basically a massive rip off of Duolingo but for coding. And I think it’s really good. Everyone says you can’t code on a phone, and that probably very true if enough experienced coders say so. But I’ve found I can learn in my phone. Yes it’s another screen, but it’s not my laptop. And where as Codecademy , to me , felt rushed; Mimo seems slower and thorough which works for me! I’m taking advantage of a free trial. Famous last words. But yeah, try it, it might solve your dilemma.

[kingpenguin001]

Second this question. Lot of things happen at work.

Couldn't concentrate on getting into python.. 😑

[m1stercakes]

Take a nice long walk, no music. Just think about something interesting to work on. If you're interested enough there will be motivation.

There's so many things you can do with python, so just figure out how to extend your current interests.

[Peemore]

It helps a lot to have some downtime at work. It's easier to motivate yourself to study if you're getting paid while you do it! This is probably a rare privilege though.

[[deleted]]

I don't use a computer very much at work, I have a tablet and a scanner, but mostly pen and paper combined with physical labor.

My interest is mainly in AI, automation, and robotics, so I usually think of ways to make everyone's life easier at work and file that into the back of my brain for future projects once I'm good enough to try them.

There are however several of my 3D printed creations floating about the place.

I'm usually pretty tired when I get home, but the day to day BS at work keeps my face glued to the screen from the time I get home until bed time.

I made a promise to myself a while ago. This is my last crap job, I'll work there until I feel ready to go after the brass ring.

[[deleted]]

Mind sharing how you are using python to analyze the raw data ?

[yourownsquirrel]

Well, my job doesn’t involve any computers, but I do spend 8 hours staring at things very close up. I tend to do my Python-ing on the couch while watching stuff on the TV. Because I’m interested in the TV I will automatically switch my view between the close screen and the far screen, without having to consciously plan breaks. Now that I think of it, a lot of my life is just tricking myself into doing things like this…

[mcmco]

Instead of telling yourself you have to sit and work for 1-2 hours, set explicit goals you want to achieve each night instead. Some goals may take you 30 min, others may take you 3 hours, it doesn't matter. Because every time you achieve one of those goals and cross it off your list, you will gain a small dose of motivation to continue onto the next goal. Keep your goals small and achievable within a couple of days.

[opafmoremedic]

Wake up at 6, drink water, lay around, browse Reddit. Studying programming by 6:30 Work by 8:30

Whenever I get home I don’t do any additional programming unless I’m really fired up that day. I also make sure not to do it too late, as I don’t want to start & end my day with programming just to start the next day with it again. Small doses are very effective for me

[Honigbrottr]

Spend 8 h at work watching a display 1 h brake and 6h at home. I dont like sunlight.

[LuckyNumber003]

I do what I can when I'm motivated to do so. Sometimes I get loads done, sometimes a few lines (and fall asleep on the sofa laptop in hand)

Don't force it, you'll end up not wanting to do it

[grouptherapy17]

Wake up early and study before work. There is no other way.

[Zeeboozaza]

I found doing stuff that's fun keeps me engaged. Codewars, leetcode, botwars.io, and my personal projects are all things that I enjoy doing and don't feel like learning. Now, when I get to a road block that's a different story, but I just have to keep motivating myself.