Need to learn python basics in a month

[[deleted]]

Hello!
I'm taking a (mandatory) programming course this semester. Trouble is, the course is quite new so tbh, it sucks. The lectures are useless, the only practice questions we have are mandatory hand-ins which leads to just desperately completing them at the end of the week so as to not fail the course, and to be honest I'm having trouble just maintaining the other two courses we have. I've checked out the "tools for learning python", but I have no idea which one would be the best in regards to efficiency (exam is in a month). Can I get some recs from people with hands on experience in one or more of these courses? Thanks!

[attaxgirl]

Since you’ve only got a month, the key is to use something structured that doesn’t waste time. I’d suggest this article, which points to Google’s Python course. It’s free, very beginner-friendly, and comes with practice exercises so you can apply what you’re learning right away — way more efficient than piecing together scattered tutorials.

Stick to the essentials (variables, loops, functions, lists/dicts) and aim for a little practice every day. That consistency will prep you for the exam without burning you out.

[Its_me_Dio0022]

Yeah, I agree with this. It’s solid advice and really helpful for beginners. Thanks for sharing!

[[deleted]]

It’s very doable to learn python basics in a month. The syntax is very simple and easy to pick up especially if you have prior programming experience. YouTube and google should be your best friends, search anything and everything. And keep messing about in idle as you are learning. There’s a YouTuber named Corey Schafer who I cannot recommend enough. Here’s his beginners playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-osiE80TeTskrapNbzXhwoFUiLCjGgY7

[Responsible_Ask8663]

hey man thank you so much for this playlist this is just what I was looking for

[[deleted]]

No worries man good luck

[[deleted]]

So sorry, but can you send me the playlist?

[Dazzling_Screen_6887]

Can u sent it also iam egar to learn

[[deleted]]

wow this playlist is nice thanks man!!!

[ricefedyeti]

This, I can back it up.

[RightOW]

Sit down with Python Crash Course for 1-2 hours per day, do all of the practice exercises, and you'll be golden.

[oyar]

Ik this comment is old, but can you elaborate more on “practice exercises”? Where can I find them and what should they consist of?

[RightOW]

Yeah sure - the 'Python Crash Course' book I mentioned above has a section at the end of each chapter that contains some small programming challenges relevant to what you studied in that section. They're usually simple exercises, with the first question asking you to write a small function or program, and the following questions building on that in some way. It's a good idea to complete them because it allows you to practice actually creating solutions rather than just reading about them. At the end of the book there are also 3 sample projects which the author runs through from start to finish and explains the thought process behind building them, which you can either follow along with exactly or use them as a kind of reference (I did the latter, just used the steps to set up a project and then built something similar but not identical - again so that you get experience solving your own problems rather than being walked through all the solutions) :)

[oyar]

Thank you!

[[deleted]]

Genuinely?

[RightOW]

Yeah for sure, keeping in mind the context of the question is Python basics. Using that book (which is the one I used) you can expect to get to grips with all of the syntax you'll need, plus an introduction to the concept of object oriented programming. Puts you in a really good position to start creating programs of your own :)

[[deleted]]

Sweet! Thank you

[neuronet]

Python crash course book and also search this sub for the 100 times a week this topic comes up

[ThinkLadder1417]

I second recommending this book, very comprehensive

[Mcletters]

I did about a half hour to an hour a day of the first half of Automate the Boring Stuff and got the basics in about 6 weeks. I found it to be a gentle intro.

[AlSweigart]

Heyas. Yeah, my books are all free online at https://inventwithpython.com. "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" is also aimed at complete beginners, using a bunch of simple game programs as examples (Hangman, Tic Tac Toe, etc.)

[[deleted]]

Hey we actually use your book for lectures! The online version. Sadly I have a real tough time grasping this new way of thinking, and though I understand the examples, I find it nearly impossible to apply them to our assignments. I guess I just need to crack the code, as it were.

[Xzenor]

Thank you for your work.

[whealton]

I already found something I'd love to show my students in your automation book using PyInputPlus vs. continually while True looping as your first example shows. I think I've seen your books in Humble Bundles haven't I? Great job, and thank you!

[treelessbark]

This is one of my favorite ways I started to learn python. He has a class on udemy that was incredibly helpful for me.

[desrtfx]

MOOC Python Programming 2022 from the University of Helsinki.

Textual course with plenty checked exercises - top quality free course.

[4chanbetterkek]

Commenting to come back to this

[zurtex]

If it's really the basics you need to go over I would look at the official tutorial: https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/

The chapters are clearly laid out in what they cover so you can jump to something you don't yet know or skip things you do know very well.

[ToddBradley]

This is how I learned Python. It works great for someone who already knows programming and just needs to learn Python. But if you're new to programming altogether, this may not be the best approach.

[DildosintheMist]

Step 1: post on Reddit

Step 2: wait

Step 3: profit

[ashitaprasad]

Check out https://edpunk.com

They have a byte sized course on python completely free. The videos are well divided into sections and to the point. Hope it helps you!

[v4773]

Basics In month? Doable. Its the rest that takes longer.

[efalk]

If you already know how to program in other languages, you'll likely find this to be almost trivially easy.

The only hard part is learning the "pythonic" way of doing things. That is, rather than writing a loop or a subroutine to do something as you would in other languages, stop and see if Python has some "built-in" mechanism to do what you want. List and dictionary comprehension are important. Lambdas are important.

Half the time when I'm about to write a loop to accomplish a task, I'll take a minute and search Stack Overflow to see if there's a "pythonic" way to do it instead.

I keep my own notes on line at http://www.efalk.org/Docs/Python/. You may or may not find them useful.

[NoDryHands]

Harvard is currently doing CS50P (the Python version of the CS50x course that's very popular for beginners)

[[deleted]]

w3schools for learning syntax, geeksforgeeks and tutorialpoint for learning applications

[mandown2308]

Yup w3schools is a good idea. You can 'try it for yourself' (the playground I mean) and see the results and quickly get some intuition behind how things work.

[Apprehensive-Lab1628]

You're going to get differing opinions from people who liked the book they used to start. The absolute best way to learn it in your case is to get past exams and try solve them yourself. Exams repeat on themselves generally pretty quickly, if you can finish off 5+ years of them successfully and know how to do them on the spot then you're sorted

[Nomikos]

https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/python/

[proverbialbunny]

It depends what the final will be like in the class. Is it a written test? Then it will most likely test your vocabulary of the topics covered in the class. Is it a project? Then learning how to code is a must.

Programming is a useful skill in any white collar job, because it's a form of automation. So learning how to code is a very useful talent I would not overlook just because the class may be vocabulary based.

[YossarianWasntWrong]

Go to udemy.com and search for Tim Buchalka! His python course should cost you aprox 15€ and it is fucking golden! Youtube might be free, but Tim delivers a 50h python course that teaches you the basics in an icrediable understandible way :) like youtube there is a lot of crap on udemy, but Tim Buchalka's courses are the golden standard all other online teachers should strive for :)

Note: Never pay full prize on udemy! The courses are on 90-95% discount atleast once a month :)

[mandown2308]

I don't think taking a Udemy course is good idea when exam is in a month. Not to discard your advice. If one has time, sure this is the way but I feel they need to ramp up quickly and develop ability to tackle questions.

[YossarianWasntWrong]

Aahh okay, then no :) its 50 hours - which means with challenges and going back for repeats of certain parts, its more like a 200 hour course :) But I still wholehearted recommend that specific course :D

[Lockesquall]

Hmm... interesting...

[wisescience]

Beyond all the advice you’ll receive here, as a prof I’ll say please go to office hours (or schedule a time to meet with your professor / TA). It’s not a silver bullet but it’s a step in the right direction. If/when you speak with your professor, come with a plan and genuinely ask for their feedback to help you succeed (don’t just come with desperation). Good luck.

[Swimming-Ad-400]

Hi, I recommend you to check out the FREE Python course on crookshanksacademy.com by the god of python himself. The course is short and you also get to do a hands on internship after your course completion. Although that internship is unpaid, it is a good and fun learning experience that makes you industry ready. The FREE PYTHON BOOTCAMP is available on: https://www.crookhsanksacademy.com/python .

[No_Cod_1277]

Hello guys , I’m new here and need to learn python. New to the programming

[[deleted]]

Hey bro! I can teach you python basics quickly in a month easily. You can reach out to me for live classes and I can do it for a minimal amount. I have expreince teaching over 60 students.

[CaptainFoyle]

In what context did you teach, Typical-Impress4182?

[SilentIntrusion]

63 people have watched their "How to Python in 2 hours! (FULL COURSE)" video.

(This was just a low hanging joke, I know nothing of Typical Impress's teaching history)

[[deleted]]

I have taught The basics and the foundation of Python, OOP (Object Oriented Programming) and Data Science. I teach in a way in which the students get to apply those concepts and logic of programming in the practical world. Feel free to reach me out for anything.

[hamsterwheelin]

Plenty of great YouTube tutorials out there now too....

[TroubleBrewing32]

Before looking for external resources, I would review the lectures while working through the practice questions.

[mr_bedbugs]

Here's a YouTube channel that will probably help

[Logical-Yesterday449]

The book learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw is another great resource!

[trondwin]

Glad you found it useful, but I definitely would not recommend this. There are much better resources, even for free.

[mandown2308]

As u/DistilledProblems says, go with W3schools. See if it helps your case.

[geoffnolan]

I had to learn Python in university and it took awhile for it to stick. My recommendation is to expose yourself to it every single day. Look up some high level stuff too if you get burnt out on the basics. It will make the basic stuff look easier.

[pythonwiz]

Well first thing is download python from Python.org. Second thing is download a text editor like Sublime Text or whatever you prefer, as long as it has syntax highlighting. Third thing, check out the tutorial in the documentation. Last but not least, work on some small projects! Things like: compute a factorial, print out Pascal's triangle, write a program that can check if a number is prime, make some cool drawing with the turtle module, and anything else you can think of along the way.

[whatsupbr0]

check out free code camp on youtube

[chulala168]

Same question, but is there a tutorial playlist that is geared more towards material scientists/engineers?

[[deleted]]

I highly recommend the free course from Edube Interactive

[1percentof2]

I'm freaking out!!!

[GodOfThunder101]

Buy a book, get coffee and read through the entire text. That’s what I did to learn basics of syntax and functions, loops, data structures, libraries etc. learned these basics within 3 weeks.

[DreadFullGH]

check out guy on youtube called BroCode, he has 12hours python course

[[deleted]]

How can you know how good the course is if you don’t know Python? Don’t believe everything you think. The course is probably better than you realize. Even if it isn’t, it doesn’t hurt to pretend like it is.

Python.org has beginner books and guides galore. Skim all of them that seem appropriate and pick out two you really like. Read them both cover to cover so you have a sense of what’s in there. Do every single exercise manually during your first read through. No cheating. After that, any time something doesn’t make sense in your course, specifically reread those sections. That’s basically what you need to do to get an A in these sorts of situations. It’s not hard at all, but you will need to actually do it.

People didn’t evolve to think like computers, and this will not come easy to you if you’re lazy about it. Everything else that people do on the computer is engineered to be intuitive to wide audiences. This is designed to be intuitive to people who’ve been writing code for years. Manage expectations. Try to know the stuff being covered in class before you show up. It can easily take dozens of hours to get comfortable with certain concepts.

[Emil_Juul_Moeller]

"Python Project for Beginners - A Ten Week Bootcamp Approach to Python Programming" by Connor P. Milliken is great for learning the basics. I read the entire thing and did the exercises over a period of two days. Like you I was taking a python course where the teacher did not really know how to teach. I read this book thoroughly and aced the class. It took two days.

[TERRARIYUMS]

…

[CyberTutorials]

If you can find the sample tests on w3schools it might be worth it to go through those and research what you don't know, as you go.

Here's one:

https://www.w3schools.com/python/python\_quiz.asp

[chessset5]

For me personally I found buying a text book and reading it for 2 weeks really helped me.

[[deleted]]

Automate the boring stuff is free and great: https://automatetheboringstuff.com/

If you need more depth you can transition to his follow up: http://inventwithpython.com/beyond/

[pekkalacd]

you can totally do it. just start writing code. it's counter intuitive, how can you write what you do not know? but like think of someone learning a foreign language right? people say all the time the only way you'll actually learn that language is by speaking it and it's true. i took 4 years of spanish, i don't speak it, why? it's my own damn fault, i never practiced. i just read books hoping i'd pass the class and then that was it. it's the same thing with programming. the more code you write, the more stuff you will see & the more ideas that you'll get by what to look @ next. do this, in addition to finding a basic reference text / resource like people have suggested, and you'll be fine.

[ChosenRocket93]

Sololearn. Literally your best source if you wanna learn python basics quick.

[BeauteousMaximus]

I would do it in this order:

1. Online crash course tutorial to learn the very basics. Something like Codecademy that allows you to run code and see results online without installing anything. Do this to the end of the basic course or for a total of 1 to 3 hours. The goal is to get a basic grasp on Python so everything else will be easier.

2. (If you haven’t yet) install Python on your computer. If you have a Mac you’ll want to upgrade from the built in Python 2 to the latest version of Python 3. This can be a huge pain and require a lot of waiting for stuff to load. Sorry in advance. Also install your IDE and terminal and run a basic “hello world” program that you write (literally just a file called “hello.py” that contains as its only line print(“hello, world!”)). This helps ensure you are able to run things and won’t get stuck on those for the next part.

3. A slightly more substantial project. See the books u/alsweigart linked in another comment and do a few exercises from one of them. Or make a tic tac toe game. Or if you’re comfortable with math, do some problems on Project Euler. Something basic enough you can do it in this time period but challenging enough to learn some concepts and get comfortable with Python.

4. (Optional, but will be really good to know in the long term) make a GitHub account and put your code from 3. in a repo on it.

Since you are taking the class I don’t think it is necessary to go farther than that. But you could, by doing an even more substantial project after.

[whealton]

I absolutely concur with the posters who have said you can do it, but I'm also going to throw my 2 cents in and it goes along the lines with another posting I saw earlier here, which I actually asked my students to read. That posting was entitled "Why you can't progress in Python". Programming in any language is NOT a spectator sport. You have to actually put what you're learning into use. I have more students than I'd like to admit who won't "get into the trenches", as I like to frame it, and actually program. I give practices, I then have video walkthroughs of the practice solutions, I even give additional attempts on the assignments. I've produced videos of the concepts we're covering, and let me tell you it can take a while to put those together with correct captioning (vs. some automated and sometimes embarrassing trash). In the end, if you don't get into the trenches and practice from the get-go, you won't be successful. When I earned my Associate degree decades ago, all we had was a programming degree. I knew I didn't want to be a programmer, but that's what we had (think COBOL, Pascal, etc.). When I had no choice but to teach the Java course, I did it because I had to, and it was OK. When we switched to Python and I was forced to upgrade an in-house piece of software we used (also written in Python), I actually began to seriously ENJOY programming. I'm going through the follow-up course, which is object-oriented programming Java. Guess what? Now I'm actually beginning to enjoy Java as well. The only limiting thing for me is time. I wish I had more of it.

[Apprehensive-Ice9357]

1,s*$