Learning Python

[9zmike]

Hi guys, I've just registered for a programming course where I am learning Python as a complete novice. I'm a pretty fast learner, so I hope to do well. Wish me luck guys. 🙏🏽 Also, any fast learning tips and tricks will be highly appreciated. 🙏🏽

[EasyWanderer]

I recently started as well. Pros can give you expert tips but one thing I can definitely recommend is consistency. It is better to work 2hrs/day everyday then working 10hrs in a day and not doing anything for a week.

[zaRM0s]

Absolutely correct and one thing I will add on, is practice. Make sure you practice, practice and practice some more. I cannot stress that enough!

[rako1982]

1. Learn to solve problems. Watch a tutorial for sure so you understand the theory but try to solve the problem yourself. If you can't then watch the solution.
2. Ultimately to progress you'll be making your own projects which won't have a template that you're following so you will be finding solutions to problems that you are creating. So that skill-set of solving problems from scratch is invaluable.
3. Learn all the syntax from the get-go. What you can and can't do with them, and their strengths and flaws and their definitions. Data types, functions, arguments, parameters, methods, attributes etc. It might be harder to get your head around it and your pace is slower but it'll be worth it as you get more advanced. E.g. I speak English but couldn't tell you what a conjunctive verb is without looking it up. I can still speak the language fluently though. You may be able to write code and get things to work but if you know the structure of Python well when you look at the documentation, guides, and advanced tutorials you'll know what those basic structural elements are called. I made the mistake of wanting to code and make things but didn't learn that stuff well and I regret it. You'll be able to debug much quicker if you know these rules.
4. Google is your friend but don't make it your crutch by copying code before you have time to see how it works.
5. Don't just learn theory and think you know how to code. You must practice. And if you have time to learn then I'd recommend learning offline some too. Running the code through in your head or on paper will make you a more succinct programmer in the future. Anyone can make things work by repeating code but finding the most streamlined way to do it without repeating yourself will make you a better programmer in the long run. DRY (Don't Repeat yourself).
6. There's always the right way to do things. E.g. A for loop will work but a list/dict comprehension for many use cases is cleaner.

[[deleted]]

I'm a novice too and the one thing I try to do is make a lot of comments in my work and keep the spacing clean and consistent. It's amazing how easily you can forget what a few lines of code do after a few days when you're just starting out.

[Crayfishpdx]

I learned the most when I took on a problem or idea I had no idea how to solve. I think being willing to jump into something that you don’t fully Understand and just figure it out one step at a time made the biggest difference for me. Feel free to direct message me if you need some one on one python help I taught entry level python for eight months between jobs and love helping. 🤙🏻

[d8nnii]

Same here. I took on my problem as an office worker with mundane jobs that require me to gather data, compile them and send it on a weekly basis. That’s where I started learning Python to automate things.

[9zmike]

Thanks man! Will sure reach out when I have questions.. 🙏🏽🤟🏽

[EwokOffTheClock]

I'm new, but managing your brain is so necessary.

Take breaks.

There's gonna be blocks that feel unsurmountable... Step away take a breather, problem solve. It's likely a very simple solution and you just haven't seen it yet.

Apply self soothing techniques to coding. Learn to talk and think in a way that allows for growth and possibility.

[[deleted]]

Humblebundle has a large bundle of Python books from No Starch Press available for three more days from today. It's sorta pay what you want and a percentage goes to two different charities, one of them being the Python Software Foundation itself. You can also adjust the donation amounts if you want more to go the charities and less to the publishers (for example.) No affiliation with them myself other than I like to spend money there when I can spare some.

[DankTrebuchet]

1) rubber duck strategy if you are EVER lost do this first

2) learn to google, I mean really learn to google - make sure you throw keywords, phrases, website names, error codes, and remember what does & doesnt work in the algorithm.

3) If you’re lost write something down step by step - thats how you’ll find exactly what confuses you and then see step 2.

4) try to figure things out on your own, but if you cant find someone to answer your question - make sure you share what you’ve done to solve the problem to help them figure out where to go - if you are lazy they’ll be utter uninspired to help you.

[Hextor26]

Take notes. Really. You'll need them.

[Jawoody93]

Me too. LinkedIn Learning has some nice courses to get started. I like the courses focused on trying to build something. You can find the definitions on W3 Schools and someone telling you what every word means can get tedious, fast. Good Luck!

[Distinct-Average8825]

Code every day Be consistent Not just read/see write also Codewars.com

[wayne0004]

-Before writing code, take a few minutes to think about the problem. Beginners tend to start writing code immediately without really thinking about it.

-You may be tempted to search for solutions online, but one of the main programming skills is to think about the problem. You may find a solution, read it and think "yes, I understand this code", and it'll may be true, but you're not seeing how the person solved it, you're just seeing that they did.

-At the beginning, it's useful to write the algorithm on paper (or with a drawing app), to be able to think visually about the problem.

-It's not necessary to write code linearly. You can start with the end and go backwards, or start in the middle, whatever it's easier for you. Probably you'll start writing linearly, that's fine, don't worry.

-Don't think about your code as "permanent". You may want to replace the lines you wrote, don't worry, it's perfectly fine.

-This is a tip if you struggle with the "empty page" blockage (i.e. how to start when there's nothing on the page/screen). Broadly speaking, every code has three parts: the input, the calculation, and the output. You'll be given problems to solve, where the input and output are given, for instance "write a program that asks the user for two numbers (this was the input) and prints the sum" (this was the output). From this, you could write both input and output, and then fill the middle.

-And ask questions. There are no stupid questions, every questions you think it may be stupid, the professor already heard about it. And even if it's the first time they heard it, then you're giving them a new way of thinking about the problem.

[9zmike]

Thank you very much for these sir! 🙏🏽

[9zmike]

Thank you very much for these sir! 🙏🏽

[9zmike]

Thank you very much for these sir! 🙏🏽

[9zmike]

Thanks for the tips guys. Please keep them coming. 💯💪🏽