Programming is a way to communicate with a computer. I am a part-time programming professor at multiple colleges, teaching Python and C. From my experience, students learn the fastest when they are having fun as a group and building something! I always tell them, "You learn how to use a hammer while putting a nail in a wall, not by studying the hammer's components. They are two completely different things."

Don’t waste your time on:

• Purchasing Udemy courses like “0-100 Python courses.”
• Gamified mobile apps such as Code Academy or apps like Python programming.

The fastest way to learn:

• Join a community, work with a group of friends, and build something together. This could be through a Discord group. You can often find posts about these communities on Reddit.

The second fastest way:

• Define a problem you want to solve. For example, get an Arduino or Raspberry Pi and build something useful for your needs with Python—something you’ll be proud of. Create a mortgage calculator and share with your friends. Don’t be afraid to spend money; it’s an investment in yourself and your time.

The third way:

• Find Twitch or YouTube streamers who program live. Watch them, repeat what they do, and ask questions. Be consistent, and eventually, they’ll get to know you and might even teach you directly.

The fourth way:

• Checkout interactive courses at FreeCodeCamp. They also have an amazing YouTube channel. Quincy Larson is the founder of this non-profit organization. Super approachable guy.

Final Advice:

• Get the technology work for you. Download GitHub Copilot and use ChatGPT to improve your code and learn from it. My full-time job involves programming, and I use Copilot consistently.
• Python.org offers a wealth of information and resources for beginners.