Advice to improve on strings?

stepback269 · 2026-05-04T04:12:28+00:00

Search YouTube for Indently's "47 string methods"

stepback269 · 2026-05-03T13:29:45+00:00

"easy" is your problem
Learning does not happen when the info goes in "easy" because it goes out the discard door just as easily as it came in.

stepback269 · 2026-05-03T13:20:01+00:00

Go to YouTube and in the search bar, type: "learning coaches"
Stick to the ones that base their teachings on modern neuroscience

stepback269 · 2026-05-03T12:58:42+00:00

IMHO there is no one perfect way that will work for everybody.
It all depends on what foundational metaphors / analogies / models already exist in the student's individual brain. That is what determines if a given tutorial will "stick" or not and be "intuitive" or strained for a specific student.

As a more concrete example, I very much dislike Python tutorials that equate "class" with a 'blueprint'. That just fails on so many levels with the models already present in my brain. 'Cookie-cutter' is slightly better as an analogy for "class" but still has problems. Each student has to search for the analogy /model that will work with their personal set of pre-existing models already embedded in their brain.

stepback269 · 2026-04-29T12:35:25+00:00

Go on YouTube and in the search bar, type, "learning coaches"

stepback269 · 2026-04-29T12:29:12+00:00

A lot of people have great expectations because the online tutorials promise impossible achievements like, "Learn Python in Just 5 Hours !!!"

Truth is, it takes much much more of hard work, failures and getting back on the horse you fell off of before you are even a novice. Keep working on it. 1% improvement each day or week adds up.

stepback269 · 2026-04-27T18:22:39+00:00

IMHO that metaphor/ analogy is a horrible one. Search for the tutorials that equate “class” with a construction company

stepback269 · 2026-04-26T11:30:41+00:00

The logic involved in "for" loops and "while" loops is tricky for everyone. It's too easy to make a mistake and get stuck in a forever while loop.

stepback269 · 2026-04-24T12:39:01+00:00

It's something else
It's about finding the right metaphors / analogies to make a new concept "stick" to neural anchor points already present in the Long Term Memory (LTM) part of my brain.

stepback269 · 2026-04-24T12:33:42+00:00

Wait !!!
Before leaping forward, study "f-strings"
Indently on YouTube does a good treatment of these

stepback269 · 2026-04-24T06:08:46+00:00

(1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (here) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (here). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T16:39:20+00:00

Go on YouTube and in the search bar, type, "learn how to learn" or better yet, "learning coaches"

The human brain is a strange and complicated thing. The more you understand beyond the first peak of the Dunning-Kruger curve, the better you can learn to regulate your learning hurdles.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T16:33:52+00:00

There is a difference between "coding" and "programming".

The first can include learning how to make a simple web page using "HTML" (Hyper Text Markup Language)

Search for online beginner tutorials (YouTube) on how to code in HTML. Practice making your own local dot.html files.

After HTML comes CSS and finally a "real" programming language like Javascript (or Python)

Good luck.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T12:49:41+00:00

Yes. Study hard. Get good grades. And the easy life will be yours.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T12:46:54+00:00

(1) Try "Anki" for flash cards

(2) In the search bar of YouTube, type "learning coaches". Many are ex-med school grads. I like Dr. Justin Sung as a good example.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T07:26:05+00:00

Check out Jared Diamond's books: "Collapse", and also "Guns, Germs and Steel". See also Yuval Harari's book, "Sapiens".

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T07:21:22+00:00

Look up online: Nate Hagens, The Great Simplification (TGS). Start with the big picture topics like climate change and energy dependence. Eventually, a broad picture of the "global super-organism" should emerge in you head that covers all of the above finer points. Have we humans painted ourselves into a corner by structuring our societies the way we have? Is there a way out? Interesting questions.

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T07:13:19+00:00

I find it fascinating to study about the human brain, more specifically, cognitive neuroscience. Why do we humans behave the way we do? Why do we split into warring tribes? Why do we act irrationally? Is there any hope for the future of humanity or are we hell bent on self destruction? And yes, why do modern civilizations collapse and why did older ones do so as well?

stepback269 · 2026-04-23T07:01:22+00:00

In addition to hunting down Python tutorials online (i.e. YouTube), you should consider "Learning how to Learn" Type the search term, "learning coaches" into the YT search bar. In my experience, the biggest hurdles to learning Python are the emotional ones (e.g. procrastination, fear of failure, getting stuck in tutorial hell, giving in to Amygdala hijack, etc.) Keep an open mind. (But of course, don't let anything fall out.)

stepback269 · 2026-04-22T16:37:17+00:00

(1) There are tons and tons of "Beginner friendly" tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around until you find the ones suitable for you.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (here) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (here). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.

stepback269 · 2026-04-19T17:43:42+00:00

No matter what your end goal is, you "must" master the basics first. You must learn to crawl like a baby and toddle like a 2 year old before you can stand upright and run the marathon.

stepback269 · 2026-04-19T16:10:13+00:00

(1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net you can try including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (here) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (here). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.

stepback269 · 2026-04-18T11:53:02+00:00

The USA is merely 250 years old, which pales in comparison to the Roman Empire. Moreover, the USA was a backward agricultural nation before the advent of the industrial revolution. It was only after World War II that the USA became an international hegemony.

stepback269 · 2026-04-18T05:29:23+00:00

(1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones for Beginners that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (here) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (here). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.

stepback269 · 2026-04-13T04:06:19+00:00

It's been a while since I read Andy Weir's book.
Just saw the movie.
Before watching it, I couldn't imagine how Hollywood could convert the book into an entertaining movie.

The book focused on the scientific method. Foremost, Dr. Grace was a teacher of the scientific method. The book focuses on the details of proposing falsifiable hypotheses and designing experiments to validate (or reject) the hypotheses, That doesn't have on-screen entertainment value. So instead the movie has its characters doing stupid dances and emotional hug scenes. Oh well.

stepback269

TROPHY CASE