How to learn Python from scratch for free with certification?

Are you sick of bills to pay? Not sure if programming is for you, neither willing to spend a penny to discover? Or are you just an economizer person (no matter how much other people call you miser)? No problem! On this post, I’ll show you how to learn Python from scratch for free with certification!

What is Python and why learn it?

Python was created by Guido van Rossum in 1991, at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands, whose name was given as a tribute to the British comedy group Monty Python, which, by the way, I recommend to those who look for a Meaning of Life.

According to Wiki Python, this one is a high-level, interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, multiplataform computer programming language that is used both for teaching computer programming and for a wide range of applications in business, science and academia.

“Holy code! What the heck do all of these random words mean?”, you could think. “Calm down”, I’d say, “I will explain it to you”.

The programming languages can be defined by its abstraction level: the closer to machine coding, the lower the lever; the closer to a human language (such as English or Portuguese), the higher the level. One example of a high-level programming language is Java, which I also show how to learn from scratch for free with certification here. But Python is much closer to normal English, that it’s almost incomparable.

A programming language can be both compiled, as C, or interpreted, like Python. In this Medium article, you’ll find a great explaination of the difference. But, for short, in the interpretation, the font program is translated and executed instruction by instruction, in a interactive way. The interpreter translates each instruction to an intern representation and interprets it, simulating the processor work.

Whilst, in the compilation, the program written in the font language is translated to a machine language, and then, linked and loaded to be executed. Producing another file. You have less work online interpreting than compiling to then interpret.

Object orientation deserves (and will have) a whole new post, but for now, you just should know that it refers to a type of programming in which programmers define not only the data type of a data structure, but also the types of operations (functions) that can be applied to the data structure.

Multiplataform means that Python can be used to write code for Web, Windows, Linux, iOS, etc. And it is, for example, the main language for Data Science!

Now that you have understood what Python is and have watched at least one episode of Monty Python, I believe that you are able to learn the language! So, let’s go?

How to learn it for free?

Before showing the courses I’ve found in the area, I guess I should advise you about the learning path:

In computer programming, the best way of learning how to program is programming.

I know it sounds pretty redundant. And it actually is, just as completely true. Certifications might mean something at the beginning (or might mean nothing at all), but experience means much more!

After taking these courses (or just one of them, if you prefer) to understand the basics, think of something funny and/or useful you could develop and work on it. You will discover much more packages, functions and objects with your hands on than taking free courses.

Look for development forums like Stack Overflow or GitHub to find answers of your doubts if the Python documentation seems hard to understand. Keep in mind that developers are self-taught problem solvers. So, make programs (solve problems) and, after you finished the basics, try not to rely on courses.

That said, here it is some free courses I’ve found:

CognitiveClass is a great platform with free courses with IBM certifications! It’s only deal is that it’s focused on Data Science, so it is the Python course. But I think it’s a good thing. You will learn not only the basics of Python as also how to work with data in the language.

Solo Learn is a great platform to learn coding. Including this Python tutorial with 140 quizzes.

After taking one of these courses, I really recommend you to check out Test Do Me, which is a platform for free coding certification exams. It’s pretty amazing, I am currently testing my Python skill right there.

So that’s it! Talk to you in the next article, deal?