Tips for Learning Python
Tanner Jones @all-tech-guy
I know…I know. This is probably the millionth article written about how to learn Python, however, if you are reading this article, I assume you’re still looking for some advice to accelerate your Python learning. If this article your “millionth and one” read, I hope you find what you’re looking for. I would encourage anyone wanting to learn a programming language to learn Python.
Here are the 3 main reasons why I decided to learn Python:
- It’s intuitive. (Easy to read, write, and learn)
- It’s widely used, extremely versatile, and in high-demand.
- It’s surrounded by a large supportive community.
I have spent a substantial amount of time trying to learn Python, but I am nowhere near a professional. I am a self-taught programmer learning new things every day. To give you a little preview of my Python learning process, let me take you back to about 1 year ago. I was spending ample time watching Udemy courses, reading books, and viewing endless YouTube tutorials. Even after all of this, I found myself not understanding the basics of programming. I had programs in mind that I wanted to create but had no idea where to start. I was frustrated and didn’t feel like I was making any progress. If you have felt like this, you are not alone! I think it’s worth mentioning that learning a programming language can be different depending on your preferred learning style. Through this process of learning Python, I realized I am able to grasp the concepts much easier when I take a project-based learning approach. The book that I used is called Python Crash Course. Here is the link to a free PDF, or you can purchase a physical copy here.
I found this book to be extremely helpful in my learning process because it is all based upon real-world projects (and its free)! This book starts at ground zero beginning with how to install Python and gets you writing code right off the bat. Based on my experience, I found going through all the “Try It Yourself” exercises to be great practice. You know the drill. Practice makes perfect. Well, learning Python is no exception to this rule. It is crucial that you code every day for at least 30 minutes. The best way to learn is to practice each concept by writing code. As your’e writing code and a question comes to mind, take the time to research it the moment before moving on. Researching and finding answers to your questions will better solidify your understanding of the concepts, plus it will get you accustomed to researching and applying concepts to your own code and ideas. As your’e going through the book, create a folder for each chapter and save the code for each concept within that chapter. Within the individual files, takes notes so that you can reference the topic later like this:
The book covers the following concepts:
- Lists
- If statements
- Dictionaries
- User input and while loops
- Functions
- Classes
- Files and exceptions
- Projects
Once you have covered the fundamentals, there are 3 projects that allow you to apply the concepts you have learned. The projects include building a game called “Space Invasion” as well as data visualization and building a web application with Django. The projects can be done in any order so pick the one that interests you and get coding! The project that I enjoyed the most was the Django web application. Once I was finished, I wanted to learn more. Here is a great YouTube channel that will help you take your Django skills to the next level.
Bottom Line
Get the book, work through the book, write code daily, create projects and don’t give up on learning Python.
More great free resources:
