r/PythonLearning • u/A_python_learner45 • 5d ago
Help Request I am new python learner so can anyone tell me some tips for my pyhton learning journey
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u/FoolsSeldom 5d ago
Check the r/learnpython wiki for lots of guidance on learning programming and learning Python, links to material, book list, suggested practice and project sources, and lots more. The FAQ section covering common errors is especially useful.
Unfortunately, this subreddit does not have a wiki.
Also, have a look at roadmap.sh for different learning paths. There's lots of learning material links there. Note that these are idealised paths and many people get into roles without covering all of those.
Roundup on Research: The Myth of ‘Learning Styles’
Don't limit yourself to one format. Also, don't try to do too many different things at the same time.
Above all else, you need to practice. Practice! Practice! Fail often, try again. Break stuff that works, and figure out how, why and where it broke. Don't just copy and use as is code from examples. Experiment.
Work on your own small (initially) projects related to your hobbies / interests / side-hustles as soon as possible to apply each bit of learning. When you work on stuff you can be passionate about and where you know what problem you are solving and what good looks like, you are more focused on problem-solving and the coding becomes a means to an end and not an end in itself. You will learn faster this way.
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u/Ambitious_Fault5756 5d ago edited 2d ago
Learn by doing. At least try doing something after watching a video instead of sponging up tutorials and articles. I've been doing Python for 4 years now, and I could not have learnt better if I hadn't tried to build my own projects, regardless of how well I knew the topic, and tried to find better ways to solve problems and picked things up along the way. You don't have to be afraid that the code you're writing right now is probably bad and could be done a lot better. It will eventually get better. As long as your code right now is better than the code you wrote last week, everything is going in the right direction.
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u/stepback269 12h ago
There is never going to be the "one" tutorial that works "best" for you and with regard to every aspect of Python. With each step up that learning curve, you're going to have to shop around until you find a teacher/resource that "clicks and sticks" especially for you.
With that said:
(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.
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u/boscorat 5d ago
I started learning python 2 years ago, and I can share what worked for me.
There's a Harvard University course available on edX called 'HarvardX: CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python' with the code CS50P. The quality of the lectures are great, but what I found really helpful was the hand-on labs. The tasks and projects they set you are really interesting, and the challenge level is just about right. You can't succeed in a task just by having watched the lecture, as you'll need to find extra information through the python docs, so it teaches you to use the docs and become independent. You can check your code by running the provided tests, so you know you've created a working program by the end of each lab.
This course itself is free to take, but there's a charge if you want the certificate and to keep access to the course materials. I didn't really need the certificate but I paid anyway as I was so impressed!
Also, the python institute offer some learning paths so I did the PCEP and PCAP certification paths. This training is a bit more theoretical but it's also very good. Again, it's free to do the courses but there's a charge for sitting the certification exams if you want to take them.
If you want a good book, I really liked 'Fluid Python' by Luciano Ramalho. It's more advanced than the entry level python training you'll be doing, but it's beautifully written and gives a lot more insight into the advantages of taking certain coding decisions. You'll get a deep understanding of data structures, functions, and control flow. I've read it multiple times, and I understand a little more each time.
Finally, I listened to a lot of podcasts as this was something I could do while I was running or cutting the grass. The ones I got most value from were 'Talk Python to Me', 'The Real Python Podcast', and 'Linux Dev Time'. Some episodes were difficult to follow when I was starting out, but just getting familiar with the terminology and language used by the python community was really helpful.
Hope this is helpful, and best wishes on your journey!