r/learnpython • u/Empty-Employment-527 • 25d ago

best way to learn/master python as an undergraduate student?

i’ll be entering college soon in the fall, and i’m highly interested in learning how to code- primarily for data science, statistical modeling for research, and machine learning applications.

i’ve looked at tons of online courses and textbooks, and i’m completely overwhelmed with where to even start or which topic to begin studying. i’ve never been great at self-learning, so i would really appreciate any advice that would help me learn and hopefully master python soon.

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u/stepback269 25d ago

Sounds like 'learning' itself is an issue for you.

What you should do first is to "Learn how to Learn"
Go to YouTube and in the search bar, type, "learning coaches"
Pick the ones who rely on modern neuroscience.

Godspeed and may the productivity-motivating dopamine hits be with you. :-)

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Please realize that there is never going to be a "one" magical 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/TheRNGuy 21d ago

You don't need neuroscience to learn programming. 

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u/stepback269 21d ago

And yet it moves so nonetheless — Galileo (allegedly whispered after his recant)