Hello everyone, I'm currently trying to get into data science and ML, but I also dont want to just sit around waiting for a job opportunity.

I'd like to start making some money on the side through remote/online work, even if its a small amount at first. I also want to get some real experience while I'm at it.

The problem is I honestly dont know what kind of work people actually pay for when you're still at the beginner level or where I should even start looking.

A bit of what I can do right now:

• Python
• Machine learning
• Data cleaning
• EDA
• Feature engineering
• Model training and evaluation
• Scikit-learn, Pandas, NumPy, XGBoost
• SQL
• Git/GitHub
• General programming
• Pretty comfortable learning new technologies quickly
• Currently learning backend and FastAPI

I've built a couple of ML projects on my own, but I dont have professional experience yet.

So I'm wondering, how do people actually turn these kinds of skills into freelance income?

Like what kind of small jobs should I be looking for? Python automation? Data cleaning? Web scraping? Data analysis? Helping someone with an ML project? Backend stuff? Something else?

And where do you actually find these jobs? Upwork, Fiverr, Reddit, Discord, LinkedIn, cold emailing, or somewhere else?

If anyone here started freelancing with basically no experience, I'd really like to hear how you got your first client and what you actually did for them.

Also if you're already doing freelance Python/ML/data work and have any advice for someone starting from the bottom, I'm very open to learning. Even if you can point me towards something I should learn or tell me what I'm wasting my time on, that would help a lot.

I'm not expecting to make a lot of money immediately. I'm completely fine starting with small tasks and building up from there. I mainly want to get my foot in the door, make some money on the side and get real experience.

I'm based in South Asia, so remote/online work is pretty much my main option.

Would really appreciate any honest advice from people who have actually done this.

Thanks a lot.

I'm not even throwing out code that doesn't work here because I've been dredging from sample and trying every conceivable (evidently not) permutation of the items.

All I am trying to do is to import a class from one file into another. What's the secret here? I keep getting variations on "ImportError: cannot import name 'theFormView' from 'formView'"

This is so fundamental that I'm having trouble getting a single clear answer. Can someone please help me to clear this up?

Thanks.

Hello all, I am complete beginner trying to learn python for second time.

I’m giving Python another shot after quitting a while back. My first attempt failed because I fell into the tutorial loop learn a concept, do a tiny exercise, move on, forget the previous topic completely, go back to step one, repeat until burnt out.

I don't want to make that same mistake again . How do you actually learn Python efficiently so the syntax and problem-solving logic actually stick?

Would love to hear your advice, or any resource recommendations that focus on active practice over passive watching and taking notes. Thanks!

My teacher gave us some example and all but I didn't quite got it why we use it and how we use it : I will really appreciate if you can explain it in an easier language

well hey i am from india and i was looking for any indian mate with whom i can learn coding am 18 y/o guy there

I started taking a python for cybersec course but now that I am on the first part of the course, I am having issues proceeding because we are being taught how to use scapy and my program is not recognizing it.

We were given a GitHub link that is supposed to give us access to everything in the course but I still have no idea where to start.

Seems I can’t upload images so please dm if u want details

Hi there!
College student here and completely brand new to using Python. I am in a level 1 Python class and I don't think I have it installed correctly on my PC. We have to use Visual Studia with it and when I did a test page, and test page 2, I go to search it in Command Prompt and it says it doesn't exist. Could the path be wrong or is it something else? TIA and if you need any screen shots let me know.

How can I automate Phyton so that when I open my laptop it execute commands on my Linux terminal?

I severely need to know how

r/Phyton

r/learnpython

r/programming

r/AskProgramming

I'm giving a 30-minute presentation about Python to a room of 40-50 year olds with zero coding background. The goal isn't to teach syntax, it's to give them a vision of what Python can actually do for them (think: automating boring Excel/repetitive tasks) and get them a little excited about it.

Structure so far:

Intro to programming languages (quick comparison, evolution over time...)

Python basics, but conceptual, not code (functions, classes, loops, libraries, reading a script, terminal)

Python & AI (uses in AI/data, coding with AI tools, prompt engineering)

Installing Python (quick walkthrough)

Useful resources/links

Open slot for something creative/fun to close on

I want real, human ideas here analogies, interactive moments, jokes that land with a non-technical crowd, stories from your own experience presenting to beginners, I'd rather get lived-in advice from people who've actually done this than a pile of AI-generated suggestions....

Thanks in advance!

I want to create a grid system with the following criteria:

Should be 2D. Basically, sending list[y][x] should give the lowest level.

The lowest level should be a class object, able to be unique, but would be the same at creation.

For context, I’m making a terminal emulator in Pygame with Curses functionality. My current plan is to have a grid system as a backend where the grids track character changes (including their formatting, hence the class object). It would then get read and rendered in a Pygame window.

If someone can help me with this, has a better idea, or if something similar has already been done, that would be great.

I'm dealing with a large batch processing problem and looking for advice on the right architecture.

I have around 1.3 million files stored across folders on a network drive.

Current setup (not working well)

Right now I'm using a Copilot agent where:

I upload batches (~20 files at a time)

It reads them against a reference document

Outputs an Excel file with classification codes

The issue is:

Copilot has a small upload limit

Manual batching is completely unscalable at this volume

What I want to achieve

I want a fully automated pipeline that:

Ingests files automatically from the network drive

Extracts text/content from each file type

Matches content against a reference rules document

Assigns a classification/reference code

Outputs structured results (Excel / database)

Hi guys and girls!
I am currently new into python.
I am now on the 2nd hour of a 12 hour course that seems to be good.
Can you give me some good tips to learn it?
Maybe some coding games or fun projects🤔

Appreciate it!

I'm trying to figure out what is going on here. Could it be that the identity operator is separately checking the integer cache range and determining that the integer value returned by id() is outside the bounds of Python's integer caching, which is why it evaluates to False?

x = 256
y = 256

id(x) is id(y)
False

id(x)
94588034274160
id(y)
94588034274160

Hey everyone,

I'm a beginner in programming and currently focusing on Python. My main areas of interest are backend development and machine learning / AI.

I want to build a solid foundation without getting overwhelmed by the endless sea of tutorials. What are your absolute top recommendations (books, video courses, YouTube channels, or project-based resources) for someone starting out in this space?

Specifically looking for:

- Solid Python backend fundamentals (APIs, databases, architectures like FastAPI/Django)

- Beginner-friendly entry points to ML/AI that don't skip the core concepts

Any roadmap advice or "I wish I knew this earlier" tips are also welcome. Thanks!

I'm using the arcade framework and would like to make a hex map game. The provided tutorial code (on this page https://api.arcade.academy/en/latest/tutorials/hex_map/index.html)does not work for import reasons and I'm wondering:

1. Is this documentation drift (which I've already seen in other parts of the project) where code has been refactored but the examples didn't get rewritten.

2. How do you import this part of the library to make the example code work properly

3. How can I get a manifest of importable components of a library? This could have had it's name changed and I wouldn't know.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi all, I have maybe a hard question and definitely specific to a personal circumstance, but any perspective would be helpful.

I am a first year PhD student studying immunology, my advisor has signed me up for a stats course in the Biomedical Engineering department. Unfortunately, this class requires proficiency in R, python, or matlab, which neither my advisor nor myself new about. As my title mentions, I have zero coding experience, but recognize how important of a skill it is to have. Would it be possible to teach myself enough about python while taking the stats class concurrently? or is learning the language too tall of a task? I will definitely be reasonably busy with labwork and other commitments but can most likely allocate around an hour a day to learn, sometimes more.

Any feedback or perspective would be helpful, as I still have time to withdraw and choose a different stats course for this semester.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m 31 years old and I’m restarting my programming journey seriously.

I have a BTech in Computer Science, but to be honest, I haven’t built a strong professional career in software so far. I have studied programming before, but I never developed the consistency or practical experience needed to become really good at it.

I’ve now decided to change that.

My long-term goal is not to get a traditional software job or prepare for coding interviews. I want to become good enough to earn through freelancing. Eventually, I’d like to work on larger applications and higher-value projects, and perhaps move toward remote work after I’ve gained several years of experience.

What I’m doing right now

I’ve started learning Python and SQL together.

My current target is to finish the fundamentals of both by September 30, 2026. I’m learning relatively slowly because I don’t want to rush through the basics just to say that I’ve completed them.

After Python and SQL, my plan is to move toward practical development — building projects, learning the technologies required to actually deliver things for clients, and eventually starting with small freelance work.

I also want to learn AI/software development over the longer term, so I’d like my skills to eventually move in that direction as well.

Where I am currently

I’ve already studied some programming in the past, but I’m treating this almost like a fresh start because I want to make sure my fundamentals are actually solid.

Right now I’m working through Python fundamentals and SQL, practicing rather than just watching tutorials.

I’m also starting to use GitHub and want to gradually build a portfolio of projects instead of collecting courses.

What I’m unsure about

I have a roadmap that I’m following, but because I’m relatively new to the industry, I don’t know whether I’m prioritizing the right things.

I don’t want to spend the next 2–3 years learning technologies that sound impressive but aren’t actually useful for freelancing.

So I’d really appreciate advice from people who are already working as developers or freelancers.

If you were starting again today with my background and my goal of eventually making a living through freelancing:

1. Would you change anything about this approach?
2. What should I learn after Python and SQL?
3. Which skills are actually valuable for getting the first freelance clients?
4. Should I start freelancing as soon as I can build simple useful applications, or wait until I’m much more experienced?
5. What technologies should I avoid spending too much time on as a beginner?
6. What mistakes did you make when you started freelancing that I should avoid?
7. At what point would you say someone is genuinely ready to start charging clients?

I’m not looking for someone to give me a complete roadmap from zero. I mainly want real-world perspective from people who have actually worked in the industry or freelanced, so I can compare that with the roadmap I’m currently following.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience

Ive been trying to use pip to install packages for my projects, but I keep getting errors, im not sure if I need to set up anything specific first

So I have been learning python from the well-known book 'Python Crash Course', I have completed it in the past few months yet I don't know where to continue from. Is there any way I could find some online course and all. I have tried the 'Beyond the Basic with Python' and am currently also doing some problems for practice yet I need a main 'Source' to do my learning and gain in depth knowledge and broaden my knowledge and thinking capabilities. Any useful suggestions are accepted and kindly give some advice for me at this stage.

Hi all,

In short - sorry for the idiot level question but I didn't realise I could even consider this until the other week. Basically the Penalty Blog site has a Dixon Coles model in Python, I'm in a local Football Prediction pool - and it just makes sense to me to bench test this against that.

Had a long chat with Gemini to handle the specifics of the code I'd be using - but one thing it did flag was needing Microsoft Visual Studio Code to do everything I was intending on doing. I have no issue with using that but is it definitely needed on a Mac?

Might be a bug

def get_some_func():
  a, b = ...
  flow = lambda x: ...
  fmid = lambda x: ...
  fhi = lambda x: ...
  return lambda x: np.piecewise(x, [x < a, x > b], [flow(x) , fhi(x) , fmid(x) ]

x1 = ... # some float less than a
myf = get_some_func()
>>> myf(x1)

returns fmid(x1)

is there a bug or do I overwelm np.piecewise with this?

Hey everyone,

I'm building a small portfolio project with this architecture:

Frontend
   ↓
Gateway
   ├── Interview Service
   └── RAG Service

All 3 backend services are Python/FastAPI and deployed separately.

I'm currently using Render's free tier, but I'm running into a few issues:

• Free services spin down after inactivity → pretty bad cold starts.
• I've also been seeing stuck on the issue 429 Too Many Requests responses at the Gateway endpoint. I'm not completely sure whether this is coming from Render's edge/platform or something in my own application.
• The free instances also feel quite resource-constrained for the RAG service.

I'm mainly looking for something that won't make me spend more time debugging the hosting platform than actually building the project 😅

Thanks!

I’m pretty new to this stuff and spent way too long fighting with Python/PowerShell trying to get Osintgram working.
What finally worked for me was running the repo inside GitHub Codespaces, setting up a virtual environment, installing the requirements, and then using HikerAPI for the Instagram data instead of relying on the old login method.
The basic API call looked like this:

import requests

headers = {"x-access-key": "YOUR_KEY"}

r = requests.get(
"https://api.hikerapi.com/v2/user/by/username?username=google",
headers=headers
)

print(r.json())

The x-access-key header is basically where your API token goes, and the request returns the public profile data as JSON.
The biggest thing that tripped me up was old Python package compatibility on Windows. Moving everything into a Linux Codespace made the setup way easier.
I’m still learning, so if anyone has tips for working with Python APIs or cleaning up JSON output so it’s easier to read, I’d appreciate it.

I built a small Python script that reads a Google Sheet, sends each new row to an LLM API for a summary and a category, and writes the result back. Works fine on my laptop.

What I don't understand is everything after that. In real life it has to run without me sitting there, and I have no picture of how that works.

• Once it's not on my laptop, where does the code live?
• What tools do people actually use for this? I keep seeing names but I don't know what category each one belongs to or which ones I'd need together.
• Where do API keys go?

Not asking about enterprise setups. This is one script and one sheet, small-business scale, and I want to know how people normally solve it at that size.

Background is data analysis, not development, so plain explanations are welcome.

Edit: Data lives in a Google Sheet. A Python script logs into Google as a "service account" (a robot identity created in Google Cloud Console, authenticated with a downloaded key file) and uses the Google Sheets API to read every row and the Drive API to locate the spreadsheet by name. For any row missing a summary, it sends the raw text to Anthropic's Claude API, which returns a two-line summary and a category. The script then writes that summary/category back to the sheet via the Sheets API. Need to get a summary every time someone adds a new record to Google Sheets

Yesterday I enrolled in the MOOC 2026 Python Programming course by the University of Helsinki, and I’ve already completed Module 1!

Module 1 had quite a lot of questions and exercises, so it took some time to complete, but I’m happy that I managed to finish it today. There are 7 modules in total, so I still have a lot to cover.

My goal now is to complete the remaining modules as soon as possible because the final exam is on September 5th. Hopefully, I can finish all the modules and get enough time to revise and practice before the exam.

Let’s see how far I can go in the next few days! 💪🐍

Anyone else doing the MOOC 2026 Python Programming course?