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Hunter G
6,612 PointsAnybody else seem to not be able to solve the challenges 100% on their own?
Hello all, I am fairly new to Treehouse (just crossed my one week mark as of yesterday) and have nearly completed the second Python course (Python Collections). That being said, It is extremely rare for me to be able to do a lot of these challenges 100% all on my own EVEN with my notes. Is that normal? I reference the forums CONSTANTLY, always in search of answers that make the most sense for me to understand. I also review the videos as well and double check to see if I missed any notes and re-code the examples. I have been practicing and coding on this website everyday since I signed up, sometimes up to 5 or 6 hours a day - doing my best to sink in the definitions of what 'iterables', 'functions', 'loops' etc. are so everything will soon make more sense to me. I'm just curious to know if many others are having the same problems as I am. Sometimes I feel a bit disappointed in myself like i'm not understanding at all from the videos or examples when I attempt a challenge. . sometimes my code is way off or I forget to declare a variable to an empty string or an empty list. Would love to hear your feedback and how you are doing in these courses, preferably Python.
Thanks! :)
3 Answers
Konrad Pilch
2,435 PointsWhen i re-watch the video 3 times i will solve it on my own as i know when i complete the challenge on my onw i have learned.
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 PointsAre you having issues with the logic or syntax? There are some great places to supplement the learning here on treehouse and I use them all the time. Let me know what issue you are having and I'll send you some links that should hopefully help.
Hunter G
6,612 PointsHey there Jacob. I think it's mainly the logic and how you start off going about things. I understand the syntax and how you type a line of code, but what I do not understand / tend to forget is exactly how layout a 'for-loop' for instance within a function. I usually attempt the challenges on my own and do my best to interpret the prompt but when I compare my code to what is the 'correct' way to do it via forums, I lose hope : /
Konrad Pilch
2,435 PointsWhat i did and i mentioned it is re-watch it or go there after you finished. What i mean is you have a track and you go throw it, or the section and if you cant do it, thats fine, move forward and with time , or at the end of section or track, you will know the answer. The video is not tonly the 'answer' but you have google where you can learn html or python and you will be able to answer the challenge or quiz because you learned it, its like an exam.
I think its just really good if you re-watch the whole thingy again and re do it, i think thats the best way because the first time you were unsure about it and the second time you get it better and the 3rd time you can do it on youw on with little help.
And dont look at it takes 150hours to review a 50hours track, htats what i takes to learn and you wont see any benefits after lets say 1monht minimum or 3 months .SO if you divide it really , its not that much in a way os sense.
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 PointsNo worries, I totally get it. To be honest its more work, but in the end its totally worth it, trust me. So try watching a couple of these lectures:
this is a MIT intro to comp science, it uses Python as a tool to teach, Its really good, and free.
Here is a course on logic for comp science. Totally necessary for every web dev student and professional.
Treehouse is great, don't get me wrong, but I firmly believe in order to really understand what you are doing and to take coding to a top level you need to know these things. They are difficult classes, but they are lectures at MIT. I would say use them as part of your learning pallet. They will help you with the logic stuff and make you a better programmer, along with learning on Treehouse.
I hope this helps.
EDIT find your learning style. I hand write everything before I ever touch a keyboard, know what works best for you and be dedicated.
Hunter G
6,612 PointsThank you very much for your help Jacob! I truly appreciate it! I am definitely going to check out these sites once I return from work. Yeah I know what you mean. It takes many attempts / practice for my brain to understand things at times. I spend a lot of time with trial and error in the work spaces or the IDLE. I don't ever want to give up on Programming. I've been loving it ever since I started and have put many hours into it already. Really hope these sites will help out with my problem. Ill respond in a day or so and give you my feedback.. Cheers!
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 PointsNot a problem, I take it you just started learning programming?
Read this blog. It will put things in perspective. It did for me:
http://www.vikingcodeschool.com/posts/why-learning-to-code-is-so-damn-hard
Hunter G
6,612 PointsI took a Python class / C++ at college over a year ago but the teacher was god-awful. Now, i've switched colleges and am starting fresh. My current teacher is much better than the previous and with treehouse to supplement the learning process I am doing much better than before. :)
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 PointsRight on!
Hunter G
6,612 PointsHey Jacob,
So I just got around to checking out those links and the first two you posted did not work but I managed to look around on the website and found a lecture that was interesting to watch. Also, the post from vikingcodeschool was a good read. Sounds like i'm just starting to leave the "hand holding honeymoon" stage haha. was a good motivational article nonetheless. thanks for sharing :)
Konrad Pilch
2,435 PointsYou need to delete:
``` from each link.. i told that like million times on forum for like a month : p no one ever change.
Hunter G
6,612 Pointslol thanks Konrad, i'm pretty new here and have never had anybody share a link with me before xD
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 PointsSorry about the issues with the links. I hope they help. Hey, no worries, we all start somewhere, I'm glad you read the viking school article, I think it puts things into perspective, and there is no BS. Enjoy, and if you have questions people like myself and Konrad, are here to help. Happy coding, and good luck!
Hunter G
6,612 PointsHunter G
6,612 PointsWell there are times that the previous videos leading up to a challenge have not yet covered the material that is included in a challenge. It's happened a couple times in Python.. others have spoke up about it as well. Overall though, im loving the Python courses. Very informative and hands-on.
Konrad Pilch
2,435 PointsKonrad Pilch
2,435 PointsAh, yes i got this times very rarery too. But you could figure it out with google maybe? If you watch all the videos and then comebakc to challenges, try that.
Hunter G
6,612 PointsHunter G
6,612 PointsYeah I typically use Google which normally points me towards Stack Overflow lol. But like I said, I usually reference the community forums on this site and try to fully understand the answer that is posted. Sometimes watching the videos over and over again can make you finally understand what is needed to be done OR the information you need can either not be covered, or in a further lesson.