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khai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 PointsIs coding really for me?? Python course is frustrating the hell out of me!
I picked this up because I had an industrial design job that required some prototyping with the raspberry pi, and Python and coding really got me interested. I have a very sincere desire to learn it, and came to Treehouse because everyone said " oh, its so EASY!'........
Not the case for me at all. The begginners python course seems lightning fast, jumping from concept to concept, without doing any real repetition of the code workl itself. I am utterly confused and retaining nothing, and its difficult for me to find relevant practice projects.......with all the buzz about how simple and easy python is, and how many people claim to become effecient in a matter of months, I feel like a complete ass for not being able to see my way through a single module.
Is this an indicator that coding may not be for me? Im a Mechanical Engineer, so I feel confident I can do what millions of youtubers claim to have done, but perhaps it just takes a certain kind of person to be able to watch video lectures and absorb this rapid-fire information..........any thoughts appreciated, Im ready to throw in the towel!
5 Answers
edwardr
10,272 PointsYou know how problems sets are, frustrating then suddenly it "clicks."
Some things that always helped me slug through...
- Use a couple of sources to study the same topic so you get different perspectives. Books, YouTube, web sites, etc..
- If it is still frustrating, step back and try another course about programming. Or even another language like JavaScript or Ruby on Rails, etc. Or do something fun and straight forward for a bit like html and CSS.
- Fuel the tank...have a healthy snack, take a break, talk to friends, take a walk, get a good nap...then come back at it.
You got this.
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,862 PointsHey Khai,
I agree with Edward. Sometimes it is tough, but you will hit an "Ah Ha!" moment more times the more you code.
Now, in my personal opinion, (and I apologize to all the Python Devs), Python is really not the language you should start with. While the common consensus is that it's the easiest, I find it to be quite the contrary. Even now, I still have many, many issues when it comes to grasping Python and it's syntax, so like Edward suggested, maybe try another language.
HTML and CSS are great and very straightforward, but are for the front-end Development. JavaScript is a nice first language to learn and you can run with it either in the Front-end or growing in popularity, the Back-end also.
From there, maybe try Ruby or Java (different from JavaScript). Once you're more comfortable with coding, you could give Python another go... I've tried a few times, but still nope. :(
Give each one a try. Do the Basics and see which one really catches your fancy and then run with it. Once you find one (or a few) that you 'click' with, you will find it much more enjoyable.
Keep Coding! :)
khai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 Pointsthanks Jason!
I guess I was duped by the overwhelming noise on the net about how easy python is for a first language. Although I really have no interest in front end dev, I will certainly give them a try if they grease the wheels on my Python learning track.
Evan Demaris
64,262 PointsHi Khai,
It sounds like you're in the grip of classic Imposter Syndrome. It's super common amongst us coders, bouncing between thinking we're amazing and that we're talentless hacks in danger of being exposed (more often the latter when we start out).
I recommend following that link if you're still feeling like coding might not be right for you -- if you feel that way because you simply don't like coding then you might want to find something else as a hobby, but if you think that because of the difficulty of coding and how long it takes for studying to set in, then my advice is to persevere.
Hope that helps!
khai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 PointsGreat article! I really cant let this thing beat me, so Im going to try a different angle. Thanks for the sweet link!
Travis Bailey
13,675 PointsI've restarted my account twice, and have been working towards learning Python off and on for about three years now (at least two of those with Treehouse). Evan's post on Imposter Syndrome is on point. So many resources we look at make coding look simple, and we're told it's simple to learn (mainly marketing driven messaging).
Truthfully it is hard especially if we're holding down a regular 40+ hour a week day jobs. The only way I've found to progress is to dedicate one to two hours a day EVERY DAY. Usually, I'd say 4 out of 7 days a week I either get stuck on a problem or feel like I'm not retaining what I'm being taught. I go back watch the content again. When things start to really click if when you start to write your own code outside of these coding challenges. When you get to that point you'll feel like nearly 100% of the time your stuck or have no idea what you're doing. However, when you finally run your code successfully it feels great. Then you spend time going through your code to understand why it works when it clicks and you understand you feel even better. Keep working at it, you'll get there!
khai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 PointsThanks Travis, makes me feel much more confident knowing others have similar experiences. I will continue to drill away at this thing until I get it!
edwardr
10,272 PointsReply to HTML and CSS being more straight forward...
Khai, HTML and CSS are fun once you get the hang of the formatting. If you want to build websites then they are essential to learn. Treehouse has great courses on them.
The logic, syntax and how to use HTML and CSS to build and format web pages are quicker to learn than a high-level language like Python. HTML and CSS focus on structuring and displaying content in a browser rather than the extensive coding and logic required by Python to build apps.
HTML is used to add content and structure to a web page. It is a type of markup language so it is used to tell the web browser how to arrange the page.
CSS is used to format the HTML and content on a web page. To say what should be bold, or what font or how the page should display the content and structure.
Java Script is used to create a dynamic elements on the page that respond to the user. To make alerts, mouseover effects, etc.
Also, JavaScript is used more and more for back end server programming.
khai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 Pointskhai ellington
Courses Plus Student 834 PointsThanks Edward,
Its always encouraging to get replies like yours, and a reminder not to stay glued to the screen. I often forget to eat for hours on end, until my face is beet red with frustration lol.could you perhaps explain how HTML and CSS are more "straightforward"??