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Scott Pileggi
Courses Plus Student 430 Pointsnew student that's curious about where I should be up to this point.
Hello, everybody... I mean: print("Hello, everybody!")
I am brand spanking new to the world of coding. I studied basic computer science courses a good 10 years ago that covered running commands on windows DOS. But with the exception of that, I'm brand new to this stuff.
I graduated with an MBA back in 2018 and have attempted to advance in the world of business management. I've discovered that not only am I dissatisfied with the line of work I'm in. But I'm also not making near enough money as I would like to.
A couple of my good friends took the traditional route and went to universities to study IT fresh out of high school. They both write code for a living now and do very, very well for themselves. I asked them how I would go about getting into such a thing and they suggested that I started learning how to use Python.
Years back, my friend mentioned that he signed up for Team Treehouse to learn how to build applications, but never stuck with it. Because you know; life happens.
Fast forward to about a month ago, I remembered the name of this website, so I signed up and am now near completion with the Beginner Python course.
I'm not just here to write an extravagant introduction. I actually have a general question.
Craig does a very good job at explaining stuff which has made what could be a very intimidating process not quite as bad. In the introduction of the course, he states to be patient and to not get frustrated if I'm not picking up on everything and remembering every little term along the way; which brings me to my question:
I just completed the functions and looping section of Beginner Python; which leaves me with one section left. Basically where put all of our newfound python skills together.
My question is, where exactly should I be at with all of this? I can tell you where I stand as of now. I understand about 95% of what's going on. I get most of the multiple-choice challenges right on the first try, and I can almost always figure out the challenges that require user input either on my own, or by googling here and there. Is that a good place to be up to this point?
There have been a couple of videos that initially were just too much to take in at once. The 'split_check' lesson being one of them. I find that when my mind hits a wall like that, if I sleep on it for a day or two and revisit it, then it usually starts to make sense!
I guess I'm just trying to figure out how to get the most mileage out of this track without falling in the trap of boredom and repetitiveness from having to rewatch videos over... and over again. Is simply understanding what's going on in a lesson enough to justify moving forward in the program? Or should I be replaying stuff until it's solidified in my mind.
I'm definitely starting to learn how to read code quite well. But if you were to ask me to type a bunch of code out... Yeah, probably couldn't do that without someone on here holding my hand.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks so much! Happy to be here! My goal is to become fluent in Python as soon as possible so I can get my foot in the door in this extremely lucrative field.
-Scott
2 Answers
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,426 PointsScott Pileggi, there is definitely an art to programming. Some might compare learning to program to the art of learn to sketch pictures. Lucky for us, programming doesn't rely on muscular fine motor skill (outside of typing)! The key to art is practice and studying the work product of others who are ahead of us on the path to proficiency.
Here are some thoughts when path gets rough:
- Everyone Googles! StackOverflow is your friend! Nobody remembers all of the parameters options to functions or methods. String formatting,
datetimeobjects, etc. We all look that stuff up. - Read other's code to expand your understanding of the hows and whys and structures. Like spoken language, programming also has its idioms. Take time to pull these apart to really understand them. Copy them, write them down, over and over again. They will soon become second nature. For example, using
dictmethods.items(),.values(), and.keys()will become second nature. As will the often usedif __name__ == "__main__":. Don't worry. You'll pick these up over time. - Almost all "impossible lessons" or stuck points seem like a huge chasm to cross. In reality, it usually comes down to a very small tidbit of missing perspective or information that once heard, will move you forward. Looking back all of these chasms seem to look like mere cracks in the sidewalk from the other side. At the bottom of all videos you can find a list of questions asked by others before you. Sometimes reviewing these will add that missing perspective. For code challenges, look search in the forum by the name of the challenge. Clicking on the named ovals beneath a question will take you to all of the questions asked about that challenge. Of course, If you still need more help, please feel free to ask in the forum about the chasm you face. Sometimes hearing a rephrased question or answer might just turn that chasm in to a crack.
Before you know it, your stick figures drawings will become works of art. Keep at it, you'll get there.
After thought: Don't worry about getting bogged down by the details of one particular course or lesson exploring a specific Python library. There are so, so many library packages to learn, Treehouse could not possible cover them all. The key takeaway is learning how to explore a new package, to read documentation regarding a package, and to understand example usages models. Some of my favorite examples come directly from the Python documentation. The docs may seem dry and confusing at first, as you return to them, overtime you'll see they contain an amazing about of information. It just took some missing perspective to provide the framework to really see what is being explained. Good luck!!
Scott Pileggi
Courses Plus Student 430 PointsHey Chris, thanks for writing :)
Thank you for the insight. That definitely helps. It brings me to believe that I'm on the right track.
That brings me to another question:
I chose the Python track because it was suggested by a couple of my programming friends. But I also started with just doing a track rather than diving right into the Tech Degree program to see if coding would even be a good fit for me. I'm going to keep chipping away at Python as of now. But I'm starting to think that it very much might be.
For someone like me, is there really an appropriate time to jump into Tech Degree? Should I complete the Python track and possibly some others, or just go for it in the near future if that's what I decide I want to do?
Thanks again!
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,426 PointsIf this is your first deep dive into a programming language, I would hold off on the Tech Degree until you are more certain. The Tech Degree program does not require prior programming knowledge, so the key question is whether programming in general is the correct path.
I recommend browsing through the Basic Object Oriented Python course. You'll need to cover this material eventually either way. The [Django Basics] ](https://teamtreehouse.com/library/django-basics) course may help decide if programming is the correct pursuit. This second course gets beyond learning syntax and get quickly to the heart of programming: being learning a framework and getting complicated parts to work together. It also gives a better feeling what actual development involves.
Of course, review the other courses and workshops on syntax (dictionaries, list comprehensions, etc) as you need.
I suspect you'll hit a "I've got this" moment that would let you know when the Tech Degree is the correct direction.
Feel free to "at" me @chrisfreeman3 on other Python postings if you wish.
Scott Pileggi
Courses Plus Student 430 PointsThank you so much for demystifying the path here a little bit. Now I know what I should be doing with my time on here. I appreciate it, Chris!!