Kaitlyn M. answered • 01/22/24
Computer Science major with 5 years experience in Python
Learning to code is not an easy task. I commend you for getting started! I am primarily self taught, though am now attending college as a Computer Science major, so I want to weigh in on some useful tips when just starting out.
One thing that I have found to be extremely useful when learning to code is to have a goal. That sounds simple, but in practice it may be a bit harder. The best way I can describe it is to come up with a project you would like to create. A simple tip calculator? A chat bot for platforms like Discord? Maybe even a console based RPG game. Set your goal, and then work on reaching it. Use any and all resources you can; Google things, ask friends who may be in the field, join a Discord server that focuses on programming, even copy and paste code that you find (given that the code is open source and/or proper attribution is listed if required). Once you complete your first project, mark that off as a success, regardless of how much of the code was written from scratch. Then, set another goal, and repeat the process. As you code more and more, and as you look up the same questions, it is guaranteed that some of that information will stick. Suddenly you won't need to Google "How to define a list" or "How to declare an integer", or even "Why is my IF statement only returning TRUE". As you move along, you will begin to learn naturally, just don't be afraid to ask for help.
I am new on this website but I have been tutoring in Python for about two years now, and have been using it myself for about 5. Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like assistance in not only the Python language itself, but how to learn it in a way that it sticks.
