Compared to JavaScript, I found Python easier to learn, but don’t worry if it’s taking you a lot of time to learn programming with Python, especially if you are new to coding. This is a common experience. I had a false start with several Python tutorials and free programming courses that were offered on Codecademy.
After my initial struggles, I realized that my learning curve was going to be high without the right course. It took some time, but I eventually discovered some excellent resources, and I will cover them later in this post. Let’s first explore why it’s important to learn Python if you wish to work in a high-paying technical field.
Why Learn Python?
There are several good reasons to learn Python. First of all, the Python programming language is versatile. It is used in data analysis, web development, machine learning and many other applications. Once you understand the basics, you can easily specialize in one of these areas.
Second, there are several different ways you can run Python on your computer. This allows you to build skills working in different coding environments, which is a skill employers value. Some of the ways you can work with Python include:
- Through an integrated development environment like IDLE.
- From the command line on your computer.
- With Jupyter notebooks or Anaconda if you are using Python libraries for data science.
We will explore each of these options in more detail below.
Third, compared to languages like C++, it is easier to learn syntax for Python. This is why it is a popular programming language for beginners and professionals. If you need more proof that this is true, check out the web developer survey Stack Overflow. As a programming language, Python is consistently rated one of the most loved languages among web developers and software engineers.
Fourth, Python becoming more popular with employers. When I first moved to the upper midwest five years ago, there weren’t many jobs for Python developers. Today, however, there are jobs for Python programmers everywhere I look. Local businesses are using it for back-end web development, machine learning, and data analysis.
Because Python is popular, versatile and used extensively in technology, it is an important programming language to learn. Once you know the basics of Python, you can specialize in one or more of these areas as your skills grow.
If you would like to become a data analyst, for instance, it would also be beneficial for you to learn SQL once you have learned some Python.
Programming Environments
The IDLE shell is a great choice if you’d like to check one or two lines of code or if you are trying to debug an error. If you are ready to get stated and try Python, you can check out this download Python for your computer. Once you install the correct version for your operating system and they are running, you’ll have the option to install IDLE, too.
I wouldn’t recommend the IDLE shell, though, once you are writing more robust programs with several lines of code. For a more complex project, you can write Python code into a text editor and run the program from your command line. When you are ready to take a course on Python, you will learn how to type commands into your terminal window and run your programs.
If you decide to work as a data analyst or a data scientist, you will use Jupyter notebooks. This is a web application for popular Python libraries that use data like numpy and pandas. You can also use Jupyter notebooks to visualize data.
Where To Learn Python
One of my favorite Python courses is Colt Steele’s The Modern Python 3 Bootcamp. If you are familiar with my blog, you likely know that I have been recommending his courses for years. I credit him with helping me learn the more difficult parts of JavaScript, and I found his Python course on par with the quality I have come to expect from his courses.
As a former coding bootcamp instructor, Colt specializes in breaking down programming concepts so that they are easy to learn. This is especially helpful if you are a beginner and learning how to program for the first time.
The first few lines of code are always a struggle, so having a guide like Colt Steele is an important first step to becoming a competent programmer. It is also completely natural to encounter challenges as you get deeper into programming, and Colt understands this well since he has helped so many students become successful.
His 30-hour course covers Python basics and then offers some experience with different areas of Python, like web development, web scraping and SQL. Sampling several types of coding tasks will help you decide where you would like to focus your professional efforts.
If you have been struggling to learn programming, I hope this blog post gives you some hope. Learning to code is a challenging experience. If you start with a language like Python, though, and take a course like the Modern Python 3 Bootcamp that explains concepts clearly and offers you the ability to practice, you will set your self up for success.
