I started learning to code in seventh grade, but I'm now in tenth grade and haven't written a line of code in almost a year. Most people around me are focused on preparing for tenth-grade exams, and when I have free time I usually play games instead of practicing. I also tend to give up when my code doesn't work, even though I really enjoy the feeling of making something functional.
I want to restart from the basics, including loops and functions, and eventually learn enough Python to build a bot or similar project using topics such as asyncio and logging. With AI tools becoming more common, I'm also unsure how much I should use them while learning. What resources, study plan, and habits would you recommend for getting started again and staying consistent without neglecting my schoolwork?
3 Answers
A good Python path would be to work through Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. It’s available free online, and you should type the examples yourself rather than copying and pasting them. Once you understand loops and functions, move into a small bot project. That will naturally expose you to practical topics such as asynchronous code and logging. A reference site can help when you forget syntax, but use it to look things up rather than passively reading.
The most important thing is to start building something instead of waiting until you feel fully prepared. Pick a small project you actually care about and learn whatever concepts you need along the way. Books, structured courses, documentation, tutorial sites, and videos can all help, but setting your own goals will give you a reason to keep practicing. You can also learn a lot by talking with other programmers and comparing how they approach problems.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll try a few different resources and see which learning style works best for me.
Try practicing for about thirty minutes each day, especially while preparing for your exams. A short daily session is more sustainable than trying to study for many hours once a week. When something breaks, read the traceback carefully and search the exact error message. Avoid immediately asking an AI tool to fix everything, because debugging the problem yourself is where a lot of the learning happens. AI can explain concepts or suggest directions later, but your own problem-solving skills should come first.
I’ve heard of that book before, so I’m going to give it a serious try and focus on being consistent this time.