Hey everyone! I've been studying Python for about three hours a day, five days a week, for the past two months. I recently finished reading the 'Python Crash Course,' which took me around a month and a half. I tend to reread certain lines multiple times to grasp the concepts. My current study routine includes spending one hour reading new concepts, one hour solving Python exercises, and one hour working on projects from the 'Invent Your Own Games with Python' book. However, I feel like I might not be making the progress I should be. Is my routine okay, or should I consider making changes?
3 Answers
I think it's great that you're trying to put theory into practice! I usually tackle problems directly and research solutions when I get stuck. This approach allows me to understand challenges better, and I find it helps me focus my studies on what I truly need to learn. It could be worth trying out some hands-on coding exercises first before diving back into theory!
Honestly, it's crucial to clarify what you want to achieve. Are you aiming for a specific project, or is your goal to land a job as a programmer? Figuring this out can shape your study approach significantly. A good practice exercise would be to create a calculator app following PEMDAS rules. Start simple with addition and subtraction before building up to multiplication and division. This will help you think through the specific inputs and outputs you need, giving you clear goals for your study sessions.
It's crucial to have a routine you can stick with, but it’s also important to ensure it works well for you. You might want to mix things up a bit. Here's a 7-day plan that’s well-structured with only an hour of study each day.
- Day 1: Install Python and your code editor, then write a 'Hello World' script.
- Day 2: Focus on variables and data types like int, float, and strings.
- Day 3: Dive into control flow with if statements and loops.
- Day 4: Learn about functions and modules, including how to write your helper functions.
- Day 5: Get to know lists and dictionaries, including list comprehensions.
- Day 6: Practice file I/O operations and error handling.
- Day 7: Work on a mini-project like a Command Line Interface to-do list.
This can give you some structure and might help you identify areas where you need more practice without feeling overwhelmed!
Thanks for the advice! My goal is to develop algorithms for stock analysis, so I want to get comfortable with coding before moving on to a data analysis book.