Python self-learning roadmap and learning method for complete beginners

The theme of this article is "Python Self-Learning Roadmap".

I learned Python by myself after I switched careers at the age of 32, so I will summarize it based on my past experience. Summarizing a self-learning Python route, I put together the questions that the students I have often asked me, and answer them one by one. For newbies, you must have the following questions.

I want to learn Python

• I don't know where to start.
• I don't know where to get hold of it.
• I don't know how to study.
• An unforgettable experience.
• I have confidence, but I will be frustrated.

My own true story, for reference.

The painful experience of a zero-based Japanese liberal arts student who became a monk and went ashore in Python

Before learning Python, we must first understand the characteristics of Python

9 reasons why Python is so popular and 4 future directions

How to teach yourself Python

1. Set the purpose of self-study

Motivation to learn.

If the purpose is not clear, you are likely to be frustrated along the way, and this is not limited to Python, but it is not easy to teach yourself programming.

For the situation of being frustrated in the middle and not halfway, you should never think about studying. Have you ever thought about why you should study? what do you study? What did you learn this for?

If you are not clear about these questions, there is a high chance that you will not be motivated to support your studies.

The characteristic of giving up halfway.

I have also seen a lot of people who give up halfway, and they often have the following characteristics:

• It may be useful to learn programming later.
• Everyone around me started learning programming.
• Learning Python seems to be useful for changing jobs.
• Passive, mandatory learning Python programming.

The situation mentioned above is what happens to most people, and it is still a matter of way of thinking to sum up.

Recommend a book "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is an acclaimed psychologist at Stanford University and a health educator for the Medical Health Promotion Program.

Don't mistake behavior that supports goal achievement for the goal itself. Progress can be motivating and even improve future self-control, but only if you take your actions as evidence of your efforts to accomplish your goals. In other words, you need to know what you're doing and stay focused on your goals. Focus on commitment to yourself, not mere progress. To achieve your goals, you have to be willing to give more.

In conclusion, think in terms of future standards. When you feel it is difficult to make an effort, consider your feelings about your current behavior from the perspective of the future. To put it bluntly, don’t regret driving you forward.

A sense of purpose is what drives continued learning.

It is estimated that there are many people around you who started learning with the purpose of temporarily delaying it, and fell into an endless loop in the process of acquiring knowledge → thinking about application methods and usage methods.

I also learned a lot when I was in school, but I didn't know where to use it.

So the answer to this question comes out in reverse.

A process of "determine the purpose → determine what needs to be learned → start learning".

For example, the reason why a student wanted to learn programming at first was "to collect and analyze the information needed for stock investment from the Internet", and then I told him that he needed to master the crawler to obtain data and the regression model to do stock analysis, so that the goal was established.

A clear purpose allows for effective learning.

What is needed and what is not can be quickly determined, so if you prioritize what you need to achieve your goals, you will be able to learn the fastest.

The language to be learned with a clear purpose is naturally determined.

Whether or not learning Python is really optimal also depends on that purpose. If you want to develop applications, you should learn Java etc, not Python. Programming has different uses and things that can be done depending on the language. Without knowing which language to learn, the purpose of learning to program may not be clear.

For specific things that Python can do, such as machine learning, you can refer to it. First, you can have a simple understanding.

Eight very important application areas of machine learning, each of which affects our lives

2. How to teach yourself for free

The best way to learn varies from person to person

Some people buy books to learn, while others use websites where they can learn to program, which learning method is not the best, and the best learning method varies from person to person.

I personally recommend using the website to learn. There is no need to spend money to sign up for classes, but to find learning materials.

There are several self-study websites recommended here, almost none of which have been posted. Many courses for learning Python in China are to carry the content here.

W3schools

geeksforgeeks

realpython

Chinese is not recommended here, because the translation quality of many institutions is uneven, just watch the English version and learn it yourself, this can quickly improve your skills, not only programming, but also English.

You may ask why the book is not recommended, because the timeliness of the book is too low, and the version may have changed several times after it was published, and many of the codes in it can't work. Looking at the tutorials on the website is the best option.

3. Get what you need

Currently only a PC or laptop is required

What do you recommend for a computer? There is no need to buy a good one, just the daily office level, just figure it out for yourself.

Mac is not recommended here, the price/performance ratio is too low, and it is OK to install an X.

Install Python and get started

Refer to these two articles for tutorials on installation.

A nanny-level guide for IT beginners to install Python on various systems

The correct posture and update method of installing PyCharm in Python IDE

learn basic grammar

The general learning route is as follows, the specific content can pay attention to other articles in the column.

My Python self-taught road

4. Know your area of ​​expertise

You can do a lot with Python.

To sum up, Python mainly has 5 directions:

• Development and implementation of artificial intelligence models such as machine learning (scikit-learn, tensorflow)
• Data collection/analysis/visualization (requests, Pandas, Numpy, Matplotlib, Seaborn)
• WEB service/application (Flask, Django)
• Natural Language Processing (spaCy, GiNZA, Mecab)
• Business efficiency and automation, etc. (Pandas, requests, bs4)

5. Earnestly accumulate practical experience

Experience is a weapon.

There are various ways to gain practical experience:

• Participate in Kaggle Challenges.
• Use Kaggle's code to reference actual business.
• Develop your own programs such as the Web.
• Try to use the convenience in your daily work.
• Change the job to one that can use Python.
• and many more…

You may hit a wall in the middle, but don't give up, everyone has to go through the process from 0 to 1.

I'll tell you from my own experience that it's okay.

With zero basic data analysis, I spent half a year using credit card transaction data modeling to assist the police in cracking down on a telecommunications fraud group

For those who are considering self-study

I'm self-taught, so giving my own advice for reference.

1. How long does self-study take?

• It takes about 30 hours to learn basic grammar, and you can watch the video corresponding to the column article to learn.
• Will be able to write my own programs for about 100 hours (can start after understanding the basic syntax).
• Be able to use about 200 hours at work (know basic syntax + do some service yourself).
• Will be able to put about 500 hours on a resume (know the basic grammar + do some services yourself).
• This would be about 200 hours at a level where you can do a side project (know the basic syntax + create the service yourself at worst).
• Ability to communicate with senior peers (requires constant learning of new content).

Numbers based on my self-taught Python experience, so it won't work for everyone. If you have any questions, you can leave a message or private message me.

2. Dare to try, not afraid of making mistakes

After all, practice is the only criterion for testing truth.

Give up without even trying, maybe one day in the future you will regret why you didn't persevere in the first place.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, work hard to find the answer, and slowly you will become an expert.

If you are afraid of self-study, it may be that your cognition and learning method are wrong. It is recommended to reconsider the learning method and your own learning method, and choose the one that suits you.

Maybe the study method you choose is not suitable.

3. Programming is a means, not an end

Learn to code to achieve a certain goal, while thinking about how what you have learned can help achieve the goal. The key to staying motivated is to be in an environment where you can feel your growth and progress.

It is easier to stay motivated if you can feel that you are getting closer to your growth and goals through daily learning.

4. Do I need to apply for a training institution?

Not recommended.

** There are many pitfalls to walk, you should know what the training institution will not say before learning data analysis and changing careers
**

Seven things you must know before you sign up for a training institution

The major self-media and media are all Python advertisements, and it has to be said that it is the pursuit of a certain demand in the capital market. But is there a problem with some sensible people who calm down and think about these things?

The following 7 questions are also the questions that I have summarized in my lectures in schools, training institutions, and answering questions in various forums. Those who have questions can leave a message. You can update to N and ask.

Here is an example of data analysis. In fact, learning Python is the same.

• Is zero-based data analysis good for employment? The institution does not have "Jiuyang Shengong"
• Learn data analysis on your own, don't put your hopes on training institutions
• Is it useful to have so many 3-5 month courses from an all-purpose training institution?
• Are omnipotent training institutions really as reliable as they say they introduce jobs?
• There is no way for a universal training institution to package your resume perfectly
• Are all-purpose training institutions really as high in wages as they say?
• Training institutions are so pitiful, what should I do if I want to learn?

Well, that's all I can think of, if you have any questions, please leave a message or private message me. Finally, don't forget to follow and like.