A Taste of Python | Daniel.Me

A Taste of Python

Date: November 29th, 2022

Back when I was first jumping into the wild world of programming, like most newbies, I didn't have a clue where to start. What language? Design what? What tools do I need? Where do I even start? I started out dabbling in a bit of python as I learned basic syntax any beginner must know, such as functions, loops and array manipulation. I got the dreamy eyes of creating my own indie game and started up some C# game project that went nowhere. Ultimately, I put my effort into Javascript, and decided creating full-stack applications like Teachery was the first thing on my list I wanted to realistically learn. Creating JS applications taught me to understand language syntax that would carry me over to future languages.

Just a Taste

For some intro level credits while I was waiting to start at Western Governors University, I took a few classes at Sophia Learning. One of those courses was Intro to Programming with Python. This was my first time straying from the world of JS/TS. I found it true that once you understand the syntax of one language, moving to another language is a lot easier to get in and start working. The nuances of each language you can quickly learn, via docs and some helpful guides, but the study of shared programming ctices such as functional and OOP programming, conditional statements, and variables should all feel very familiar. It certainly helps your confidence when you come to the realization you can jump from one language to the next, and not feel like you have to start your learning trek from the beginning.

Introduction to Python Programming Review

This Sophia intro programming class teaches the basics of computer programming, including data types, classes, simple algorithms and testing. I was very impressed with the layout of the learning, and pace for beginners. I felt it started off easy enough for somebody new with programming, yet a useful refresher for a seasoned developer just needing to understand the differences from languages they have previously learned. Throughout each unit, as you learn new concepts of the Python language, you slowly build a new application, and the apps become more complex as you go. It drives home the learning materials, and is a fantastic learning method for beginners.

The early exams were quite easy for someone like me who has experience with coding. However, the final couple exams test your understanding of bugs and gotchas with the Python language, and test your ability to solve a problem.

The graded final exam takes you through the whole journey of building your first app, and is open-ended where you create the user story for the app, and bring it alive from creating the scope, pseudo code, to the final application with tests. You are expected to fill out a journal of your journey from beginning to end, and submit your app. It's a great way to prove what you have learned, and force you to start looking out of the class text and search for answers from other sources to make the app the way you want. Whether you want some college credits, or just want a good intro to programming, I have to give my highest recommendations to Introduction to Python Programming.

Vocab Quiz - Sophia Learning Project-Based Assessment

I invite you to view my final project, which received a perfect 100/100 score from the evaluator. The project can be tested and toyed with at Replit, or view the code on Github. If you'd like to learn more about the project I created, head on over to the project page.

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