How to Practice Python Beyond 'Hello World!'

Want to finally learn Python? Are you stuck in theory and don't know how to start writing your own code? Don't worry! In this article, I’ll give you tips on how to practice Python. Get ready to quickly level up your programming skills.

Python is a highly popular programming language. Although it has been around for more than 30 years, Python’s popularity skyrocketed more recently. Part of this boost is associated with the rise of data science and machine learning; Python is often the programming language of choice in these domains.

However, Python is not limited to data science and machine learning. It is a general-purpose language and has lots of applications in many different domains, such as web development, mobile game development, and IoT.

Why Python Is So Popular

Let’s take a look at Python’s history so we can get an understanding of why it’s such a popular language. Python was created by Guido van Rossum in 1991. His main goal was to develop an easy and intuitive language that is as understandable as plain English; this new language would not be a hassle to learn. It would be suitable for everyday tasks, open source (so anyone can contribute to its development) and as powerful as its major competitors.

It’s not a surprise that a programming language that offers all of these features should be widely accepted and become one of the dominating players in software development. Python is definitely worth learning in 2022 if you plan to have a career in tech.

We have just mentioned that Python is not difficult to learn. However, understanding Python programming doesn’t happen in a day or two. Learning Python is a process that needs to be consistent and organized.

An aspiring Python learner should not be consuming random resources without a proper plan. The most important ingredient of this plan is practice. Our Python Basics 3-course track was designed to help beginners progress logically through the language; its 259 interactive exercises offer them the opportunity to practice while learning Python basics.

What’s “Hello World!” and Why Should You Move Beyond It?

Python practice is essential to improve your skills and actually achieve something with Python. In general, the more we practice, the better we get at a certain skill. As we keep practicing, the complexity of the problems we are solving should increase. The quality of practice is just as important as the quantity. Thus, we need to go beyond “Hello World!”.

“Hello World!” refers to a program that just prints “Hello World!” to the screen. These programs illustrate the basic syntax of a programming language and are usually the first piece of code a learner writes. The root of this tradition goes back to a 1978 book called The C Programming Language.

If you start learning Python from scratch, you’re likely to start with “Hello World!”. It is a good start, but it’s only a start. What you do afterwards needs lots of Python practice. When you choose an online Python course, make sure it contains a good amount of exercises and practice sessions.

LearnPython.com is offering Python Basics. Part 1 for free at the time of writing; this can well be a great first step into your Python career. It covers Python basics and the essentials of programming in 95 interactive exercises. We have also listed 5 resources to start learning Python elsewhere in our blog.

Finding Your Practice Mojo

Practice makes perfect, but how? Learning occurs when connections between the neurons in your brain are formed. There are millions of these connections; some get stronger while others weaken or are lost. To make these connections more robust and efficient, neurons need to be activated multiple times.

When it comes to learning a programming language, this activation is best done through practicing. Therefore, Python practice is of crucial importance to improve your skills.

There are a ton of online resources for learning Python. A quick Google search will bring you videos, books, articles, and online courses. You can learn theory by watching a video or reading an article, but learning a software tool does not have much to do with theory. In fact, there are videos and articles about coding as well. They explain how to get things done with coding step-by-step, which is easy to understand. However, when it comes to writing the code by yourself, you usually feel the need to check the article or video again. To eliminate this need, you need to practice coding on your own.

Keep in mind that consistency is paramount when learning Python. Let’s say you practice for 10 hours over a couple of days and then never code again for a month. This will not be very helpful. You are highly likely to forget what you learned in those two days.

Instead, try to code every day, even if it is for just 30 minutes. Make your neurons establish and strengthen connections by practicing daily. Here is a list of some additional tips for learning Python.

How to Keep Practicing Python

Interactive online courses are great for Python practice. You have the chance to practice right after you learn some new concept. Besides, the topics are well-structured and follow a logical order of progression.

Another advantage of interactive online courses is that they allow for coding in the browser without having to install anything. It sometimes is hard to set up a programming environment for practice, which might be a motivation breaker.

LearnPython.com has several courses and tracks to learn and practice Python. For instance, Learn Programming with Python track consists of 5 interactive courses that cover Python basics as well as some of the more advanced topics, such as built-in algorithms. It has over 400 coding challenges, which is a great amount of Python practice.

Another highly efficient practice method is to do projects. They usually do not follow a progressive path like online courses do. However, projects make you get your hands dirty. You eventually come in contact with a lot of different topics and concepts to finish the project. Moreover, when doing a project, you’ll inevitably encounter some unexpected issues. These can be annoying, but try to think of them as an opportunity to learn. You will definitely have the same issues when you start programming for real.

Since Python is a general-purpose programming language, there are many projects you can do with it. For instance, you can create a Python KPI Dashboard. Kaggle hosts numerous competitions, from beginner to highly advanced. If you plan to have a career in data science or machine learning, Kaggle competitions are very helpful. You will not only learn about data science and machine learning, but you’ll also improve your Python skills. Their House Prices project is a great way to take a step into machine learning; you’ll try to predict the price of houses given a few features.

Online Courses Help You Plan Wisely

The popularity boost of Python has resulted in a tremendous amount of resources. This sounds like a good thing, and it can be – but only if you handle it wisely. Having a rich selection of resources might turn into a waste of time instead of an opportunity. For instance, watching long hours of YouTube videos without doing any coding yourself will not be very helpful.

Another risk associated with excessive resources is not following a progressive path. If you start with advanced topics, it might break your motivation. You should start with the basics and gradually increase the complexity of the things you learn.

These risks are eliminated with online courses. The topics and exercises are structured in a way to follow a proper learning curve. This structure can be observed within each LearnPython.com course. Furthermore, some courses are grouped into tracks, which represent a set of topics that are best learned back-to-back. The coding challenges offer what you cannot learn from watching videos: real hands-on practice. I cannot emphasize enough the efficiency of learning a topic and challenging yourself with exercises right after.

Ready to Practice Python for Real?

We have mentioned several times that it is a must to practice a lot if you want to learn Python. But is it worth it? The short answer is YES!

Python is a general-purpose programming language, so you do not have to be a developer to use it. Python helps you improve your daily work, from organizing files in your computer to automating tedious tasks.

Let’s say you further improved your skills and are ready to work as a Python developer. In that case, a well-paid career awaits you. The number of Python job openings is high and seems like it will stay at that level for a long time. Read our article on Python jobs and salaries if you would like to learn more about a potential Python career.

Thank you for reading and happy learning!