8th Jun 2022 9 minutes read

I Took the Python Basics Track... Here's What Happened!

It's time for me to share my story with you. In this article, you will find out how I started learning Python, why I chose the Python Basics track at LearnPython.com, and what pushed me toward programming. Changing my career path shows that anyone can start coding.

I started working in media while still a student. I liked how fast everything was; I liked being right in the middle of the action. For years, I worked in many editorial offices, both in newspapers and on news television. I was quite successful and I made a good living. From the outside, it seemed that I was fine.

But the reality was that the rush, constant pressure, and endless deadlines made me feel worse day by day. Even if I tried my best, I could never do everything. Time was always a limitation. I was constantly sleepy, ate unhealthy things, and skipped exercise.

What I missed the most was everyday contact with my family. A news journalist must be on constant alert almost 24/7; in such a situation, it is quite difficult to focus on household chores or even go for a walk with your wife and kid.

The decision to quit this career grew within me for many months. After another sleepless night, I told myself that I’d had enough! So, overnight, I quit my well-paid and prestigious job as a TV news editor, and ... I started to wonder what to do next.

How Did I Get Into Programming?

If you've never quit your job, let me tell you that this is quite an interesting moment in your life. First there is great euphoria and relief. You feel as if a great burden has fallen from your heart, a burden that has been crushing you for years. You are free at last!

But after a few days, you realize that it's time to make more decisions. Panic begins. What am I supposed to do now? I have been following this path for years and now I don't know what to do next. I traded in the stress of deadlines for the fear of the future. I had my family and a mortgage on my mind.

After I cooled down a bit, I started browsing through job offers. I was hoping to find some tips for my new career. I looked through job postings for hours and even went to a few job interviews. But I couldn't make up my mind. What do I really want to do with my life?

The world of media tempted me with high wages and a well-known environment. For a moment, I even considered going back to TV. But no! I needed a game changer!

Among the offers, I found one ad that caught my attention. An IT company located near my home was looking for new employees. I remember the position description was written a bit differently – more friendly and less corporate. I sent them my resume; they called. The company was called Vertabelo and they offered great programming courses on LearnSQL.com and LearnPython.com!

This is how I got to know a group of enthusiasts who formed an extraordinarily well-coordinated team with a vision and drive towards growth. One of the people who gave me a chance was my future boss, Łukasz. He's a great guy; you can read his story in SQL Means Business – The Way of an Engineer.

They hired me, although I still had no idea about programming. I had to catch up quickly – how am I supposed to deal with Python courses if I’ve never written a line of code in my life?

Until then, I associated programming with science fiction movies or hackers. Was I wrong!

My colleagues showed me online Python courses. They gave me a few Python books and a lot of useful tips on how to learn Python.

This is how I became a member of the LearnPython.com team. Years have passed since that day, and I have not regretted my decision even for a moment.

How Did I Start Learning Python?

I quickly realized how easy it is to learn using online courses. I’d associated online learning with boring hours of YouTube lectures. I've known people who learned different skills this way, but I never thought it was for me.

As it turned out, I was wrong again. I started with the Python Basics track at LearnPython.com and found the three courses in the track awesome! Yes, a news guy learning to program! Something that had been unthinkable a few months before was now becoming real.

However, I must admit that the delicious coffee in Vertabelo's office helped a lot during the process!

Turns out that there is no better first step to learning Python than our Python Basics Part 1, Python Basics Part 2, and Python Basics Part 3 courses. I know you are probably thinking that Vertabelo’s head of marketing has to say that about his own product. But it’s my honest opinion. I have had experience with other platforms of this type. Some of them weren't bad at all. However, none matched LearnPython.com’s ease of use or well-written interactive courses.

Anyway, you don't have to take my word for it. The first few exercises of each course at LearnPython.com are free to try. At the time of writing (May 2022), the entire Python Basics Part 1 course is also free. So you can check for yourself if I'm right, just register for free and start learning Python.

So I Took the Python Basics Courses

My greatest fear was that the technical issues would be too much for me. I’ve worked with computers all my life, but in the editorial offices there was always someone from IT who installed and set everything up for me. I didn't have to worry about anything. So I was afraid that I would have to install Python software myself if I wanted to learn to code.

Fortunately, LearnPython.com is an interactive platform. To use it, you do not need anything other than your favorite web browser and the Internet. Everything happens inside the browser-based online console, which makes learning much easier for people like me who do not come from the IT world.

In each lesson, you learn a given Python topic and immediately are tasked with writing some code. There is no unnecessary fluff or unrealistic examples. All Python challenges are based on real scenarios and tailored so that you can use what you learn in your own projects later on.

So I knew LearnPython.com was the right place to learn Python, even for newbies like me. All I had to do was sign up for a free account and start learning. And right away, it was a great experience.

Please note that I am not a developer. Back then, writing any code was to me like a string of meaningless characters and numbers. I really didn't know anything about programming in any language, much less Python. Fortunately, LearnPython.com has helped change that. Today I use Python at work, automating some tasks and creating scripts for marketing applications.

At first, I did not believe that I would be able to achieve anything in coding. I couldn't imagine that I could learn something new at my age. As it turns out, you can learn Python regardless of when you were born.

By completing the Python Basics track, I proved to myself that I can do anything. At a time when I needed it badly, it gave me self-confidence and the feeling that I was going to do something again, that I could achieve something more.

I Was Hungry for More Python!

I've learned many things in my life, but nothing as much fun as Python. It allows you to do a lot, from writing simple scripts to creating complex applications. You can find more Python applications in the article Why Use Python?

Python is also often used in data science, so everyone who wants to join this hot career trend should learn Python. Our track Python for Data Science was created especially for those people. I also finished that track, but it’s a story for another article.

As you can see, my development didn't end with the Python Basics track. I was hungry for more. Later, I finished other courses, eventually completing all that LearnPython has in its offer. I became a Pythonist!

You Too Can Learn Python!

The Python Basics track is the best choice for those looking to get started with programming. It consists of three interactive Python courses:

Python Basics. Part 1 – Enter the world of programming. Learn how to think like a developer and write Python code in 95 interactive exercises.
Python Basics. Part 2 – Learn how to work with Python lists and dictionaries and how to operate on files with these 74 interactive exercises.
Python Basics. Part 3 – Learn how to use tuples and sets, how to work with date and time, and much more as you complete these 60 interactive Python exercises.

All exercises are carefully organized, so don’t worry that you will be thrown in at the deep end. You will start with simple concepts and move on to increasingly difficult topics. If you put effort into learning and stay focused, you’ll complete all the exercises. And if you get stuck somewhere, you can always use a hint or ask support for help. You will definitely not be left all on your own!

After completing the final quiz and the entire track, you get a very cool thing – a certificate that you can post on LinkedIn or show your boss when you ask for a raise. My certificate for completing the Python Basics track was one of my first IT certificates, and I am very proud of it.

By the way, it's worth seeing how much you can earn after learning Python. Check the article Python Jobs and Salaries in 2022 to get the latest.

That’s My Python Story. Now It's Time For Yours!

This is my story. Now you know what happened when I took the Python Basics track. Thanks to my knowledge of Python, I do many things in my daily work much more efficiently; I’ve even delegated some of them entirely to a Python script, like sending mailings or creating data visualizations from Google Analytics and other sources.

Why couldn't you also make your life easier? Show your boss that you can do more, and they will surely appreciate and reward you for it.

If you need some tips on how to learn Python more effectively, read these articles:

Do you want to change your life? Need a little push to change jobs or launch a new career? Learn Python! I did it, and you can do it too. I believe in you! Then you can tell us your own Python learning story.

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