Python for Beginners¶

Overview¶

This is a beginner Python course built around in-person communication on-site. The focus is on how to use Python to explore, understand, model and solve practical problems. The aim is to become aware of what Python can actually do for you, whether you want to automate an everyday task or understand a math problem at school. If you come with a concrete problem in mind, we can discuss it and create a plan for approaching its solution (you will receive follow-up guidance throughout the course, beyond the scheduled sessions).

Target audience¶

People of all ages are welcome (16 and above). We do not assume prior experience with python or math. It would help if you have used some other programming language before (even if you don't remember the details), but this is not a prerequisite. However, we assume that you have your own computer that you can bring and work with¹ — learning to program is not a spectator sport, you have to jump in and get your hands dirty.

What will I learn?¶

You will learn:

• To use GitHub to collaborate on a project, as well as basics of Git.
• To formulate and solve problems using Python:
  • basic syntax, expressions, and statements
  • how and when to use: lists, dictionaries, sets, tuples, ...
  • string processing
  • control flow: loops, conditionals
  • functions, error handling, working with files
  • object-oriented programming.
• To use the python ecosystem.
• To visualize data in a Jupyter notebook using Matplotlib.

In the end, you will have a solid base to build on.

Course format¶

This is an in-person, on-site course. We will have live coding sessions from 09:30 to 17:30 (with an hour and a half of lunch break) four Saturdays in a row starting on 9 May. Whenever needed, we can organize dedicated discussion sessions via e.g., Google Meet for follow-up and to address pressing questions.

This is 30 hours of live-coding on-site and month-long follow-up. This will help you jump-start you next project.