During my high school days, I was taught the importance of building a Solid Foundation in whatever area I want to venture into in life. I learned this great lesson from my Chemistry tutor who liked asking us random chemistry fundamentals in every class we had with her. It was very embarrassing then as we repeatedly failed to answer her questions correctly each time 😌. So I decided to go back and learn the fundamentals of chemistry then.
Almost every programming language you will learn will get you to print 'Hello world'. Most people have made the mistake of stopping here. But there is more to just printing 'Hello world', in the real sense, you get started when you must have used everything you learned to build a meaningful project. I never thought of myself as a python programmer until I was able to build my first project (Game).
Before we move further, let's Explain what Python Language is.
Python Language is a popular programming language that is widely used in a variety of industries which includes: web development, data science, machine learning, etc. Becoming proficient in python can open up many opportunities for your career and personal development.
Here are some steps you can follow to become proficient in Python programming.
Familiarize with the Fundamentals:
Learn the basics of Python programming, such as variables, data types, control structures, functions, and classes.
Become an Active learner through Practice:
Many beginners think that watching tutorials on Youtube and websites most times the examples given by tutors seem simple, making them assume they understand it perfectly. But in a real sense, you can only understand how the code works by testing it in your IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to see if it gives the same output as that of the tutor. Once you succeed in getting the output, try changing the variables to your own choice, this action gives you a better understanding of how code works.
Read code written by others:
Reading code written by other programmers can help you understand different programming styles and techniques. You can find code samples on GitHub, Stack Overflow, and other online forums. Read Python books and blogs about python programs to deepen your knowledge. Please don't forget to practice while reading through.
Contribute to Open-source Projects:
Contributing to open-source projects can help you learn from experienced developers and improve your coding skills. you can find open-sourced projects on GitHub.
Attend Meetups and Conferences:
Seize every chance you get to attend local Python meetups and conferences to meet other Python developers, learn about new tools and technologies, and get inspired.
Build a Project:
In this stage, you need to use all that you learned to build a project. You don't have to be perfect to do this, but you only have to believe in yourself.
You find a project to work on by looking around you and finding a problem to solve. it's important to build what interests you. Find tutorials where a similar project was built and make it your guide.
Never Be in a Hurry to become a Pro:
Always remember that becoming proficient in python programming takes time and effort, so you should not be discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Keep practicing and learning, and you will gradually improve your skill.
Conclusion: This article has highlighted some of the best practices for becoming proficient in python programming. However, consistent and intentional actions, adaptation to new ways of doing things and new technology will contribute greatly in making one a pro in this field.
As you advance in python programming journey, find ways to reach out to others (beginners), this maybe through : blogging, contributing to open-source etc, to help them grow.
The more you share your knowledge, the more you learn and the better you will become.
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Cheers!!!