6 Ways To Build Your Skills in Python

A journey towards learning and mastering Python is one of dedication. As you embark on this process and endeavor towards getting a python certification, it’s vital to know how you can improve your skills faster. Some have a good idea of how to learn. Others struggle even with extract instructions.

There are several ways you can try and add more skills to your Python repertoire. Knowing how to do more complex things can fast-track your Python learning. Here are a few ways to build your skills in Python.

1. Keep Coding Everyday

Becoming a Python developer is a matter of repetition. No matter what kind of programming genius you are, if you don’t use the knowledge, you’re less likely to remember it. Consistency is very important when learning a coding language, more so when learning Python.

We recommend making sure you commit a few hours a day every day when you’re building your Python skills. Commit to your learning enough that the algorithms become muscle memory. At the most minimum, you want to commit around half an hour every day to make you comfortable typing the language.

At the same time, do your best to not have more than a 3-day gap between your practice. A multi-day learning gap can prevent your body from committing to the information you learn and 3 days is enough for you to forget the muscle memory. Learn a new concept every three days and keep practicing them until coding becomes second nature.

2. Write Down What You Learn

When you’re learning about the Python program terms, it’s best to write things out and take notes. Write out quirks and ways you believe can commit the terminology to memory. Sometimes, there are several uses for an IF statement that you can’t immediately remember that you may want to write down.

Writing information down can be a useful way to remember things. Studies show that learners who write down the information they discover can commit more to memory. If you’re also looking to become a full-on developer, writing down your findings can help towards your long-term retention. 

Many interviews in the future would need you to write code on a whiteboard to present it to your future employers. Once you start working on personal projects, write your algorithms by hand. Write out which functions you think you need, as well as classes and how they interact.

3. Go Searching In Github

For those who already have a little background in Python, a great way to build on your knowledge even further is to search Github. Github is the internet’s largest public repository of source codes and applications. 

As you search around, look for libraries that are of particular interest to your current projects or of particular interest. Read through these Github libraries. Why?

Depending on your style of learning, it’s best to read other people to learn more about syntax and idioms, as well as the Python Standard Libraries and third-party libraries. Among these points of interest, third-party libraries will expose you to more syntax that you’ve never seen before. This broadens your knowledge of libraries, as well as alternatives for several functions.

4. Learn Pythonic Style From Official Documentation

For new learners of Python, one of the most common ways to build your knowledge is to learn from books and tutorials. In most systems, books and tutorials will have one way of teaching you how to code. With that said, a better way to learn Python is to learn from the official documentation.

Python has official documentation that teaches you how to implement code properly. By doing so, you will have a lesser need for books and tutorials in the future. Rather, you will know how to implement pythonic styling for your code. Pythonic styling means your code leverages the beauty of the Python language.

There are several opinions when it comes to Python style guides and which one is the best choice. Even among Python veterans, everyone agrees that PEP8 is the commonly accepted standard for pythonic code. Get a linter to enforce PEP8 and start learning how to write beautiful Python.

5. Do Python Challenges

If you’re the type who’s looking to optimize your Python skills, coding challenges are some of the best ways to maximize your knowledge. Search for “Python challenges” online and find coding challenges designed for every coding skill level available. 

With these challenges, you’ll work not only on your Python skills but also on your problem-solving skills. Coding challenges drill you into learning the code, as well as developing your ability to solve issues and debug code. As your skills develop, you can go on harder challenges that will push you to learn more.

More importantly, do your best to get out of your comfort zone. Pick a challenge that you basically have zero ideas about how to do and write a script to solve the problem. You want to run across something that’s not a part of your skillset, which will force you to learn more and search for functions you don’t know.

6. Start With Small Projects

Much like any Python tip list, the most important part of learning is to create something every week. Start with small projects like a graphical user interface that you can finish within a few hours to a week. Push yourself towards slightly bigger projects every week. You can also pick and choose small projects to coincide with a bigger scale project.

At the end of the day, Python projects don’t have to be grand projects that span months, if not years, to make. A good way to use Python in your daily life is to create small snippets called scripts, which can help you automate and simplify your process.

Many of these scripts can reduce help improve your pipeline, reducing workloads and automating results when you need them. Many automation scripts can even reduce workloads by as much as 95%, which you can then spend on more productive tasks or more rest.

Final Thoughts

As you learn Python, you need to remember that it’s the start of a long journey of wonder. In most situations, you likely would start learning the foundations of the language first and eventually build on your mastery of the language. Once you possess a strong foundation with Python, the journey has only started.

Follow these tips and let us join you in your learning journey towards learning Python. Everyone starts somewhere, so start clacking your keyboards and get started today.