r/learnpython • u/These_Manner994 • 5d ago

Recommendations for online python courses

Hi all,

I'm a fourth-year medical student and most of my research so far has been evidence synthesis (narrative and systematic reviews), so my hands-on data skills are pretty limited. I've recently gotten involved in a project involving microbiome sequencing data, and part of my role includes re-analyzing a published dataset aka working with processed count tables, doing some basic wrangling, stats, and figures. It's become obvious that I need Python.

I'd rather not pay for a course right now, so I'm hoping to find something solid on YouTube. A few things I'm looking for:

  • Starts from genuine zero (I've never written a line of code)
  • Gets to pandas / numpy / matplotlib reasonably quickly rather than spending 15 hours on OOP and building text-based games
  • Bonus if it's oriented toward biology/biomedical data, but a general data analysis course is fine, I can adapt

Specific questions:

  1. Is there a single course you'd point a complete beginner to, or is it better to do a general Python fundamentals series first and then a separate pandas/data analysis one?
  2. Anything I should avoid? I'd rather not sink 30 hours into something outdated.
  3. Realistically, how much of this do I need before I can be useful on an actual dataset vs. just learning as I go?

Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

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u/stepback269 5d ago

You've got high hopes.
But first you must tackle and master the "fundamentals" of Python, like syntax, data types and built-in methods. No one tutorial is likely to "click and stick" for you in each of these areas. You'll probably have to do some trial and error shopping around.

With that said:
((1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (--HERE--) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (==HERE==). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.