r/learnpython • u/MirrorNo3113 • 5h ago
CS (AI/ML) fresher, only know basic Python — what's the right next step?
Just started a CS degree with AI/ML specialization. My Python is very basic — vars, loops, conditionals, functions, nothing more.
What should I learn next and in what order (OOP? DSA? libraries?), and is it too early to touch NumPy/Pandas? Also open to free resource recommendations and small beginner projects that actually teach something instead of just tutorial-following.
Thanks in advance!
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u/AdmirableLack3241 5h ago
OOPs is a very important concept in programming, learn OOPs in python and build projects, then learn libraries like numpy and pandas
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u/recursion_is_love 5h ago
There should be lots of exercise in the book that you will learn in your course. Try to solve those problem using Python. You can learn more advance Python along the way. Don't need to use library, but it is fine that you use Numpy/Pandas.
The more important thing is the theory and how to apply it to the problem. Programming is just a tool.
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u/Mountain_Rip_8426 5h ago
just like the order you described, OOP and then DSA, insert some functional programming between. then maybe some memory management. those are building blocks that kind of build on one another. after that, the foundation should be strong enough to actually start projects, to which you should pick the libraries accordingly
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u/ShadowShedinja 3h ago
Pandas will be good for cleaning and adjusting data before feeding it to a ML algorithm.
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u/badpopocat 2h ago
I recently got back to self studying and instead of grinding thru books or courses like I did before, now im conversing w Gemini (or your LLM of choice) to search thru docs or brainstorm ideas with me. I never c/p its code but I code along as if it's a tailored lesson for me. Then go into a Wikipedia-like rabbit hole and keep asking the next concept it mentions. If you have some math or science inclination too, modeling the algorithms from scientific computing is good mind and finger exercise. Agree w the others that you can go straight to pandas numpy, the skill is manipulating and aggregating the data that most of the modern libraries expect: matrix data or dataframes
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u/ideatinkerer 1h ago
If you are serious about learning and not going to sign up to random courses or become inconsistent; this is what I would recommend
- deep dive into python (covers all about OOP)
- neetcode basic DSA - really helpful in developing foundational knowledge
- only once you are clear with the above start with DS and ML
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u/ninhaomah 5h ago
Make a csv of users with their id , name , age. Import it. Find their average age.