How to Learn Python
As mentioned before, I don't want to teach you programming as part of this course. If you are interested in learning Python, you should follow these steps, but all of this is optional and certainly not required to complete the course. As this is basically the end, you're done now!
Codecademy Python 2
This is going to take a while, but Codecademy Python is the best way I've found to learn a first programming language. It is all done in an online editor and will let you progress with the appropriate hints. While you are working through this, use the amazing PythonTutor Visualization anytime you are trying to understand what is going on behind the scene with your code. It's super helpful and will help you understand debugging in a visual manner.
NOTE: If you already know a programming language and don't need to re-learn what a tuple is, or are already learning Python using a different site or course, let us know. We can customize your experience here, there is no hard rule you have to use Codecademy.
NOTE: If you are confident in your Python ability, submit a statement that you think you are ready to move forward and head on to the next section.
NOTE: Codecademy teaches the slightly outdated Python 2 language, instead of the more recent Python 3. This is not really a problem, the language is basically the same and what we are worried about is you learning how programming works, not exact syntax. Once you know Python 2, 3 is a just a few steps different.
The rest of this course will have you develop in Python 3, so you can build the skill of mentally translating syntax and learning a new language on the fly, a critical part of being a developer.
Keep us updated in Slack on your progress. When you are done, submit a screenshot of your completion certificate!!
If you get bored... just move on. Codecademy can kind of drag, and if you're bored, just keep moving. I promise you'll be fine without it for now, you'll just have to learn Python for real eventually.
No boredom, no drudgery!
Automate the Boring Stuff
If you want to get good at programming, you should go and complete all the exercises in Automate the Boring Stuff (https://automatetheboringstuff.com/) in Python 3. Once you have done that you will be capable of just about any scripting task in Python if you have the time to do your research and work through it.
For now, I just want you to work through Chapters 9-12 of the Automate the Boring Stuff curriculum. We skip the first few chapters, but you generally have learned them from CodeAcademy already. If you're having trouble with Chapter 9 (you probably will), step back a few chapters and work through them until you feel comfortable moving forward.
https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/chapter9
How to Learn C:
If you want to learn C, and you should to get a deeper understanding of computing, check out my rough roadmap once you have finished this course.
Projects Worth Doing
This is a random assortment of projects in different languages that I think are interesting.
https://www.hoppersroppers.org/library/interestingProjects.html
Teach Yourself Computer Science
If you really want to learn Computer Science properly, I recommend you work through https://github.com/ossu/computer-science/blob/master/README.md. It's a fairly comprehensive education.
I'm not a big believer in the importance of computer science to be a good hacker, but if you're someone who wants that academic background, it's worth checking out.
"Computer Science" is far outside of the scope of this course, so I'd prefer if you stuck around here, but the entire point of learning is following what you are interested in. No hard feelings if you go, just promise to come back!
If you go this route, I recommend you start at this course, as you already have some python experience. a href="https://github.com/ossu/computer-science/blob/master/README.md#introduction-to-programming" rel="noopener" target="_blank"https://github.com/ossu/computer-science/blob/master/README.md#introduction-to-programming</a>
Programming is something that takes a lifetime to get good at, so don't worry about being good at it for a while. Focus on making things that work just well enough to get the job done.