Learning Python is one of the best ways to get a job as a developer. Learning Python lets you write code for the web, machine learning, artificial intelligence and solve complex problems. Python is widely held as one of the best first languages to learn as it make the fundamentals easy to grasp but doesn't limit what you can build and scales to the largest software projects in the world.
With the average US Python developer salary now over $100,000 per year it's also a very profitable language to learn. So, what are the best ways to learn Python?
1. Learn Python With CS50 (3 months)
If you have no programming skills at all and have the time to start at the beginning then Harvard's free online CS50.net class is a great place to start, it takes you through a couple of other languages first but you land up learning Python in the second half. This course is amazing but it has a time commitment as it starts with the fundamentals so is very much "bottom up" learning.
2. Learn Python by Automating The Boring Stuff (6 weeks)
This book "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python", which is made available for free by the author, takes a practical approach to learning Python by showing you how to automate boring tasks like bulk file renaming and completing online forms. A great first primer on the language and it has been many peoples first introduction to coding.
3. Learn Python The Hard Way (6 weeks)
Learn Python "The Hard Way" is more a branding term than anything else so don't be put off! This just means that the author expects you to type out and execute all the code in the book so really learn the language. Version 2 of this book used to be free and this is how I learnt Python, version 3 is $29.99 and is widely regarded as worth the investment (in both money and time).
4. Learn Python on Udemy: 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp for 2022
Already updated for 2022 the 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp for 2022 course it's the clear winner of Udemy Python courses. With 60 hours of content video this course takes you from having no Python to being able to build applications and solve problems with it. Udemy has sales on all the time so remember to never pay full price, just wait a week or two and they will have it on sale.
5. Learn Python With a Youtube Crash Course (90 minutes)
Brad Traversy has a jam packed Python crash course that goes through everything you need to know in 90 mins. Probably best for those of you with some programming knowledge but even for a complete beginner this will give you a broad overview and help decide if Python is for you.
Learn Python Summary
What ever way you decide to learn Python remember that learning is just the start, you need to build projects, solve problems and practice, practice, practice. For that there is no better list of sample projects than my post 30 Developer Portfolio Project Ideas.