ZOD: Where to Learn Python (For Free!)
Zen of Data Science #13
The Big Idea
Free resources are amazing!
How much money have you spent learning to code?
Every course out there seems to charge an arm and a leg, and only a few of them are actually worth the money.
But recently I’ve been finding more and more free resources…
HIGH QUALITY free resources,
and I wanna share them with you.
Today, let’s talk about Python.
If you remember last week I said “if you’re not building you’re not learning”.
Well a few weeks ago I started MOOC 2024 from University of Helsinki.
It’s a completely free course designed to teach you Python from absolute beginner, to advanced.
And the best part is every section has you build MULTIPLE mini coding projects to practice what you’ve just learned.
Not just that, but it has you debugging code along the way too (an extremely important skill to master).
The second resource I found is Exercism. I’m honestly shocked this is a free platform. It’s insanely detailed, they have just about every coding language you could imagine, and again, it’s project-based learning so you can actually do something with the skills you’re building.
Here are just a few of the exercises on there:
I highly recommend you check out one, or both, if you need to touch up your coding skills.
Project-based learning is the only way to go, and it’s awesome to see so many platforms providing free resources like this.
What I’m Reading
This week I’ve been reading The Great Rat Race Escape by MJ DeMarco
It’s a half fiction, half non-fiction book on how to break free from the cycle of mediocrity and wage slavery, and gain your financial freedom.
It might sound a little gimmicky, but it’s not some get rich quick book that ends with “Buy my course and I’ll tell you how!”.
Instead it talks about many of the lies we’ve been told about wealth creation, and how to build wealth for yourself. Not when you’re 65, but now, within the next decade or so.
If you’re burnt out of the 9-5, always wanted to be an entrepreneur, or feel like “there’s gotta be more to life than this”, I’d recommend this book.
I’ve learned so much, and it has re-inspired my entrepreneur dreams in a big way.
Quote of the Week
“You need to be doing fewer things for more effect instead of doing more things with side effects.”
— Gary Keller
I talked about this on YouTube this week, and it’s so important to understand.
You have to do fewer things, but do them extremely well.
If you’re hopping from thing to thing, you’re never going to make real progress. Find one thing, and go all in on it.
(Here’s the video in case you missed it)
Something Interesting
This video on how to turn your phone into a “Dumb Phone” is pretty interesting.
If you don’t know what a dumb phone is, it’s basically a movement where people are simplifying their smartphone use, either by buying older phones like flip phones, or by modifying their iPhone/Android to be more minimalistic.
If you struggle with too much time on your phone, this could be life changing.
Feel-Good Finds
A great response to the return to office push. 😆
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
– Josh