Python Learning Program for Absolute Beginners
Week 1: Getting Started with Python
- What is Python?
- Installing Python & using an IDE (like IDLE, VS Code)
- Printing to the screen (print())
- Variables & Data Types (int, str, float, bool)
- Comments and basic syntax
- Practice:
- Write a program that prints your name and age.
- Create a calculator that adds two numbers.
Week 2: Decision Making & Loops
- Conditional statements: if, else, elif
- Comparison operators: ==, !=, <, >, <=, >=
- Logical operators: and, or, not
- Loops: for loop, while loop
- range() function
- Practice:
- Write a program that checks if a number is positive, negative, or zero.
- Create a guessing game that gives the user 3 tries.
Week 3: Functions, Lists & Strings
- Defining functions using def
- Parameters and return values
- Working with strings (.lower(), .upper(), slicing)
- Lists: creation, indexing, methods (append(), remove())
- for loop with lists
- Practice:
- Make a function that returns the square of a number.
- Create a list of fruits and print them one by one.
Week 4: Dictionaries, Files & Simple Projects
- Dictionaries (dict): keys, values, looping
- Reading and writing to text files
- Basic error handling (try/except)
- Mini-project: Build a contact book or to-do list
- Practice:
- Write a program that reads a name from a file and prints a greeting.
- Build a dictionary of names and phone numbers.
Bonus: Tools & Resources
- IDE: https://thonny.org/ (great for beginners)
- Practice site: https://replit.com/ or https://pythontutor.com/
- Free course: CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python (Harvard)
- Cheat Sheet: https://www.pythoncheatsheet.org/
