This text is about my study at Fullstack as a web developer in Python. We have already published a couple of articles on the topic, so I will leave links to them.

But I understand that not everyone will have the time and patience to read additional articles, so I will repeat some of the main points. I decided to make the material in the form of questions and answers. I suppose it will be more useful.

Do you need programming experience?

Although, probably, a more precise formulation sounds like this: “How will I study if I have no programming experience at all and even with mathematics I am not at ease.” SkillFactory assures that no experience is needed, and I tend to agree with them for now. I will say more, you may not know anything about IT at all. The Introduction module is about two things. First, how to set goals correctly in order to accurately complete the training to the end (statistics say that from 40 to 80% of students drop out of online courses). Secondly, acquaintance with all the basic IT-terms and the principle of networking.

I’ll tell you a little about my experience. In fact, I have never been associated with programming.

At school I tried to study “Assembler”. Blaming others is the last thing, but still, I think that it is a methodological failure – instead of high-level languages ​​to give children to learn “Assembler”, which then did not start with binary code at all. Since then, I still have flashbacks about eternal stack overflow, Mov AX and carriage return. They would have shown me Python at school, and maybe my life would have turned out differently.

So far, learning Python is pretty easy for me. I suppose this is due to the fact that at work I often had to work in Excel, creating various forms, reports and models in it. In the course, I went through variables and learned about loops and conditions. In essence, these modules are very similar to what I did in Excel – to select such and such data from a set, and if they meet such and such conditions, then do this and this with them. Here, of course, it should be understood that if for Excel this is the main essence of the program, then for Python it is only the beginning of the path when they learn to handle data. While studying Python, I wondered why Microsoft is not implementing support for this language, because everything would become much easier with it.

Let me give you an example. In Python, to display a word backwards, use the command (s [:: – 1]) (where S is the variable containing the value to be flipped). And in Excel, for this, you need to use either the array {(= TEXTJOIN (“”, 0, IFERROR (MID (A1, LEN (A1) -ROW (A1: A50000) +1,1), “”)))}, or Visual Basic for Applications (this is the programming language that Excel supports) and write a 4-line program with the StrReverse () function.

What is the main difficulty in completing the course?

The advantage of online education is that you can sit down to study at any time – at home, in a cafe or even in transport (the latter option, of course, is fantastic, but I drove around the MCC, and there the Wi-Fi is good, the seats are comfortable, while driving, I managed to watch a third of the webinar). And the main problem is the difficulty of getting down to school. It is one thing when you have to arrive at a lecture strictly by 7 pm, it is another thing to force yourself to open your laptop and go to the site. Despite the fact that I like the learning process, I have to force myself. The situation is similar to the gym. No matter how much you love to train, your body will still try to take time off. And there’s nothing you can do about it, because for our brain that lifting weights and learning is a waste of energy. By the way, not everyone knows this fact, but our brain, even at rest, consumes 25% of the total energy of the body, so any additional effort is perceived by it as an irrational waste of energy.

So it takes a lot of willpower to complete the course. I think it was clear from the beginning, but I decided to prescribe this moment, so that without illusions. And then suddenly decide what will be like in a movie: epic music will turn on, fast forward, and in the next frame you pat Zuckerberg on the shoulder in a friendly way.

By the way, about Zuckerberg. On Facebook, he published an article “Building Jarvis” on artificial intelligence, but it is interesting that in the comments under the article on the question of which programming language is the best to start learning, Zuckerberg recommended Python.

Who is the course for?

This question echoes the previous one, but decided to single it out as a separate item. In order to study the course “Fullstack Web Developer in Python”, nothing is required of you except desire. And, perhaps, this is the main factor that determines who the course is designed for.

Once you start learning programming, you can understand this joke.

Despite the fact that from time to time the course is accompanied by funny pictures, in fact we have lectures (written and video) and exercises. At the same time, Python is a vast dynamic area, so, in addition to lectures, you constantly have to search and google something. The course encourages self-directed learning and posts regularly in searches of information. Some practical exercises assume that you know some of the information and you will find others on the Internet.

Accordingly, if I were asked to describe who the course is for, I would name two types of people. First, they are passionate people. Recently I was asked if the course is suitable for teenagers. And I wondered if this is a keen teenager who wants to learn and is looking for knowledge himself, then the course “Fullstack Web Developer in Python” is perfect for him. If you just want to captivate a boy or a girl with something, so that they do not hang out around, then it is unlikely that it will work. There is no fireworks of emotions here.

The second category of people is those who have firmly decided to learn, have set themselves the goal of mastering a profession, changing their lives, and making money. The income of Python developers and the dynamics of their salaries were analyzed in this material.

For example, SkillFactory promises that after completing the course, you will be able to program in Python and JavaScript, design interfaces (and then look at the picture below). I have no doubt that SkillFactory will give all this knowledge. The question is whether you have enough perseverance to work for yourself after your main job.

How is the learning process going? (Advantages and disadvantages)

Perhaps you have a different logic, but for me one of the biggest fears of online learning is to pay money and get an inadequate service, because the courses today have a wagon and a small cart. SkillFactory has both pros and cons.

As advantages, I would highlight:

• Good modules: clear explanations, everything is written in literate and simple language.
• There are many links to third-party resources, the course encourages you to look for information yourself and work with it.
• All questions can be asked in the Slack messenger. Slack, unlike traditional messengers, is more of a social network with channels. Each module has its own channel, and you can ask questions in the chat or use the search. For example, so far I have never had to ask, because similar questions have been asked more than once, starting with which version of Python is best to install, and ending with specific tasks.

• There is a friendly atmosphere in the chat, the curators chew all questions with the greatest patience.

• In addition to lectures, there are also video webinars, where the teacher shows how everything should work.

So far, in fact, I have found only one disadvantage in terms of content. Although I will add one more general one:

• No one will run after you asking if you have passed your homework and persuade you to study. Everything is designed for adults… Although the organizers went forward: if they started the training process, then three times you can go to the next training stream.
• Python is a dynamic language that is in the process of development, and sometimes difficulties can arise because of this. For example, in one of the tasks it is suggested to install the requests package (it does not matter what this package is and why it is needed). I popped in, but there is no such package, and the terminal gives an error, climbed into the table of contents of all packages and still could not find it, went to Slack – no one had any questions.

I was about to write a question to the curator, but I guessed to make a search by the name of the author of the package. It turned out that he finalized the package and changed the name to requesocks. I am taking the course late, so the main stream, who studied the topic a week before me, had no question. The material is likely to be updated before the next stream.

Why Python?

In the screenshot above, Zuckerberg recommends learning Python. In general, this is already a worthy reason for choosing. However, “why exactly Python” is a question that is asked by everyone to whom I tell that, they say, I decided to try. Frankly speaking, I am already tired of answering it. But the question is important, since today there are about 1000 different programming languages, and the main ones can be called at least 30. It is easy to drown in such a variety, so the choice should be taken deliberately.

Above I have already written that “Assembler” completely discouraged the desire to study something. Python, in turn, is a high-level language. And such languages ​​allow you to operate with semantic concepts, that is, instead of manually writing the addresses of variables, making sure that memory does not overflow, etc., you can use general commands – print, check, type, if, else, except. As a result, Python code is 3-5 times shorter than, for example, C ++ or Java code. Because of its simplicity, Python is called the programming language of the future. Although this statement provokes a wave of controversy. But look at the difference in approach. The first example shows how much effort it takes to write a program that outputs the classic “Hello world” phrase.

I won’t say what the second example does, but look at the right column with Python. I am sure that you will immediately understand everything, even if you do not know programming languages, and English has not been repeated since school.

One of the main advantages of Python over other languages ​​is its versatility. Not everyone knows, but even the very first Google search box was written in Python. However, even today, Python remains one of the main languages ​​in Google. The company has a rule to use Python wherever possible (otherwise C ++).

Another prime example of the use of Python is Instagram. They use Python and Spotify, and Netflix, and Facebook. Rather, you should not list those who use, but look for those who do not use. By the way, an interesting fact. Nokia used Python for its best classic operating system, the S60.

In addition to web development and programming, Python can be used for Big Data analytics, which in turn paves the way for the highly lucrative profession of Big Data analyst.

Instead of a conclusion: the main real difficulty

Recently I read a material in which recruiting expert Alena Vladimirskaya answers questions about job search and interviews. One of the questions sounded like this: “How to prove to the employer that he is ready to work in a new field for himself?”

Mrs. Vladimirskaya frankly says that it is difficult for people over 30 to enter a new field, as they will have to face the fact that “they are already overqualified for internship vacancies – they are afraid, even if the person wants to. And to the higher ones – there is no experience. ” SkillFactory understands this, so they cooperate with many companies and help promising graduates to get settled and break through the barrier.

So the recommendation is very simple: if you decide to spend time and money on studying, then you have to study very hard. More information on the Fullstack Python web developer course here.

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