My Python Learning Journey: From Basics to Building Projects 🐍💻
🚀 Introduction: Why I Chose Python?
In my learning plan, I set a goal to learn Python to enhance my career opportunities in technology, automation, and engineering applications. As part of my inquiry-based learning, I have explored Python fundamentals, worked on small projects, and documented my learning along the way.
💡 Why Python?
✔ Easy to learn – Simple syntax, beginner-friendly.
✔ Industry relevance – Used in data analysis, automation, AI, and cloud computing.
✔ Practical applications – Can be used for structural analysis, traffic simulations, and automation tasks.
🔗 Resources I Used:
📚 My Learning Process & Key Takeaways
Phase 1: Python Fundamentals
I started with the basics of Python, including
✔ Variables & Data Types
✔ Loops & Conditional Statements
✔ Functions & Error Handling
🛠 Problems I Solved in Phase 1
1️⃣ Problem: Finding the Longer of Two Strings
Task:
• Write a function get_longer(str1, str2) that returns the longer of two strings.
• If both strings are the same length, return the first argument.
💡Key Concept Learned:
✔ Using Python’s built-in len() function to compare string lengths.
✔ Writing conditional logic using if-else statements.
2️⃣ Problem: Calculating Tax on Food & Alcohol
Task:
• Write a function get_tax(food_cost, alcohol_cost) that calculates the total tax on restaurant bills.
• Tax rules:
• Food: 5% GST, 0% PST.
• Alcohol: 5% GST, 10% PST.
• Don’t round the final value.
💡Key Concept Learned:
✔ Handling floating-point arithmetic in Python.
✔ Structuring functions to handle real-world tax calculations.
🚀 Next Steps After Phase 1: Building on the Basics
Phase 2: Expanding into Intermediate Python Concepts
Now that i have understand functions, loops, and conditionals, it’s time to level up by learning:
🔹 Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – Learn about classes and objects to structure your code better.
🔹 File Handling – Work with reading/writing text files, CSVs, and JSON.
🔹 Error Handling – Learn how to use try-except blocks to make your programs more robust.
🔹 List Comprehensions & Lambda Functions – Write more concise and efficient code.
🔹 Solve More Complex problems