Programming is one of the most important aspects of being a Data Scientist - it's sort of like the glue that binds together the statistics, artificial intelligence, the visualisation, and so on.
It's not easy, though, especially if you're just making the transition to it.
On the other hand, there are some programming languages that are easier to learn than others, and Python definitely ticks this box.
Python is one of those programming languages that is really easy to learn (compared to other languages like C++ and Java), and explains why it has become the most used programming language for Data Science. There are loads of short cuts, plug-ins, packages and all sorts of things that can really help you make the best of your time.
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Probably the biggest advantage that Python has over other languages is that it is quick to get started, simple to learn new routines and increases productivity and speed. Don't believe me? Well, Yahoo, Google, Disney, ABN Amro, NASA, Nokia, IBM and the CIA all use Python! Oh, yes, and Chi-Squared Innovations too...
Over the years, as I've taught myself to program, stumbling about in the dark, struggling to solve the simplest of things, I wish I'd had help. I know I would have been a better programmer and I wouldn't have wasted so much time. Oh my, the amount of time I've wasted over the years. It's enough to make a grown man cry.
If you're not sure how to get started with Python or whether you're looking to improve your chopping and hacking skills, there are loads of video courses at Udemy that are taught by people who really do know what they're doing. I'm highlighting 6 of them here - the highest rated and most popular Python courses at Udemy.
These instructors will help you with your first steps - writing your first program, installing packages, plotting some simple graphs and computing statistics.
Right now Udemy have a Black Friday offer on and these courses are deeply discounted. They are usually offered for up to £/$/Euro 200 but are on sale right now for a few days at just 10 £/$/Euro - so grab them while you can!
If you're reading this at some other time of the year, not to worry - Udemy have regular sales, so just click on through. If there isn't a sale on, just return here, register for our newsletter and we'll let you know whenever the sales are on.
A quick reminder - once you've enrolled for a particular course, you get lifetime access to it, even when the course is updated.
Top 3 Python Courses at Udemy
These are the highest rated Python courses at Udemy, and have been taken by hundreds of thousands of students. They are great for beginners and will get you up and running in no time.
Another 3 of the Best Python Courses at Udemy
These next 3 courses are by no means inferior to those listed above. To be honest, I intended only recommending 3 courses in this blog post, but I just couldn't narrow it down to 3, so I'm recommending 6 - and it was hard to narrow it down to these. There really are a lot of great Python courses at Udemy!
Summary
There are loads of Python courses at Udemy, not just the ones listed above. If none of these take your fancy, have a look around and I'm sure you'll find others that you might like.
Final word - when you've done any of these courses, please return and leave some feedback and a review in the comments below. If you loved the course, great - come and tell us. If you hated it, that's great too - leave a comment saying what you didn't like about it.
If you discover a better course out there, let me know - I may write about it in another blog post!
This blog post is part of a series on learning to be a Data Science Ninja - check out the other posts in the series below:
All 7 posts in the series:
