On the off chance that I could offer my previous self one piece of guidance when I was attempting to learn Python as a fledgling, it would be this: make more Python projects.

Learning Python can be troublesome. You can invest energy perusing a course reading or watching recordings, yet then, at that point battle to really incorporate what you've realized. Or on the other hand, you may invest a huge load of energy learning language structure and get exhausted or lose inspiration. (That happened to me. A great deal).

How might you expand your odds of progress? By building Python projects. That way you're learning by really doing what you need to do!

Python Projects: Why Are They So Important?

Building projects assisted me with bringing all that I was learning. When I began building projects, I quickly felt like I was gaining more headway.

Venture-based learning is likewise the way of thinking behind our showing technique at Dataquest, where we show information science abilities utilizing Python. Why? Since consistently, we've seen that it works!

Chipping away at things that you care about assists you with staying with your examinations, in any event, when difficulties arise.

In any case, it very well may be hard to assemble Python projects for novices. Where do you begin? What makes a decent task? What do you do when you stall out? In this article, we will discuss:

What you need to do before you assemble your first undertaking.

What makes a fruitful undertaking.

Systems to utilize when you stall out.

Instances of how to choose the ideal venture.

Why Building Projects Is the Best Way to Learn

First, let's take a look at why a project-based learning approach is so effective.

Motivation: Have the Momentum to Keep Going First, building Python projects helps you learn more effectively because you can choose a project or topic that interests you.

This helps you stay motivated, which is important in preventing you from giving up when things get tough.

Efficiency: Only Learn What You Need To

The second reason a project-based approach works is that there's no gap between learning the skill and putting it into practice. You won't waste time learning irrelevant things, because you’ll be actively trying to learn the specific things you need to build your project.

This also means you will get where you want to go a lot faster. If you’re trying to learn Python for data science by building data science projects, for example, you won’t be wasting time learning Python concepts that might be important for robotics programming but aren’t relevant to your data science goals.

Problem-Solving: Learn the Key Programming Skill

Problem-solving is a key skill when working with Python (or any other programming language). When you're building a project, you're going to have to come up with ways of approaching problems and solving them using code.

Building projects thus forces you to practice what is perhaps the most important skill in programming. And the more practice you can give your brain in solving problems with code, the faster your skills will develop.

Portfolio: Use Your Projects to Help You Get a Job

The fourth and final reason that building Python projects works for beginners is that you can get a head-start on getting your first job (if that's your goal).

When employers are looking to hire entry-level candidates, they want to see that you have the key skills they need. A great way of achieving this is having a portfolio of relevant projects that demonstrate your skills.

If you’re looking for your first job in the field, employers are going to want to see tangible proof of your Python skills. In other words, they’re going to want to see what projects you’ve built.

If you're interested, you can read more about building a portfolio in our Data Science Career Guide (which while aimed specifically at people looking to get into data has advice that's equally valuable if your goal is another application of Python!).

Before You Build Your First Python Project

If you have some programming experience, you might be able to dive straight into building a project. For most people, however, you'll need to take a little time to learn Python basics first. The idea here is to spend a small amount of time to learn these basics so you have what you need to dive into projects.

Once you have learned some of the basics, it's normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. You are learning something totally new, after all. Even though you might not feel ready to start building a project, you probably are.

As a first step, you might like to try building a structured or guided project. Structured projects are important because they allow you to build something without having to start from scratch, which can be difficult if you're a beginner.

At Dataquest, we include guided projects in every course which are designed to help bridge the gap between learning from a course and being able to build a project on your own. An alternative path would be following along with Python tutorial blog posts that you can find on either the Dataquest site or on thousands of other sites online.