Get Your Basics in Python Strong with this Coursera Program

Ravi Ranjan

08 June 2023

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Course Overview

Python Basics: Selection and Iteration course is intended for students with no prior coding experience who are looking for a solid foundation in not only Python, but also core computer science topics that can be applied to other programming languages. Its modules cover printing, operators, iteration (i.e., loops), and selection (i.e., conditionals). This course is video-free to allow for a truly hands-on, self-paced learning experience. Assignments include short explanations with images as well as runnable code examples with suggested edits to further explore code examples and gain a deeper understanding by doing.

Elise Deitrick and Patrick Ester were my instructors.

"This course is fully interactive and video free, enabling learners to focus all their attention in practically implementing the concepts taught about Python. This in turn, gives them a leverage in the job market."

- Ravi Ranjan

Course Structure

Here is a week-by-week schedule of the course:

Week 1: Fundamentals: Write your first program! Code and run your first program in minutes! Learn about the different types of data and how to store it in variables.
Week 2: Operators: Use arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /, and %) and boolean operators (and, or, not) to manipulate data stored in variables.
Week 3: Conditionals: Program decisions using conditionals, so your script can produce different outputs based on data.
Week 4: Loops: Use different types of loops to repeat sections of your program without copying and pasting the same lines over and over again. Use variables and operators to store and manipulate small pieces of data. Automate decision-making using selection statements so the program result differs based on data. Repeat sections of your program using the appropriate loop type.

Insider Tips

To get the best out of this course, I have included some important tips that you might find useful.

Be Consistent

Set daily goals. Maintain a notebook. Try to improve your mistakes and show determination and interest in coding.

Assessment

To earn your certificate, you will need to earn a passing grade on each of the required assignments—these can be quizzes, peer-graded assignments, or programming assignments. Videos, readings, and practice exercises are there to help you prepare for the graded assignments. You can attempt the assignments as many times as needed if you want to improve your grades.

If you are re-attempting a peer-graded assignment, re-submit your work as soon as you can to make sure there is enough time for your classmates to review your work. In some cases, you may need to wait before re-submitting a programming assignment or quiz. You could review learning material during this delay.

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrolment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you do not see the audit option, you can try a ‘Free Trial’ instead, or apply for ‘Financial Aid’. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade but not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

Final Take

I am a computer science student at Gitam Deemed University, Bangalore. This course helped me to learn Python coding and now I am able to solve coding questions. Taking this course helped me to crack my job interview.

In these 4 courses, you will cover everything from fundamentals to object-oriented design. These topics will help prepare you to write anything from small programs to automate repetitive tasks to larger applications, giving you enough understanding of Python to tackle more specialized topics such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. This course is fully interactive and helps understand Python basics well.

There are some other courses on the subject also which I recommend: