[Tutor] Hello Python Tutor - help please!

[Ray Jones]

I highly recommend the Google Python class that is found on YouTube.
The first video is found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKTZoB2Vjuk
The supporting class materials and assignments are found at
http://code.google.com/edu/languages/google-python-class/ . This series
of videos begins at a pretty basic level, but subsequent videos increase
the difficulty level pretty rapidly.

Don't despair - the concept of how to properly manipulate strings,
lists, tuples, and other objects is rather daunting, but if you're
working on your doctoral studies, you already know that complex concepts
aren't simply soaked up like water to a sponge ;).


Ray

On 08/22/2012 03:10 AM, Cecilia Chavana-Bryant wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I am just returning to my doctoral studies after a 7-month medical
> leave and desperately trying to catch up for lost time. I am
> COMPLETELY new to programming, well, I did try learning C for 3 weeks
> 3 yrs ago (with very little success) but had to stop and then spent 2
> years in the Amazon climbing trees (lots more enjoyable than learning
> to programme!) and collecting loads of field data that I now need to
> post-process and analyse. By the way, the 3 weeks I spent trying to
> learn C really ended up being spent trying to get to grips with using
> a terminal for the first time in my life. 
>
> Since getting back to work, I was advised to try learning Python
> instead of C as it is a much easier first language to learn. I have
> been trying, but again, to not great success. I started following "A
> Primer on Scientific programming with Python" but I kept getting lost
> and stuck, specially on the exercises. I have also been advised that I
> should not try to learn programming by following guides but by trying
> to write the programmes I need to analyse my data. Although I can
> understand the logic behind this last bit of advise (it gives context
> and direction to the learning process) I have also gotten stuck trying
> this approach as "I do not know how to programme!". Thus, I was hoping
> that some of you can remember how you got started and point me towards
> any really good interactive learning guides/materials and/or have a
> good learning strategy for a complete beginner. I have searched the
> web and was overwhelmed by choice of tutorials and guides. I have
> skimmed through a couple of tutorials but then fail to see how all
> that relates to my own work and I get stuck with what seems like basic
> important concepts so I don't progress. I then think I should try to
> make some progress with my own data analysing and go back to trying to
> learn to write a programme for my specific needs and get stuck again
> because this requires more advanced skills then the basic programming
> concepts I have been reading about on the learning guides. So, I am
> now feeling VERY frustrated and have no idea what on Earth I am doing!
> Can anyone please offer guidance in my learning process? I don't know
> how and what I should be spending my time learning first and/or if I
> should focus my learning towards the skill areas I will require to
> write my specific programmes, although I have no idea what these are.
> I would like advise on finding some really good interactive(let you
> know if your solution to an exercise is correct or not) and or video
> tutorials that give you feedback on the solutions you write to
> exercises.   
>
> Many thanks in advance for all your help, it will be much appreciated!
>                 
>
>
> Cecilia Chavana-Bryant
> DPhil Candidate - Remote sensing and tropical phenology
> Environmental Change Institute
> School of Geography and the Environment
> University of Oxford
> South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY
> Web: http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/teaching/doctoral/chavanabryantcecilia.php
> Tel Direct: +44 (0)1865 275861
> Fax: +44 (0)1865 275885
>
>
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