I'm cooked. You'll know why after reading this.
Posted by Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit | Python | View on Reddit | 30 comments
Went through a BSc and MSc in Computer Science, yet I still don't even know anything in Python beyond hello world. I know the concepts, but when it comes to knowing when and logically thinking what to write line after line, I wouldn't have a clue in the world.
Truthfully, I am so cooked. I feel absolutely useless, because I just can't get to grasp with Python - the easiest language of all programming languages. I have begun learning SQL and have made lots of progress which I'm actually happy about.
Any advice on what to do? My end goal is to become a Data Engineer. Should I work on Python completely from scratch again?... I know some of you may now say perhaps it isn't for me.
GlitteringChipmunk21@reddit
What did you learn in a BSc and MSc in comp sci? My mind is boggled that you don't know how to logically think through a computer program line by line...
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
i know right. for example, in data science, i would google / research how to do certain tasks actions / look at previous examples and apply them to my work.
i guess my posts comes from actually taking interviews (as u wouldnt be allowed to google during interviews) or actually writing code for myself.
LeRosbif49@reddit
You just described my job
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
haha, what do u do. my issue is GETTING into the job. once im in, im confident ill do fine.
LeRosbif49@reddit
I build web applications for a company, internal tools mainly. Lots of researching things that I don’t quite know…
bobody_biznuz@reddit
How could you have gone through school for two degrees and learn nothing about programming?
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
it's actually quite common. im not the only one with this issue
bobody_biznuz@reddit
How though? How did you pass any class where you had to program anything?
FUS3N@reddit
Cheating, copying, paying people to do your work or now.. using chatgpt.
pretty common in my country, assuming its same for the OP. I know people in their last year still no idea what a variable even is and they did courses on java, c++, c and python, to be honest the teachers don't even teach properly.
Sometimes they start a lecture on a random language they never even talked about, adding these students didn't even study previous one, makes it 200x harder for them.
I started doing diploma and all these just so depressing that i left as i am self taught i was purely wasting time.
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
precisely.
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
for example, my msc degree.. building a chatbot, i used examples from lecture slides, looked at online videos, googled, and help with chatgpt.
or my thesis, im very good at report writing/technical language, and you can copy work from online to apply to ur own work
or information visulisation, mixed reality, etc which has nothing to do with code.
jtnishi@reddit
If you went to 6 years of a school and they didn’t teach you at least enough on how to learn, you may need to name and shame that school. While CS can be pretty theoretical at a base, practically, it should be nearly impossible to get through it without at least SOME number of programming projects.
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
I agree. It was 4 years (3 bsc + 1 msc). But that’s still bad. We went through projects which I managed to get through. I remember in first year the teacher went through the concepts VERY quickly during Covid and said he’ll “throw us in the deep end” in order for us to learn.. but with balancing 3/4 other modules that semester and it being Covid plus first year of getting into uni and adjusting… LOTSSSSS of people failed (below 40)
jtnishi@reddit
Okay, but failure if you don’t get things should be the expected outcome. Yes, that could mean the professsor’s methods sucked, but at least failure or a low grade would mean they recognize you don’t meet the standards required to be considered knowledgeable of the material.
If you’ve made it presumably to Masters, and at a soeed that for my American background is really fast, that should indicate at least familiarity with each of the subjects you passed. I don’t know your particular curriculum, but at least in the CS program I went through to get my BS, that would’ve required practical knowledge of at least 1 programming language, and at my time, realistically 2 (Java and C in my case).
In any case, practically, if you don’t understand the basic building blocks of programming, you need to start back at the basics. And I would avoid relying on any LLM to do it: you need to actually understand what you’re writing.
Thankfully, modern REPLs are nice, and Jupyter notebooks to help preserve your code and documentation are amazing while you learn.
Wise-Ad-7492@reddit
Can somebody explain me what you learn in a CS Master if you not have learned to program? Just a lot of theoretical stuff on algorithms, CPU and other stuff ? I known that some CS degree can be more like a math degree.
millerbest@reddit
Make some concrete projects, or take the course 100 days of code by Angela Yu
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
oh wow, ive just gone through the catalogue.. it looks very promising. will defo do along with u/Vhiet comment
Vhiet@reddit
You need to actually make something. Nothing else will do.
Go with something simple to start. If you want to work in DE try hitting a rest API using requests, validating the input, and loading it into a database.
Maybe do some transforms in SQL (counts, sums, group buys, roll ups and ). Then build a simple bottle or flask or fastAPI to sit over it. Then maybe a reporting webpage from that same service.
Pull the data out of the DB using pandas. Graph it. Try Jupyter notebooks.
Those things might sound scary, but they aren't. Write down the things you need to do, in order, on paper. Import requests. Requests.get(website). Parse the json. Store it. This won't take you long.
Then, honestly, I'd say do it properly. Build some tests, think about classes vs functions more seriously, use modules to compartmentalise your code. Use git.
Whatever you make, make something. Your confidence will skyrocket.
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
tysm for this advice! i'll defo do this
rambalam2024@reddit
Don't stress everything abstract can take time. Keep at it.. aim small.
SoftwareDoctor@reddit
You haven't even grasped English yet.
Unlikely_Stand3020@reddit
I don't think it's so bad that you have trouble with the syntax, I'm an FP student and on the contrary I only know the language, and the truth is that using chtgpt is not that difficult.
You could try to apply what you have studied or a project that you want with python and simply ask chat gpt how to start it and you try it.
I recommend using the Python or Jupyter console a lot to test the code before making a program.
dakivara@reddit
Take a look at duckdb. It‘s basically all a data engineer needs (I am exaggerating a bit) and you mostly need to write SQL.
cmootpointer42@reddit
go build something, you'll figure it out
rommon010110@reddit
Stupid title, down voted.
SoftwareDoctor@reddit
You have my upvote. I can't stand it either
Gnaxe@reddit
Python is easy, but the easiest is probably Scratch. Play with that for a while and see if it helps. Then work through How to Design Programs.
Vencaslac@reddit
give automate the boring stuff a try, it's really well put together and goes into enough detail without being overwhelming.
all the chapters are on the website and you can work at your own pace, it'll click eventually
somewherearound2023@reddit
Every role in this industry requires 1) mastery of multiple skills and languages, and 2) continuous improvement and study into new technologies and tools.
Find someone who's more experience than you who is willing to help you get over some of your early learning hurdles, and just keep working on programming/python by building projects you are interested in.
Gloomy-Profession-19@reddit (OP)
okk ty