Today = Teaching Myself Cabling In Yellow Yarn And Making To-do Lists

Today = teaching myself cabling in yellow yarn and making to-do lists

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Inspiration

Python as a first language: a roadmap to getting started.

I personally prefer Java as a first language. Put non-technically, it is a lot less convenient, so you get a more realistic idea of how computers work. Nonetheless, Python is an amazing language (with convenience as one of it’s values) so it makes sense as a gentle introduction. It’s also a popular language for data science and machine learning, so it’s great to have experience with.

The 3 ingredients you need to get started:

The Python Language Interpreter: when you write some code in a text file and save it as a .py file, the Python interpreter is what turns that code into commands that your computer can then actually preform. This is necessary.

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE): An IDE is like a helpful text editor for programming. Some basic features include auto-complete, typo and mistake catching, and automatic text coloring to make some parts of your code easier to find. This is optional but highly recommended.

Some learning resources: We’re going to need something about programming basics, problem solving in computer science, using an API, learning how to use google and stackexchange, data types, control structures, and then maybe an object-oriented programming intro, and eventually all the neat advanced features of the python language. Then we need to learn how to use Numpy (for scientific computing), Pandas (for easy data storage), and Tensorflow (machine learning!). Add some handy cheat-sheets for python, numpy, pandas, and Tensorflow, and we’re good to go.

Other posts will adress download, installation, and resources.

A curriculum:

Like I said up above, we need to know how to do the following. Save this and make it a checklist.

Learn to use google to answer questions about installing or using python, any packages, or computer science.

This also includes getting to know how to search Stackexchange, the website for coding questions n’ stuff.

How to install python 3 and get set up

How to install an IDE like Eclipse (with PyDev), IDLE, or Notebook++.

Programming basics: how does python work? What does the language look like? How does tabbing work?

Understand basic logic, including AND, OR, XOR, NOR, NAND, XNOR, Implies, and If…Else statements.

Variables: what are they, how do I set one and change it?

Basic math in Python.

Data types: what kinds of variables can I have? How does my computer store data? How do I use those types of data? What are the key commands and operations I know how to do?

Control structures: if, else, elif, for loops, while loops, break, continue

Methods! What are they, how do I make one, what can I do with it?

The open() command, the all() command, other neat built-in methods

<function name>= lambda <your variables>: <single line method>

Problem solving in computer science: now do fizbuzz.

What’s a package?

Importing packages, installing packages you don’t have with PIP

Using an API: how do I find one and how do I read it?

object-oriented programming in Python: what’s a class, how do I make one, how do I reference and instantiate one, methods, class vars, etc

Error handling: how to do exceptions

All the neat advanced features of the python language: iterators, generators, list comprehensions, enumerate, range, assert, with…as, etc.

Read through the Numpy API (for scientific computing), data types, matrices, stats, methods, etc. A short detour through scikit would be helpful.

Read through Matplotlib.pyplot API, plotting, plotting options, histograms, scatterplots, etc.

Pandas (for easy data storage), data frames, series, built-in operations on columns and rows, loading from a CSV, saving as a csv, apply, etc

Tensorflow (machine learning!) For basic stuff, shoot for knowing how to use the estimator package, which is discussed elsewhere on this blog. Also get to know the nitty gritty, including tensors, layers, tensorboard, etc.

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learning cs

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swirlspill-study

1 month ago

A Note on “Weeder Courses”

Is your first year gen-ed (general education) course really hard for absolutely no reason? Or perhaps it’s an early course in your major that’s required for the rest of the degree. Maybe the homework is really hard to get through or the exams are just brutal. You might be in a “weeder course.”

Generally weeder courses are introductory level; the STEM field gen-eds are notorious for this. The thought process from an administrative level is to make these courses very difficult and challenging to vet out students who can’t hack it. They do it with the intro level courses to serve as a warning for students who might want to major in something, but aren’t ready for how rigorous the degree actually is.

Now I have my own thoughts on that mindset but what I want to stress that these courses are designed to be difficult. You’re not making it up in your mind; they are designed to feel like hell.

Personal anecdote: I got my undergrad degree in literal rocket science from a “name” university. In my first year I failed physics I, the very course that is the basis for the rest of your physics education. I nearly failed it again the second time I took it, passing by the skin of my teeth. Despite the material being more difficult, I found my calculus 4 course easier than my calculus 1 course.

And that was because, as I found out from an upperclassman years later, those intro courses were designed as weeder courses. They taught the material yes, but their primary function was to act as a buffer to students who the administration see as lacking the discipline to follow through on a major in that field.

My advice? If it is a field or major you love, do not let your performance in these classes stop you.

I cannot stress this enough: if you love the field and the major and the subject, don’t let terribly designed classes stop you. I worked as a peer advisor my senior year and I had these brilliant first and second year students come up to me and tell me that they were struggling in an intro level course, wondering if they should drop out of a major they genuinely loved because they felt like they weren’t smart enough. Every single one of them was smart enough.

You are smart enough. You can and will get through it.

Some advice of a more practical nature under the cut:

Keep reading

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classes

776 notes View Post

swirlspill-study

2 years ago

random things I do to fool my brain into staying interested during online study

changing my chrome cursor into something cute like a strawberry

changing my chrome theme to a wacky colour

adding stickers onto my laptop

listening to new music in a language I don’t know

or hyped video game music for energy

buying a fidget toy. like deadass I had my doubts but they’re so good

using the web paint extension while in meetings or lectures

changing the appearance of whatever note taking app you use

for epic gamers with light-up keyboards, changing the light’s colour settings

having a very hot or very cold drink

putting said drink directly under my face when working and using a straw, so I don’t forget it’s there and don’t have to move my head much to sip

hav u eaten or drank anything today hey hello it’s already midday

sparkling water perchance?? it’s water but it’s fun and interesting

ambient fireplace 10 hours loop

alternatively, death metal hardcore bass boosted.mp3

putting on a ridiculous outfit and pretending you’re a wizard doing important work. I have given up on being “put together” at this stage

getting up and having scheduled dance breaks to move around

don’t like your chair? are u gay and can’t sit normal? try arranging pillows and boxes to make a diy cross-legged chair or sit on the floor

u kno when you get a million ideas during studying but u don’t want to break focus: hey siri okay google alexa remind me in a sec about this very specific thing that just couldn’t wait 10 more minutes to force itself into brain

giving up. lmao sometimes you genuinely need a break and nothing you do will make your brain focus so don’t feel guilty for needing rest! it’s technically more productive to spend the time resting and recharging than forcing yourself to half assedly focus and get nothing done

tl;dr- changing appearances of devices often for Spice, having small snacks and various drinks, hype music for energy, any and all fidget toys, knowing when to give up

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tips

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