Python Crash Course - The Basics With Hands-On In 2 Hours!

Created in 2025! Learn Python with no prior knowledge required. Includes hands-on demos! Ideal for beginners.

What you'll learn

Learn basic Python coding skills quickly, even for absolute beginners

Use Anaconda, Atom, and Jupyter Notebook to write and test code

Use downloadable code samples and PDF explanations

Review key topics using downloadable slide decks

Requirements

No experience required

Any computer works — Windows, macOS or Linux

Description

"Rick’s courses are great. He explains the topics and concepts well, and provides additional downloadable content (slides, study guides and lab manuals) to enhance the learning experience for those different types of learners. It’s like always getting the “good teacher” year after year."  - ChrisAre you brand new to Python? Are you a beginner programmer? Have you found that many of the training resources out there use complex technical jargon that make it difficult to understand the basic concepts? If you need to get a working knowledge of Python quickly and clearly, this is the course for you.This course answers the questions:How do I install Python and start writing code using Anaconda and Jupyter Notebook?What are the key skills that I must have to write basic Python code?How do I use print functions, loops (while, for), variables, and conditional (else/if) statements in my code?What are common errors and how can I easily test and debug my code?I have taught hundreds of thousands of students across a variety of platforms, and I think anyone who needs to understand Python will love this course. Most lectures in this course are 5 - 10 minutes long. This course gives you an understanding of the most critical Python skills. It is a practical course that will have you writing and testing code quickly.If you need the basics of Python, this course will give you a strong foundation and is the ideal starting point.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Course Resources and Code

Lecture 3 Python Coding Options (PyCharm, Jupyter Notebook, Atom)

Lecture 4 Download and Install Python

Lecture 5 Tour of the Anaconda Interface

Lecture 6 Working with Jupyter Notebook

Section 2: Coding Exercises

Lecture 7 Print Functions and Variables

Lecture 8 Task 1: Hello World with Input

Lecture 9 Basic Arithmetic Operators, Integers, and Strings

Lecture 10 Conditional if / else / elif Statements

Lecture 11 Task 2 - User Input, Greeting, and Age Calculation

Lecture 12 Task 3 - Enhanced Arithmetic Calculator

Lecture 13 Task 4 Even, Odd, or Zero Checker

Lecture 14 Task 5 - Number Counting with Options

Lecture 15 Understanding While and For Loops in Python

Lecture 16 Task 6 - List Management Program

Lecture 17 Task 7 - Find the Largest and Smallest of Multiple Numbers

Lecture 18 Error Types in Python

Lecture 19 Task 8 - Factorial with Error Handling

Lecture 20 Task 9 - Reverse a String with Palindrome Check

Lecture 21 Task 10 - Number Guessing Game with Limited Attempts

Anyone who needs to get started with Python, or coding in general.