Start Your Python Journey: The Best Udemy Courses for Absolute Beginners
Thinking about learning to code? Python is an excellent choice. It’s one of the most popular, versatile, and in-demand programming languages in the world, powering everything from Instagram and Spotify to cutting-edge AI and data science research. The challenge, however, isn’t deciding if you should learn Python, but how.
With countless online courses available, the options can be overwhelming. Udemy stands out as a leading platform due to its affordable, comprehensive, and highly-rated courses taught by industry experts. To help you get started, we’ve evaluated the top Python courses on Udemy specifically designed for beginners.
1. 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp
This course has become a phenomenon for a reason. Its unique structure is designed to build a consistent coding habit and a powerful portfolio from day one. Instead of just watching lectures, you’ll be actively building real-world projects.
- Best for: Learners who thrive on structure and daily goals. It’s perfect for those who want to build a solid portfolio of projects as they learn.
- Key Approach: The course is structured as a 100-day challenge, where you build one small-to-medium project every single day. This hands-on approach ensures you’re constantly applying what you learn, which is critical for retaining knowledge.
- What You’ll Learn: The curriculum is incredibly comprehensive. It starts with the absolute basics and progresses through advanced topics, including web development with Flask, data science with Pandas and Matplotlib, automation with Selenium, and even API development.
- Why It Stands Out: The project-based learning model is second to none. By the end, you won’t just know Python; you’ll have a collection of impressive projects like a custom blog, a Space Invaders clone, and a Tinder-swiping bot to showcase your skills.
2. The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python
Often cited as one of the original and most thorough Python courses on Udemy, this bootcamp takes a more traditional, university-style approach to teaching programming fundamentals. It prioritizes building a deep and solid understanding of core concepts before moving on to more complex applications.
- Best for: Beginners who want a comprehensive, A-to-Z curriculum that covers the “why” behind the code, not just the “how.” It suits learners who prefer a structured, lecture-and-practice format.
- Key Approach: This course provides a deep dive into Python’s core components, from basic data types to advanced topics like decorators and generators. Each section is followed by quizzes and coding exercises to test your understanding.
- What You’ll Learn: You’ll master Python 3 fundamentals, object-oriented programming (OOP), file I/O, error handling, and much more. The course culminates in several milestone projects, such as creating a Blackjack game, to solidify your learning.
- Why It Stands Out: Its strength lies in its clarity and depth. The instructor is known for explaining complex topics in a simple, easy-to-understand way, building a rock-solid foundation for any future programming path you might choose, whether it’s data science, web development, or machine learning.
3. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Programming
This course is different from the others. Its primary goal isn’t to turn you into a software developer but to empower you with practical skills you can use immediately to automate tasks in your everyday life or job.
- Best for: Absolute beginners, students, office workers, or anyone who wants to use programming for practical, real-world automation without needing to learn complex software development principles.
- Key Approach: The course is entirely focused on practicality. Every lesson teaches you how to write a script that accomplishes a useful task, like scraping data from websites, manipulating spreadsheets, sending emails, or organizing files.
- What You’ll Learn: You’ll gain skills in web scraping with Beautiful Soup, working with Excel, CSV, and JSON files, controlling the mouse and keyboard, sending automated emails and texts, and working with PDFs and Word documents.
- Why It Stands Out: This course offers the fastest path from learning to doing. You might not build a complex web application, but after just a few hours, you’ll be able to write a script that saves you hours of manual work each week. It’s the ultimate course for practical efficiency.
How to Choose the Right Python Course for You
Still not sure which one to pick? Here’s a simple breakdown based on your goals:
- Choose 100 Days of Code if: You are motivated by daily goals and want to build a large portfolio of diverse projects to show potential employers.
- Choose The Complete Python Bootcamp if: You want a deep, foundational understanding of Python and prefer a more traditional, academic learning structure.
- Choose Automate the Boring Stuff if: Your primary goal is to use Python for practical automation in your current job or daily life, and you want to see immediate results.
Final Security Tip for Aspiring Developers
As you begin writing scripts, especially those that interact with the web or your files, always be mindful of security.
- Protect Your Credentials: Never hard-code sensitive information like passwords or API keys directly into your scripts. Use environment variables or a secure configuration file to store them separately. This prevents your private data from being accidentally exposed if you share your code.
Starting your coding journey is an exciting step. By choosing a well-structured course that aligns with your learning style and goals, you set yourself up for success. Any of these three courses will provide an excellent foundation, so pick one and start coding today.
Source: https://www.tecmint.com/beginners-course-to-python-programming/
