Frequently Asked Questions

Python is a language that is used for a wide variety of use cases. The most important three groups of use cases are:

• Data science: machine learning, neural networks & artificial intelligence
• Web development: backend services for for applications like Instagram, Dropbox & Reddit
• DevOps: automation, scripting and command line interfaces

This is a of course a generalisation, there are plenty of other use cases. Think of financial modelling, desktop applications (GUIs), data mining, game development and much more.

Python and R are quite similar. They are both open-source programming languages with large communities. The main difference is that R is mostly used for statistical analysis. Python is a general purpose language, so you will see it also in other domains. If you have the time, it would be advisable to learn both languages. You'll notice that there are many similarities.

There is a large offering of online learning materials. Why would you choose in-person or classroom trainings? First of all, these options are not mutually exclusive. They are complementary and combined they make for a great learning journey. Some of the benefits that are specific to in-person or classroom trainings:

• It gets you faster to where you want to be. The instructor lets you focus on what is important for you.
• You can ask questions which are specific to your situation.
• The instructor can offer you personalised advice.
• You are much more likely to finish the course. It is a common occurrence that participants of online courses do not finish a course.
• You'll benefit from real time debugging sessions, which is an important aspect of programming.
• It is a great opportunity for networking.
• And finally, it is more fun!

A few months, give or take. But as you can imagine, the answer is actually "it depends". Some of the important factors that will have an impact on the timeline:

• Your desired level (do you want write some basic scripts for automation, or train deep learning models?)
• How much time you can allocate to practicing
• Previous experience with other languages like VBA, Java, C++, etc

After you finished a course, you should try to work on real life projects. Preferably for work so you can do it during work hours. If you can spend a couple of hours every (other) day working on projects, you'll be at a pretty decent level within a couple months.

In the past, programming was done pretty much only by software engineers. Nowadays, we are working with computers so much, that there is an unsatisfiable need for software developers. This creates a need for a programming language that can be used by many people, not just the ones who have a computer science degree. Python fits that role, because it is a relatively easy language to learn and use. Going forward, we will also be dealing with increasing amounts of data. We need computers and machine learning to process all that data. So we can safely assume that the demand for developers will keep growing. That means Python's popularity is likely going to continue for a while...

Virtual trainings are different from in-person classroom trainings. You are not physically in the same room as your instructor and fellow students. This means that experience will be different. But there is a lot that stays the same. It is possible to have very interactive sessions, when the group size is small (<8 people). In programming courses you are almost always working behind your own computer. That means that in a classroom, it is easy to ask the student sitting next to you for help. But you cannot really have the entire group standing behind your computer. The benefit of virtual trainings is that you can instantly share your screen with the whole class and have everyone working on a particular problem. These interactive group debugging sessions are very valuable. Furthermore, with Zoom the instructor can break up the group into breakout rooms. In these breakout rooms, the students can work on assignments together. When students work in small teams in their own "room", experience teaches us that interaction is actually increasing.

Absolutely! All of the course material in this website is modular. That means that customised courses can be created very easily. When you book a training we will first discuss your goals. Then together we will define the learning objectives. You can request a customised training via this form.

While it is possible to learn Python all by yourself, it will take you a lot more time. You can find plenty of good online materials, but not all of it will be relevant to reach your goals. Especially when you have limited amount of time available, it can be worthwhile to invest in your education by hiring a mentor. Here are some of the benefits. A mentor:

• helps you choose the right courses, based on your skills, level and needs
• teaches you best practices and how to write "clean code"
• can debug your code when you get stuck
• helps you understand the bigger picture
• teaches you software engineering principles, usually lacking in online courses
• will keep you stay focused

Here is a testimonial from a previous client: "Joris was great, I learned more and made more progress in one session than I have in the past few months of learning on my own. Great at explaining difficult concepts making them easy to follow. Highly recommend!" If you think a mentor might benefit you too, check out the consulting options.

Yes, please feel free to send me your questions and/or requirements via the contact form and I will be in touch shortly.

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