Learn to Code by Solving Problems: A Python Programming Primer Homepage for the book Learn to Code by Solving Problems: A Python Programming Primer

How to Handle the Practice Exercises

(Inspired by Jun tsuru, one of my readers.)

Q: help! I’m getting my butt kicked by the practice problems in Learn to Code by Solving Problems. What do I do?

A: first, you’re doing the right thing trying the practice problems. Reading alone is not enough.

Second, repeat this to yourself three times: it is normal to struggle on practice problems. This struggle means that there is an opportunity for learning.

To make use of this opportunity for learning, though, you need a plan for how to allocate your time when solving problems. Here are some tips.

Successes may sometimes or often be hard to come by. Celebrate them. Email me and I will celebrate with you.

I also recommend reading this post on Redgreencode about how long to spend on a problem.