Learn to Code from Scratch

Write and run your first Python program

1–3 days. If you spend more than a day on installation, ask for help — environment setup should not be the hard part.

Build programs using data structures

1–2 weeks (1 hour/day). The problem-choosing step takes longer than the coding. That's intentional — defining the problem is the skill.

Write functions and handle errors

1–2 weeks. The refactoring step is fast. The 'try to break it' step takes as long as you give it — budget a full session just for breaking things.

Build a real project from scratch

2–3 weeks. The first week is choosing the problem and designing the solution before writing code. Do not skip this — programmers who plan before coding ship faster than programmers who code before planning.

Ship something others can use

2–3 weeks. Deployment takes longer than expected. Budget a full day for it. Getting 5 strangers to try it takes longer than getting 5 friends — that difficulty is the lesson.