by Brandt completed this course, spending 1 hours a week on it and found the course difficulty to be very easy.

This is the first class in the new (at the time I took it) Python for Everybody specialization, which grew out of Dr. Charles Severence's popular course of the same name. As I understand it, the first two courses of this specialization will cover the material from the previous course, while the third and fourth courses and the capstone will cover new material.

This is a very gentle introduction to programming in Python. The videos are very thorough, and Dr. Chuck does a good job of going over everything he's teaching in great detail. As I had a fair amount of experience in R and some experience with Python (Codecademy course and Genomic Data Science with Python course), I found this to be very easy, and I raced through the class in a few hours, listening to the videos on 2x speed. One of the big problems I have with this course and similar ones (like the Rice Python courses) is the use of web-based coding platforms. While they're useful for real-time checking of code, students who learn to use these platforms may end up completely lost if they try to go apply their programming experience from these courses to a real-world problem. I would much prefer to see programming taught via command line or using an IDE like Spyder.

Overall, four stars. Very thorough, very slow-paced. I imagine that finishing this specialization will only get students to the novice programmer stage, but it is a good first step, and probably the most approachable programming course out there for those with no experience.

I recently completed this course, and I must say it was absolutely awesome! The course provided an excellent foundation for anyone looking to start their journey in Python programming.

First and foremost, the course content was comprehensive and well-structured. It covered all the essential concepts of the language, from variables and data types to control flow and functions. The explanations were clear and concise, making it easy to understand even for beginners like myself. The course also included practical examples and coding exercises, which greatly enhanced my learning experience.

One aspect that stood out was the instructor's expertise and teaching style. They had a deep understanding of Python and effectively conveyed their knowledge in an engaging manner. The instructor's enthusiasm and passion for the subject were infectious, making each lesson enjoyable and inspiring.

Furthermore, the course platform was user-friendly and provided ample resources for further exploration. The interactive quizzes and assignments helped reinforce my understanding, while the discussion forums allowed me to connect with fellow learners and seek assistance when needed.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the "Getting Started with Python" course to anyone interested in learning Python. It's an excellent starting point that equips you with the necessary skills to pursue more advanced programming concepts. Kudos to the instructor and the entire team for creating such a fantastic learning experience!

I highly recommend the "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course. It is an excellent resource for beginners looking to dive into the world of programming. The course is designed in a way that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their prior programming experience.

The instructor does a fantastic job of explaining concepts clearly and concisely, making it easy to understand even for those who have never written a single line of code before. The course starts from the basics and gradually progresses to more advanced topics, allowing learners to build a solid foundation in Python programming.

One of the standout features of this course is its interactive nature. It offers hands-on exercises and coding assignments that provide ample opportunities to practice what you've learned. This practical approach helps reinforce the concepts and ensures that you gain real-world programming skills.

Furthermore, the course materials, including lecture videos, slides, and additional resources, are well-organized and easily accessible. This makes it convenient to review previous topics or revisit specific sections whenever needed.

Overall, "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" is a fantastic course for anyone interested in learning Python programming. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the language and equips you with the fundamental skills needed to pursue further studies in programming or to start building your own projects.

Best Introduction to Python introductory course I have ever taken. I had taken python at University over a year ago in my second year but I had never really grasped the syntax and meaning of it all , and i never really liked the random youtube tutorials with no assignmets. I took this course due to my recent interest in Machine learning and Data Science. I was able to take it from the beginning, completeall the quizes and assignments all in one day with a few breaks here and there!. Most coding assignments were really simple and they give you a starting code from where to build on. The last Coding assignent (Week 7) was simple but needed one to first understand what exactly is needed, you can re-watch the while loops video again if needed. It took me a little bit more time compared to the rest which I finished in just minutes on average. I had to rest a little bit and come back to it as I had taken the whole course in one sitting. Here Dr. Severance does a very good job of explaining in avery clear and structured manner. I've got to complete the rest of the courses in the specialization. Assignments did a good job of re-enforcing what I have studied. There's no clearly and easily explained python introductory course with practice coding questions you gonna find on the Internet better than this one. Highly recommended for a complete beginner. If you're passed the beginner level, this course won't be of very much use though.

My online classes are a convenience for me. They allow me to take additional classes that would not have fit into my schedule otherwise. I am not a traditional student, so I have non-traditional needs. Internet classes allow me to remain at home with my family. Taking Internet classes has many advantages for a non-traditional, and traditional student, such as: saving money, saving time, and most of all the convenience. Internet classes are the answer for many students with non-traditional needs. However, the only downfall to my Internet class was a computer virus, which was disastrous. I lost everything on my computer, but as for the important files I had backup on floppies. I was lucky, my sister-in-law came within a few days and fixed my computer, so I did not get too far behind. This situation should be considered when taking an Internet class. In my experience with Internet classes, the good far outweigh the bad. Taking Internet classes has saved me money. If I were taking traditional classes, I would be spending about twenty dollars a week in gas alone, not to mention the wear and tear on my car. The only expense that I incur with Internet classes is my server charge, which is about twenty-five dollars a month. That means by taking Internet classes I am saving over eighty dollars a month, and that does not include wear and tear on my car. I could finance a new computer with the savings from taking online classes.

This is a great course. The teacher not only knows his material, but has a lot of experience working with first time programmers and so knows what errors they are likely to make and what questions they are likely to ask and addresses them all. He is fun to listen to, unlike some moocs I have taken where the teachers were reading and got the intonation all wrong--very distracting. This one wasn't like that by far. He was interesting and even funny at times. The only issue I have is that if you are auditing the class, it isn't as nice an experience. You can't submit quizzes to see if you got them right and all your coding problems are marked wrong. You can still do the coding and the website will error check and all, but you won't get the pass/fail grade to be sure you got it right.

The videos covers what's in the book, but in an easy to understand way, so when you read the chapter associated with it, you can follow along without it being too dry or laborious. Then you are ready for the quiz and coding problem(s), and then a little wrap up material before moving on to the next lesson. I'm glad we are allowed to work ahead. I'm moving on to the second course in the specialization, which picks up where this one left off. If you want to learn Python or just "a" programming language to get a start or just dabble in programming, this is a great place to start!

I like this program mucho! Yes, you can learn Python from a book or from an automated, text-based course. But the videos by Dr. Chuck give the course the human touch and a real-world college feel. With a human in the loop, slight and useful nuances of coding and perspective on coding come through subtly and informally, beyond what text alone can provide. -- My only hangup was with the Autograder, the automated checker of submitted programs. For the final program I delivered output as required. My code was syntactically and semantically correct. However I had to rewrite my code several times to fit the hidden requirements of the tool. That was frustrating. To resolve the problem I went to the Forum and received prompt feedback on my efforts. Again, the human support aspect of Coursera distinguishes it from other tools. On the way to resolution, I did get feedback on alternate and cleaner ways to code. Thanks very much to those that monitored and respond to the forum. -- I am VERY HAPPY with my experience with Coursera and this course. I am very excited: I feel empowered and confident that I can achieve my goals of not only acquiring a good, basic foundation of programming (Algorithms, Data Structures, etc.) but continue to advanced and current topics (Machine Learning, Big Data, etc.) Thanks to all!

I recently completed the " Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course and I couldn't be more impressed with the material covered. The instructor does an excellent job of breaking down the complex concepts of programming and making them easy to understand for anyone with moderate computer experience.

The course starts off by introducing the idea of why we program and sets the stage for the rest of the material. The instructor also guides us through the process of installing and using Python, which was incredibly helpful.

One of the things I appreciated most about this course was the progression of the material. Each chapter builds upon the previous one and by the end of the course, I felt confident in my ability to write basic Python programs. The chapters on variables, expressions, conditional code, functions and loops were particularly informative and I found myself excited to try out the new concepts I had learned.

The quizzes and assignments were also a great way to solidify my understanding of the material. Overall, I found the course to be well-structured and engaging. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to learn the basics of programming with Python. It is an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to take more advanced programming courses in the future.

This is the first python course that I take. Before that, I had already taken a course in VBA programming(also from the university of Michigan via Coursera). So the notions were not new to me.At first, I found the contents of the chapters 1 and 2 boring and I wanted to do something more advanced like statistics with Python. After struggling and failing at all my attempts to escape the basics of the language, I decided to come back to this course and I finished it. Here are my remarks :*The course is really well organized and suited to a beginner's need because the key concepts of any programming language are explained once at a time. There are also small assignments to allow the students to better familiarize with the concept.*The quizzes and assignments are clearly aligned with the concept studied, which facilitates the finding and correction of mistakes, thus allowing the student to build confidence.*The subtleties pertaining to each concept , especially conditional execution and functions are clearly explained and reviwed in the quizzes and programming assignments.*You will learn how to access your file by referring to its directory using the command prompt, which is unique. (I had never seen it before)The motto of Dr Chuck seems to be : slowly but surely.

This is a great course. The teacher not only knows his material, but has a lot of experience working with first time programmers and so knows what errors they are likely to make and what questions they are likely to ask and addresses them all. He is fun to listen to, unlike some moocs I have taken where the teachers were reading and got the intonation all wrong--very distracting. This one wasn't like that by far. He was interesting and even funny at times. I worked through all the materials, including reading the chapters in the book in just four days. I'd say there is about 2 to 4 hours of work per "week" expected. So, great course. I'm glad to have the materials. The videos covers what's in the book, but in an easy to understand way, so when you read the chapter associated with it, you can follow along without it being too dry or laborious. Then you are ready for the quiz and coding problem(s), and then a little wrap up material before moving on to the next lesson. I'm glad we are allowed to work ahead. I'm moving on to the second course in the specialization, which picks up where this one left off. If you want to learn Python or just "a" programing language to get a start or just dabble in programming, this is a great place to start

I recently completed the "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera, and I can confidently say that it was a fantastic learning experience.

The course covered a wide range of topics, from the basics of Python programming to more advanced concepts like file handling and data structures. The lectures were clear, concise, and easy to follow, and the assignments and quizzes provided ample opportunities to practice and reinforce what I'd learned.

What impressed me most about the course was the level of support and engagement provided by the instructors and the community. The forums were active and full of helpful advice, and the instructors were always available to answer questions and provide feedback on assignments.

Overall, I would highly recommend the "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course to anyone looking to learn Python programming, whether you're a complete beginner or already have some experience. It's a well-designed and effective course that will provide you with a solid foundation in Python and prepare you for more advanced studies in programming and data science.

5 stars all around!

The Python playground is amazing, but it isn't even necessary because the instructor provides such great material for getting Python installed and running on your computer (with windows, mac, and linux instructions), even a complete beginner would be able to follow the instructions and make a functioning script in no time. But the playground is just a lot of fun to play with, and makes tinkering as a beginner super easy.I spent one whole day and finished the entire Getting Started with Python course (auditing, quizzes), and learned more than I learned in the first 4 weeks of a 6 week paid course. Dr. Chuck is GOOD at what he does. He presents material in a very down-to-earth manner in clear, plain language that's technical, but not over my head. I have very little experience with programming, and know the basics of computers and computing, but even the introduction to hardware architecture was fascinating and I learned more about hardware than I expected. I felt a lot more prepared to dive into programming after that lecture.The amazing thing is that so much is crammed into such short lectures, and yet the material is still accessible.

This is a review of the first og five parts in the Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python. It deserves 5 stars. The video tutorials are great and informative and the course also includes PowerPoint slides used in the lectures, the complete book which can be downloaded, quizzes and assignments, an autograder for the assignments and a playground where you can try out your Python skills and examples covered in the lectures. And, even though I haven't used it, a discussion group categorized in weeks (for the different topics covered), where both students and staff are very active. There really isn't a negative side, but if I where to mention something, it would be that I am guessing the PowerPoint slides originally where used for Python 2.7, because some of them have not been updated all the way, to Python 3. And, even though some of the quiz questions are very simple, some harder questions should be available, to make us prepare more. And of course, a few more assignments per week would help boost our confidence, even though I know we could do that on our own. Great course and great teacher.

This course is a super introduction to Python programming, especially if you have little or no prior programming experience.

I took othe course for two reeasons:

i) To keep myself occupied during Covid lockdown 2.0 in Ireland and;

ii) To do a course that was outside of my comfort zone.

The lectures are delivered in a ligical manner with the content being easy to understand.

The quizes check your understanding of each lecture. I recommend that you complete the quizes as soon as you finsh the lecture while the content is 'fresh' in your mind.

The assignments can be challenging; for me; it took a few attempts to get them right. Sometime, it's easy to forget all the syntax requirements. that said, as you complete each assignemnt, your confidence builds up. If at first you struggle with an assignment, leave it for a few hours or a day, then, come back to it. While I did not use them regularly, the online forums are a useful source of encouragement with other students.

In conclusion, a well-designed Python programming course that is easy follow and build up your confidence with Python.

First off, let me say that this course is excellent. I've been interested in learning to program for a few months now. I tried things like Codecademy and Code School -- and while I learned a little bit from each of them, Python for Everybody was the key to my success of finally grasping the language.

There are a few reasons for this:

1. Dr. Chuck is awesome! His lessons are light-hearted, thorough, and truly make programming fun. He is the type of professor who is doing this for the love of Python and that really stands out.

2. This course encourages you to work in your own environment. While being able to learn to code in a browser is fun and interesting...using your own machine and your own terminal to execute Python is essential. Plus, you feel like a real programmer! Which really is cool when you're just starting out. It gives you the motivation to keep going. It did for me anyway.

If you're on the fence about this course, take it from another developer-in-training. Dr. Chuck's Python for Everybody is one of the best classes I've ever taken. You'll be glad you did.

I learned more in this course than the introductory course I paid for through a private company. The assignments are practical and helpful, and most of all: Dr. Chuck is truly amazing. He presents technical information in a clear way using plain language, and makes it easy to pick up the Python lingo (and programming lingo in general). He is a clear speaker who doesn't talk too fast, and his teaching slides are helpful and easy to follow. The interactive transcripts and closed captioning are high quality and extremely helpful. This class was so great that I decided to sign up (pay) for the full specialization program.

I whizzed through all the course materials in a day, but I had a (very) little bit of introductory experience before coming to this course. I believe someone without any programming experience whatsoever could comfortably complete this course well within the suggested time frame.

Honestly I can't believe it doesn't cost anything to take (audit) a course of this caliber. If you're considering taking this class, I don't think you'll regret it.

Dr Chuck is amazing! He can make you understand all you need to know without any previous knowledge. All the open-sourced material is very helpful too and the exercises are spot-on, perfect for revision and for testing your knowledge. I read several comments from people who were already familiar with programming, saying that for them this course is pretty basic. I would like to share my understanding of the matter, having finished the first part of the specialisation. This course is an introduction to programming, for EVERYONE. This means that it has to build up from scratch assuming that the student has no idea even what is inside a computer! And it achieves it perfectly. So, I recommend this course for everyone that want's to get started on Python; don't be intimidated, you can learn how to do this because this is an excellent step-by-step approach. You will learn same as you learned how to speak English. And I also recommend it for everyone who knows how to program already and would like to touch-base and put things back into context.

This introductory course in Python was great, overall I found the instructor (Charles Severance) to be an excellent Lecturer. He has a wealth of experience and a great personality which helped motivate me a lot.

If I think back throughout the 7 weeks, knowing what I had ahead of me from one week to the next, it sometimes felt daunting not knowing what might be expected of me in the next class or section of the course. Then..before you know it..Charles is back and at a click of a button..explaining everything you need to know with excellent examples of code (what to do, what not do do etc) and reference to additional resources to dip in and out of, to help bolster my understanding, push me out of my comfort zone and complete the assignments.

This really is one of the best software engineering classes I could find. Charles is an excellent lecturer, mentor and coach and really knows how to help get you started and most of all, get you through it!

I seriously can't wait to start my next Coursera course "Python Data Structures" - Enjoy!

I have greatly enjoyed learning python with Prof Chuck. The videos and textbook provide examples that are easy for me to follow. I can go at my own pace and just have to make sure to submit quizzes and homework assignments on time. The quizzes were a good way for me to gauge my understanding of the weekly lessons. As long as you understand the material then the homework assignments aren't too bad. Also, reading the chapter after watching all the weekly videos plus doing the exercises at the end of each chapter was a great way to prep for the quizzes.

I wasn't sure if I would understand python since I had trouble learning C++ in the past and thought this might be too hard to learn. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I started to understand things and put the pieces together to create my programs. I plan to complete the remaining 4 classes to get the python certification.

This was a very good learning experience and I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn python. Thank you Prof Chuck.

Charles Severance is a truly magician.

All my life I evaded programming, always had negative experience throughout the entire School and University, achieved only C's and hated it.

But Charles took it all and put upside down — programming is Fun! The course is ideally clear and so well structured and balanced, so it is not an iota worse than your favourite TV show! Albeit with one little, but a very crucial difference — you learn REALLY USEFUL THINGS.

And anyone can learn it, for sure. The course requires no special talent or knowledge, it just gives you them both, if you honestly complete all tasks with full dedication. It inspires you to create and program.

It's absolutely true that in the middle of the XXI century there will be two types of people — algorithm makers and algorithm executes. So if you want to have an impact in your future life, ENROLL!

P.S. But the real fruits await you after the completion of the course.

Dr Nikolay Kondratyev (a 10 year-experienced chemist, who decided to learn to program)

by Md. completed this course, spending 1 hours a week on it and found the course difficulty to be easy.

I loved this course.With so many glowing reviews, I don't think mine matters, but here it is anyway: This course is amazing.

This course is so amazing that a) I realized I threw away way too much money on a different "introduction to python" course that had live instructors and one-on-one access to mentors because this class was free and far more beneficial; and b) when I'm done writing this review, I'm going to sign up for the whole Coursera Python for Everybody specialization.

The amazing thing is that so much is crammed into such short lectures, and yet the material is still accessible.

Speaking of accessibility: the lectures have captions AND interactive transcripts. The audio is crisp and clear, as is the video-- without background noise or distractions. The dedication to accessibility has blown me away and is another big reason I plan to support Coursera by paying for the specialization path.

This was my first online course ever. New to the world of online courses, I immediately fell in love with it within the first 2-3 weeks (which I completed within a day) of the course. I am really starting to see the potential of online learning and how this particular course makes it so easy for students from any background whatsoever to get starter with Python programming. I myself being a student of computer science and having learnt C++ found it very lucrative to speed through some of the portions of the course (the playback speed feature is really handy) and at the end of each week I could reinforce my learning through the assignments and reviews. Also liked the concept of Peer Graded Assignments and how it boosts the peer learning process in some ways. The video lectures by Dr. Charles Severance are really good and on-point, guiding the student across various circumstances of a particular topic. Will continue with the specialisation courses offered by University of Michigan on PY4E. 10/10.

I just finished this course a couple of hours ago and I'm happy to provide a review. I must admit that I'm not a beginning programmer. I've been writing computer programs professionally and for fun since I was a kid in the late 1960's, so I've been around the "block" a few times, but I never spent any time with Python. I'm currently retired and I recently started pursuing an interest in statistical learning theory. I wanted to get a rapid but solid understanding of Python, found "Dr. Chuck's" course through Coursera, and started it three days ago. Now certainly one of the reasons I could zip through the material so quickly was having a lifetime of experience to draw on. But my experience wouldn't have been nearly as useful if the course weren't so well designed and delivered. No matter what your background is, I think you'll benefit from Dr. Chuck's clarity and enjoy his humor as you watch the videos and read the textbook. I can't wait to start the next course in the specialization...

I started this course having zero knowledge about python software. I had learnt c++ in my school days so i started to grasp the concepts quickly without much difficulty. I am really happy that this online course has proper assignments and quizzes to test our knowledge instead of just having to learn the concepts. A huge thanks to Prof. Charles Severance for making this course seem easy to learn. His way of teaching is very unique and i feel lucky to have got him as the instructor in an online learning platform. Anybody without a prior knowledge about programming can learn this course by taking their time. This course has been planned correctly and adequately instead of rushing with loads of concepts. In a way this course provides time for the individuals to learn, practice, and correct their mistakes while programming. In case of any difficulties, there are forums where we can discuss about the problems and get a solution. I eagerly look forward for my upcoming courses on this specialization.

Programmers using complex lingo in your life making you feel lost when they explain something to you?

This is the course for you!

Other resources you tried on how to program are too complicated, and sound like an alien is speaking to you?

This is the course for you!

Why?

Everything is explained so "Everybody" (anybody!) can learn! Plus, everything is communicated slowly, and compared to things in everyday life (of that of the "99%" of the population) so that "Everybody" can understand.

Note: Great for LEARNING the basics. Not for PRACTICING. I used this course alongside "Learning Python the Hard Way" since that is an exercise only focused book, and this course is strong in terms of it's ability to communicate complicated concepts.

Also, if you are someone in the tech industry who thinks his explanations are too "dumbed down", take this as a chance to learn and improve your own communication skills by watching someone who is able to communicate "complex ideas" so that "Everybody" can understand.