I spent a week trying to learn Python from a 700-page textbook before I switched to Codecademy | Coding For Beginners

Jenny Park · 2026-04-02T21:30:05.559149+00:00

The book was full of words I didn't know and made me write code in a plain text file with no help. After 7 days, I hadn't even gotten past the first chapter on variables. I switched to Codecademy's free Python course and finished the same chapter in an hour because it let me write code right in the browser and told me when I made a mistake. Has anyone else found that interactive tools are way better for starting out?

sam_harris684mo ago

Damn, a whole week on variables? That's brutal.

6

gavincraig6mo ago

Yeah, the books are rough. I keep a reference book around now, but only after I get the basics from something hands-on.

5

roberts.diana6mo ago

My buddy tried learning from a giant manual and quit. Switched to an interactive site and finally got it.

3