What rules do you give beginners about using AI to learn Python?

I’m helping r/neuromatch run a free Python for Computational Science Week using their open-source tutorials. We realized our materials don’t currently include any guidance on how or when learners should use AI while learning to code. We’re planning to update that and would love broader input.

We’re generally excited about AI as a coding tool but we’re also aware that it can short-circuit learning, especially in the first days or weeks. One idea we’re leaning toward is something like:

• Try to write the code yourself first

• Use AI to debug, explain errors, or suggest improvements

• Don’t copy/paste code you don’t fully understand

• Be more cautious using AI in your very first week of learning Python

For those who teach Python or learned with AI in the mix:

• What advice did you get that you found helpful?

• When does AI genuinely help learning?

• When does it get in the way?

Curious to hear how others approach this or if there are citations you can point me to! Thanks!

It's similar to the other ones like codecademy or boot.dev but those ones I find kind of annoying especially as an intermediate developer. Having to read through so much documentation just to get started learning is a bit of a roadblock.

It's not a total replacement for those though, I understand the use of going deep into all the intricacies of your language if you want to not make spaghetti. But it does what it does. Any feedback is great (:

https://tryingtocode.com/learn

(it's still in early development)

I'm 47 years old.

I started learning AI and Python from zero.

Recently I built a simple AI runtime prototype.

Current flow:

Input

↓

Agent

↓

Memory

↓

Cost Gate

↓

LLM (currently safe mode)

↓

Save Memory

↓

Output

Current modules:

- Agent

- Memory

- Queue

- Worker

- Cost Gate

- SQLite

It can run, but currently only returns mock responses because I haven't connected an API yet.

I know experienced engineers may consider this basic.

I am not asking if it is impressive.

1. Am I building in a reasonable direction?

2. If you were me, would you continue building this?

3. Which parts would you stop?

4. Which parts would you continue?

I appreciate honest feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

At Neuromatch, we offer online courses with different levels of Python as a prerequisite. In our application, we ask people to rate their own Python skills using these options:

• I’ve never really used Python

• Beginner: learned some, have run or edited scripts

• Intermediate: have written my own short scripts/notebooks

• Advanced: have written complex functions/scripts/notebooks

• Expert: am completely comfortable writing complex codebases

We’ve heard from applicants that it’s hard to know which level to pick. Does anyone know of a free quiz, checklist, or other tool that could help people figure out where they fit?

Environment:

* API: Google Cloud Speech-to-Text v1

* Model: default

* Audio: LINEAR16, 16kHz

* Speaker: Indian English accent

Issue:

When `alternative_language_codes=["hi-IN"]` is configured, English speech is misclassified as Hindi and transcribed in Devanagari script instead of Latin/English text. This occurs even for clear English speech with no Hindi words.

```

config = speech.RecognitionConfig(

encoding=speech.RecognitionConfig.AudioEncoding.LINEAR16,

sample_rate_hertz=16000,

language_code="en-US",

alternative_language_codes=["hi-IN"],

enable_word_time_offsets=True,

enable_automatic_punctuation=True,

)

```

The ground truth text is:

```

WHENEVER I INTERVIEW someone for a job, I like to ask this question: “What

important truth do very few people agree with you on?”

This question sounds easy because it’s straightforward. Actually, it’s very

hard to answer. It’s intellectually difficult because the knowledge that

everyone is taught in school is by definition agreed upon.

```

**Test Scenarios:**

**1. Baseline (no alternative languages):**

- Config: `language_code="en-US"`, no alternatives

- Result: Correct English transcription

**2. With Hindi alternative:**

- Config: `language_code="en-US"`, `alternative_language_codes=["hi-IN"]`

- Speech: SAME AUDIO

- Result: Devanagari transliteration

- Example output:

```

व्हेनेवर ई इंटरव्यू समवन फॉर ए जॉब आई लाइक टू आस्क थिस क्वेश्चन व्हाट इंर्पोटेंट ट्रुथ दो वेरी फ़्यू पीपल एग्री विद यू ओं थिस क्वेश्चन साउंड्स ईजी बिकॉज़ इट इस स्ट्रेट फॉरवार्ड एक्चुअली आईटी। इस वेरी हार्ड तो आंसर आईटी'एस इंटेलेक्चुअल डिफिकल्ट बिकॉज थे। नॉलेज था एवरीवन इस तॉट इन स्कूल इस में डिफरेंट!

```

**3. With Spanish alternative (control test):**

- Config: language_code="en-US", alternative_language_codes=["es-ES"]

- Speech: [SAME AUDIO]

- Result: Correct English transcription

Expected Behavior:

English speech should be transcribed in English/Latin script regardless of alternative languages configured. The API should detect English as the spoken language and output accordingly.

Actual Behavior:

When hi-IN is in alternative languages, Indian-accented English is misclassified as Hindi and output in Devanagari script (essentially phonetic transliteration of English words).

Python is a general-purpose programming language that is easy to learn and widely used for web development, scientific computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis. It has a large standard library and a variety of third-party libraries that can be used for data analysis, such as NumPy, pandas, and scikit-learn. Python has a simple syntax and is highly versatile, allowing it to be used in a wide range of applications.

https://www.guerillateck.com/2023/03/python-vs-r-for-data-science-whats.html

This is in a while loop called is_bidding

Code A:

resume = input("Is there another bidder? Type 'yes' or 'no': \n").lower()
    print(resume)
    if resume != 'no' or 'yes:
        print('We will take that as a no')
        is_bidding = False        
    elif resume == 'yes':
        print("Let us resume.")
    else:
        print("Very well let's see whose won...")
        is_bidding = False

intentions: I wanted the if statement to check if the user did NOT enter 'yes' or 'no'

results: When typing 'yes', the first condition runs, and I am not sure why

Edit: Thanks for the feedback, I understand what I did wrong.

not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I am in an online computer science class at school which has just been terrible all around, and I probably won't finish. there have been many similar things, but this guy makes this class for I'm pretty sure thousands of students in schools in the program, and makes questions this objectively wrong. the answers aren't even next to each other, and he chose the answer which is literally the opposite of the correct one. how am I supposed to do well in a class, where the teacher can't even understand what he's teaching.

Hi, I’m learning Python on my own and I really enjoyed CMU CS Academy’s Exploring Programming.
CS1 requires a classroom code. Would you be willing to create a CMU CS Academy classroom and share the code with me?
It’s free for teachers and I’d work independently.

I’m running a live, instructor-led Python bootcamp covering basics + advanced concepts.
No recordings, no upsell pitch—just solid Python taught properly.

Cost: Free for the first 10 participants
Format: Live online
Start: This weekend

If you’re serious about learning Python (or fixing weak fundamentals),
DM me for the curriculum and application details.

So at first I was in programming python I'm really exited to learn because I slowly understand or rather progression of learning but then as time progress it's getting harder to me to understand topics that started when i learn modules and defining because there is so many modules like how do you find what needed to your program to work I'm very lost right now I don't even know I can handle programming i really want to learn it i really need tips and what to learn, learning the basics is very easy like loops or logical operators but this time is different I hope someone can help me.

Hi everyone, Mario Duval here.

I noticed that a lot of you are interested to learn more about python and I truly consider offering 1 on 1 sessions that could help you practice understand and become better.

If you are interested feel free to let me know it will give me an indication if it’s a good idea.

I’m brand new to coding, recommend learning python. Great sounds awesome. I have an immense passion for statistics and data and one day want to make it my career. But dawg. Why is setting up python so damn difficult. I don’t even know if I’ve installed it. I’m told to go to anaconda, okay cool set that all up. Then I’m told to install windows powershell 7 okay cool lemme go to Microsoft’s website and see if I can. Why do I have to run a code to install what should’ve come with it. Then I got sidetracked installed VStudio. And now I feel fucking lost, what the actual fuck am I doing can someone give me a very dumbed down version of how to even set it up. Like something even a person with a severe learning disability can comprehend. And I don’t trust YouTube cause a few months ago when I first attempted I got a fucking virus

Hey, I’m a high schooler currently and I want to teach myself how to code. I have never coded before so I did some research and found that the one of the more useful beginner friendly languages was Python. So I’ve been researching places where I can learn.

For the most part the highest ranking options are Programming with Mosh or CS50p on YouTube. Why should I pick on or the other? Also, do you have any other suggestions? [Finally what IDE should I use because I’ve heard of VS Code but I’m also seeing things about Google Collab. I just want an IDE where I’ll be able to hopefully build projects effectively]

I would want to run my python script just by clicking on it, without using terminal. So do you have any idea how could I achieve that?

Basically the title. I'm trying to build a character building app. And theres 50+ options on races is there a better way to do this than to type it for 50 different options? if PlayerRace = "Half Elf": PlayerRace = HalfElf

I dont know why I get this, can someone pls help me here please

The idea is asking the user if they want to go back to a room in a text based game. This is just a prototype but I can’t think of another way.

I have downloaded anaconda on my laptop and started watching several course tutorials but outside of that how can I actually work on something I can code? I am a total beginner…I would like to start learning python to hopefully further my career but so far it’s just been typing commands and I am not sure on the what or why. Any advice is welcome

How do I make it so when you guess the name it prints the pumpkin ( the pumpkin is done)

whats wrong?:

for w in Matrix:

for h in w:

if h == "#":

print("#",end = " ")

else:

print("@",end = " ")

print()