Introduction to Modern Python Programming

This course is a comprehensive, modern introduction to Python programming, built from scratch for anyone who wants to learn to code (no prior programming experience required).

Rather than rushing through syntax, we build a real mental model of how Python actually works, then reinforce it through slide explanations, live coding, and hands-on exercises after every chapter.

We'll start with the fundamentals: setting up a professional Python environment (VS Code, Conda, Jupyter), using Python as a calculator, and mastering control flow with conditionals and loops. From there, the course moves into Python's core data structures (strings, lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets, etc.) before diving deep into functions, including default arguments, *args/**kwargs, closures, and functional tools like map, filter, and lambdas.

The second half focuses on what separates beginners from more advanced Python developers: decorators, object-oriented programming (classes, special/dunder methods, inheritance, and abstract classes), and the practical skills real and impactful projects need: exception handling, file I/O and context managers, and how Python's modules, namespaces, and scopes actually work.

Every chapter includes multiple-choice exercises and coding challenges with full solutions, so you can check your understanding immediately.
By the end, you won't just know Python syntax. Instead, you'll understand why Python behaves the way it does, ready to write clean, idiomatic, production-quality code.

The presentation slides for this course were generated with Gamma AI, based entirely on outlines, talking points, and content written by the instructor. All code, exercises, and explanations are original and created by the instructor.

Whether you're brand new to programming or coming from another language, this is a proper, modern foundation in Python from scratch.