I know it can be hard to learn a new programming language. In this article, I want to share my plan with you. It's a way to learn Python in eight weeks using videos, articles, and practice exercises. Exercises are very important because I think the best way to learn is by doing them.

I've created this learning plan for people who don't have much free time. You only need about 30-50 minutes a day and consistency. In my plan, I use the 80/20 principle, which will help you learn the most important things first and improve the rest through practice.

For those who read this article to the end, I have prepared a learning tracking sheet to help you track your progress.

Why You Should Learn Python

Python is a very popular programming language. People use it for web development, data science, artificial intelligence, scientific computing, cybersecurity, and more.

Python's syntax is simple and easy to understand, which makes it a great choice for beginners. Its simplicity helps newcomers learn the language quickly.

Another important thing is career opportunities. Learning Python can lead to many job options in software development, data analysis, AI, machine learning, and more.

What is the 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 principle, also called the Pareto Principle, is a rule that says 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. If you learn the 20% of Python concepts that are most important and used the most, you can get 80% of what you need to be good at it.

This means learning the basic rules, control structures, types of data, and main libraries. Instead of trying to learn everything about Python, focus on the most important parts that help you the most.

How to Learn Python in 8 Weeks - The Plan

Week 1: Python Basics

Day 1: Introduction to Python

Learn: Watch Python Full Course for Beginners (first 10 minutes)
Read: The Python Tutorial - Python.org (Introduction section)
Exercise: Install Python and write your first script: print "Hello, World!"

Day 2: Python Variables and Data Types

Learn: Watch Python Variables and Data Types (10 minutes)
Read: Python Variables - W3Schools
Exercise: Practice creating variables of different data types: string, int, float, and bool.

Day 3: Basic Operators

Learn: Watch Python Operators (first 10 minutes)
Read: Python Operators - W3Schools
Exercise: Create simple expressions using arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators.

Day 4: Python Strings

Learn: Watch Python Strings and String Manipulation (first 10 minutes)
Read: Python Strings - W3Schools
Exercise: Practice with string concatenation, methods, and formatting.

Day 5: Control Flow - if, elif, else

Learn: Watch Python If Else Statements (10 minutes)
Read: Python If...Else - W3Schools
Exercise: Write a program that uses if, elif, and else statements to handle multiple conditions.

Day 6: Loops in Python

Day 7: Review and Practice

Exercise: Solve exercises on Exercism's Python Track to review the week's concepts.

Week 2: Data Structures

Day 8: Lists

Learn: Watch Python Lists (10 minutes)
Read: Python Lists - W3Schools
Exercise: Create a list, add items, remove items, and iterate over the list.

Day 9: Dictionaries

Learn: Watch Python Dictionaries (10 minutes)
Read: Python Dictionaries - W3Schools
Exercise: Create a dictionary, add key-value pairs, access values, and use a loop to print all keys.

Day 10: Tuples

Learn: Watch Python Tuples (10 minutes)
Read: Python Tuples - W3Schools
Exercise: Create a tuple, access its elements, and understand the concept of immutability.

Day 11: Sets

Learn: Watch Python Sets (10 minutes)
Read: Python Sets - W3Schools
Exercise: Create a set, add and remove items, and perform basic set operations (union, intersection).

Day 12: Functions

Day 13: Modules

Learn: Watch Python Modules (10 minutes)
Read: Python Modules - W3Schools
Exercise: Import a module and use a function from it (e.g., math module).

Day 14-15: Review and Practice

Exercise: Tackle more complex exercises on HackerRank Python Practice.

Week 3: Advanced Data Structures and Comprehensions (Continued)

Day 16: Dictionary Comprehensions

Day 17: Set Comprehensions

Learn: Explore set comprehensions through Python Set Comprehensions (Read for 10 minutes)
Exercise: Practice creating sets using set comprehensions with various conditions.

Day 18: File Handling

Learn: Watch Python File Handling (10 minutes)
Read: Python File Handling - W3Schools
Exercise: Practice opening, reading, writing, and appending to files in Python.

Day 19: Working with JSON in Python

Learn: Watch Python JSON (10 minutes)
Read: Python JSON - W3Schools
Exercise: Practice parsing JSON and converting Python objects to JSON format.

Day 20: Review and Practice

Exercise: Complete exercises related to this week's topics on platforms like Exercism or HackerRank.

Week 4: Functions and Error Handling

Day 21: Functions Deep Dive

Learn: Watch Python Functions - Core Programming (10 minutes)
Read: Python Functions - Real Python
Exercise: Write functions with different types of parameters, default values, and keyword arguments.

Day 22: Lambda Functions

Learn: Watch Python Lambda Functions (10 minutes)
Read: Python Lambda - W3Schools
Exercise: Practice creating simple lambda functions for quick tasks.

Day 23: Error and Exception Handling

Learn: Watch Python Exception Handling (10 minutes)
Read: Python Try Except - W3Schools
Exercise: Write code blocks using try, except, else, and finally to handle errors gracefully.

Day 24: Modules and Packages

Learn: Watch Python Modules and Packages (10 minutes)
Read: Python Modules - Real Python
Exercise: Create a simple module and import it into another Python script.

Day 25-26: Intermediate Projects

Activity: Start a small project to apply the concepts learned. This could be a simple data analysis using external libraries or a small web scraping script.

Day 27: Review and Practice

Exercise: Review the week's learning and practice any concepts you find challenging. Utilize coding challenge platforms for more practice.

Week 5: Diving into Data Science with Python

Learn to manipulate and visualize data using Python.

Day 28-29:

Learn & Practice: Get started with pandas by reading 10 Minutes to pandas and experimenting with data frames.

Day 30-31:

Learn & Practice: Explore data visualization with matplotlib by following the Matplotlib Pyplot tutorial.

Day 32-33:

Project: Work on a data analysis project. Use a dataset from Kaggle and perform data cleaning, manipulation, and visualization.

Week 6: Web Development with Flask

Build a basic web application using Flask.

Day 34-35:

Learn: Watch Python Flask for Beginners and set up a basic Flask project.

Day 36-37:

Learn & Practice: Expand your Flask app by adding new routes and views. Follow tutorials from the Flask documentation.

Day 38-39:

Project: Create a simple web application like a to-do list or a personal diary app where users can add, delete, or edit entries.

Week 7: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Deepen your understanding of OOP in Python.

Day 40-42:

Learn & Practice: Dive into OOP concepts with Real Python's OOP tutorial. Practice by creating classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Day 43-44:

Project: Develop a simple command-line application (e.g., a contact book or an inventory system) using OOP principles.

Day 46:

Review: Go over the concepts and code from the week to consolidate your learning.

Week 8: Final Project and Exploration

Apply all the concepts learned in a comprehensive project.

Day 47-51:

Project: Start a project that interests you. It could be a more advanced data analysis project, a more complex web application, or an automation script. Plan, design, code, and test your project.

Day 52-53:

Review & Extend: Review your project, add documentation, and consider any additional features or improvements. Explore any libraries or frameworks that could enhance your project.

By the end of these eight weeks, you should have a solid foundation in Python and practical experience with a range of applications.

My Personal Tips to Learn Python Effectively

Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique (study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break) to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Engage with Python communities on platforms like Stack Overflow or Reddit's r/learnpython to get insights
Consistency is Key. Even if it's just 30 minutes, do it daily without fail.
Practice every day
Learning Tracking Sheet
You can download a tracking sheet from this link. It will help you track your progress and stay motivated. Download Learning Tracking Sheet
Learning Tracking Sheet
That’s it! :) If you like this article please don’t forget to share it with your friends! Thanks!

How to Learn Python FREE in 8-Week: The 80/20 Learning Plan