How to Build a Personal Python Learning Roadmap

Define Your Goals

Start by deciding what you want to accomplish with Python, then write it down. Research shows that this small step can make a meaningful difference. In a study conducted by psychology researcher Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University of California, participants who wrote down their goals were significantly more likely to achieve them than those who didn’t.

If you’re not sure yet about your goals, here are some questions for you to consider:

• Are there specific projects—or types of projects—that you’d like to work on? For example, data analysis, game development, or building a web app.

• In what context or setting would you like to use your Python skills? For example, at work, in school, or as part of a personal interest or side project.

Remember to write these answers down either in your notebook or on the Personal Python Learning Roadmap worksheet included in this tutorial’s downloads. Having them written down will provide helpful context as you continue formulating your roadmap.

Determine Your Motivation

Once you have a general goal in mind, think about why you want to achieve it. Your motivation plays a key role in whether you’ll stick with your plan over time. As clinical psychology professor Dr. Jennifer Crawford explains:

If we don’t care about why we’re doing [a goal], then it makes it really difficult to stick with that new behavior.

— Dr. Jennifer Crawford

She also encourages goal-setters to ask how their goals connect with something that’s important to them.

This idea is echoed by psychology professor Angela Duckworth in her book Grit, where she emphasizes that a strong sense of purpose helps you persevere when you encounter obstacles that might otherwise derail your progress.

Some possible reasons behind your “why” might include:

• A personal interest or a love of learning
• A desire to start or advance a career in software development
• A goal of earning a computer science degree
• An interest in volunteering your skills—for example, creating a Python application that supports a cause you care about

As you consider your motivation, see if you can dive deeper into the root of your reasons. A deeper look can add even more meaning and staying power to your goals. For example:

• A software development career might allow you to support your family while taking on intellectually fulfilling work
• Earning a computer science degree might help you set a positive example for your family or community

When your goals are anchored in a deeper sense of purpose, you’ll have something to return to when learning feels difficult or progress slows. Take a moment to ask yourself why this goal truly matters to you—and be sure to jot your reasons down so you can revisit them later.

Look at Real-Life Examples

As you’re considering these questions, it might be helpful to see some examples of real people who have set and achieved similar goals. Members of the Real Python community have shared many success stories about setting clear goals and following through on them.

For example, community member Christopher Scogin realized that debugging was a problem for him. He often spent more time fixing issues than writing new code. After committing to work through Real Python’s debugging resources, he significantly reduced the time and effort he spent debugging his programs.

Here’s Christopher describing his experience in his own words:

Now that you’ve defined what you want to achieve and why, it’s time to turn that intention into a concrete plan.

Find Your Starting Point

It might be helpful to determine your initial level of Python expertise. Real Python provides a Python Skill Test quiz to assess your current skills:

Take the Quiz: Test your knowledge with our interactive “Python Skill Test” quiz. You’ll receive a score upon completion to help you track your learning progress:

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Interactive Quiz

Python Skill Test

Test your Python knowledge in a skills quiz with basic to advanced questions. Are you a Novice, Intermediate, Proficient, or Expert?

Once you complete it, you’ll get answers to these questions:

• What is your current skill level—novice, intermediate, proficient, or expert?
• Which topics do you need to review or learn more about?
• What learning paths and projects are recommended for your level?

Armed with your results, you’ll gain a starting point for your next steps.

Choose Your Learning Resources

Next, choose learning resources to guide your learning. You might start with a Real Python learning path recommended by your skills assessment results, or you can explore other paths that align with your goals. Real Python offers curated learning paths for many topics, including data science and interview preparation. You can also ask for feedback through community resources such as the Real Python community chat or Office Hours.

Besides Real Python, you could also use the official Python tutorial as a learning path or as supplemental material. Consider other resources, such as Scrimba’s browser-based courses or LearnPython.org’s interactive tutorials.

Hands-on practice through projects and problem-solving exercises is also critical, as practical application builds coding skills. Some Real Python paths include exercise-based courses, but additional resources include:

• Python Projects You Can Build: A collection of step-by-step tutorials
• Python Project: Build a Word Count Command-Line App: An in-depth coding challenge with tutorial videos
• 13 Project Ideas for Intermediate Python Developers: Starting-point suggestions for more challenging projects

You can also look to dedicated practice platforms for exercises and inspiration:

• HackerRank: An online platform that lets you solve short Python problems, connect with employers, and prepare for job interviews
• Practice Python: A list of beginner Python exercises with solutions and discussion
• PYnative: Tutorials, exercises, and quizzes organized by topic, plus an online code editor

These resources can greatly enhance your skill retention and understanding. You don’t have to use these specific suggestions, so feel free to add your own resources to your plan. If you’re using the worksheet that accompanies this tutorial, don’t forget to fill it in with your learning path and resources.

Establish a Timeline

Next, choose a time frame. If you already have a hard deadline, it might already be decided for you. For example, if you’re starting an internship at a set date and want to develop Python skills, that’s an external timeline constraint.

Otherwise, consider a 90-day timeline. A study conducted by psychology researcher Dr. Phillippa Lally’s team found that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit, with a variance of up to 254 days. Many businesses and mentors cite 90 days as a healthy range for goal-setting. A 90-day window meshes with quarterly business schedules and provides enough time to build momentum while still being short enough to reassess and adjust as needed.

If your timeline is longer, consider breaking it into chunks of 90 days or less. For example, a goal like starting a software career without coding experience could take well over 90 days.

Make a Regular Time Commitment

Examine how much time you can set aside weekly, considering commitments like work and family. Be sure to include seasonal and temporary commitments.

Regarding session length, some studies suggest that highly effective students study for three to four hours daily. However, that schedule isn’t feasible for many busy adults with jobs and families.

Entrepreneurial researcher Josh Kaufman suggests that 20 hours—roughly 40 minutes a day for a month—of dedicated practice is sufficient to gain skill competence, even skipping some days. You can break this into two 20-minute daily sessions.

Plan Your Routine

Establish a routine for periodically reviewing your progress. First, determine a weekly goal, like watching one video per day or completing one chapter or tutorial each week.

Also consider how you’ll know when you’ve completed a lesson. Some possible criteria include:

• Passing a lesson quiz
• Making flashcards
• Writing a one-page summary of the material

Take one day a week to reflect on your progress. Review what you’ve learned and what new skills you’ve acquired. Consider taking a weekly quiz, reviewing flashcards, or working on a short project.

Every 30 days, reassess and recalibrate your plan as needed. Ask yourself:

• Should you adjust the plan?
• What is or isn’t working so far?
• How do you feel about your progress?

By now, you should have a written plan for your Python goal. Remember, it’s alright to be flexible and make changes as you put your plan into action.

Build Consistency and Track Progress

Consistency is one of the keys to success. Earlier, you read about using some kind of planner or calendar. You can use this tool to track each day that you study and follow the plan.

You might even want to keep track of your daily study streaks. Using a digital tool can make streak-tracking easier. Check your phone or other devices to see whether they include built-in habit or streak-tracking features. Here are some other habit-tracking apps to consider:

• Todoist: A to-do list app that allows you to integrate your calendar, email, and other productivity tools
• everyday: A habit tracker that makes it easy to visualize your progress
• Habitify: A productivity toolkit app
• Habitica: A motivational habit and goal tracker that gamifies your goals with in-game rewards and quests
• Habit Hunter: Another gamified habit tracker

If possible, build a routine by picking a set time each day to study. It’s often easier to schedule other commitments around a predictable block of dedicated study time. Let family members and others know that you need some uninterrupted time.

Create Visual Evidence of Progress

In addition to streaks, there are other ways to establish a visible record of your progress. This visibility can help keep you motivated and accountable. Going too long without seeing any evidence of progress can sap motivation, while visible progress can spur you back into action.

If you’re using Real Python learning paths and resources, remember to update their status as you work through them. When you begin a course or resource, you can bookmark it, and Real Python will automatically mark courses you’ve started engaging with as “in-progress”. This makes it easier to see what you’re working on and pick up where you left off. Be sure to mark each resource as completed when you’re done.

Studying is important, but applying your skills to create something is vital. As you make progress, create a portfolio of your work. Consider making a dedicated folder or workspace on your computer or in an online coding environment. If you store all your Python projects and practice there, you can quickly see your accomplishments.

You can also create a website or online portfolio to share your best work with potential employers or other audiences. Alternatively, you can create a GitHub profile and publish your work there.

Enlist Community for Accountability

If you prefer, you can also use social connections to help you stay on track. The same study by Dr. Matthews referenced earlier shows that participants who sent weekly progress reports to a friend and made public commitments to their goals had significantly higher success rates.

If you’d like to add social accountability, but don’t know anyone personally whom you’d feel comfortable asking for support, there are other options. You can share your progress on social media: hashtags like #100daysofcode, #devcommunity, and #buildinpublic can bring visibility and support to your journey.

The Real Python community can also be helpful, especially the Slack #hangout channel, where you can share your week’s achievements every Friday.

You can also check to see if there are any local or virtual Python learning meetups or group challenges you can join. Having a dedicated cohort of other learners is a great way to establish a network for future project and job opportunities.

Pace Yourself

Avoiding burnout and maximizing your brain’s learning capability is critical. One approach is to opt for shorter study sessions, rather than long, marathon sessions. Consider the Pomodoro Technique, in which you set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task for that time frame. You then take a five-minute break when the timer goes off.

Another technique is to space out your study sessions. Rather than cramming all at once, add some time between your study sessions to improve your long-term retention of the material. As suggested earlier, try splitting your daily studying into two sessions, perhaps one in the morning and another at night.