Python for Beginners:
Code With Confidence
Python for Beginners: Code With Confidence
8 Weeks • Live Cohort-Based Course
Learn Programming Fundamentals and Pythonic Coding in Eight Weeks—With a Structured Course
Hosted By
Core Team member at Real Python and acclaimed Python educator who combines years of teaching expertise and storytelling techniques to make complex programming concepts clear, engaging, and unforgettable.
Course Overview
Build Confidence in Python in Just 8 Weeks,
With Live Expert Guidance
The gap between dabbling with coding tutorials and actually feeling confident writing your own programs is bigger than most people expect.
Sure, you can find countless videos and blog posts that teach you how to print “Hello, World!” or loop through a list…
But turning that scattered knowledge into real coding ability you can 100% rely on? That’s a whole different challenge.
This is where most beginners get stuck…
Struggling to understand how the pieces of Python fit together: variables, functions, loops, and objects.
Without structured guidance, they end up piecing things together from random tutorials, often feeling overwhelmed, second-guessing themselves, and giving up before they ever build anything meaningful.
Meanwhile, the world of programming is moving fast…
Whether you want to switch careers, automate tasks, or simply understand how coding works, you need more than copy-paste snippets:
You need a solid foundation in Python that will carry you forward.
But trying to teach yourself from scratch? That’s a surefire way to waste hours spinning your wheels, missing the core ideas that make everything else click.
That’s why we designed this course: to give you the clarity, structure, and practice you need to go from zero experience to writing your own Python programs with rock-solid confidence.
In just eight weeks, you’ll master the core building blocks of Python.
Variables, data structures, control flow, functions, and the basics of object-oriented programming. You won’t just watch someone else code. You’ll get hands-on, guided practice every step of the way.
No more wondering if you’re “cut out for coding…”
By the end of the program, you’ll be writing and running real Python applications, solving problems on your own, and thinking like a programmer. You’ll have the skills and confidence to keep learning and growing beyond this course.
This isn’t just another online course. It’s an immersive 8-week experience combining live expert instruction, hands-on exercises, and a supportive community.
Together, we’ll help you take your first confident steps into the world of coding and set you up for success in Python.
What Is This Course?
This is an interactive, cohort-based Python course designed to give you a solid foundation in programming. You’ll start with the very basics, like variables, loops, and data types. You’ll then move on to writing your own functions and to learn the basics of object-oriented programming.
Led by an experienced Real Python instructor, you’ll learn through structured daily lessons that fit around your schedule, hands-on exercises to reinforce each concept, and weekly live sessions where you can ask questions and get feedback.
Everything is designed to help you understand how Python works from the ground up so you can write real, working code with confidence.
How Does It Work?
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Cohort-Based Learning: Join a small, focused group of learners, progressing through the course together with daily checkpoints and live classes.
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Daily Learning Materials: Each day, you’ll receive structured learning materials delivered through Real Python’s trusted tutorials and video courses. These can be studied at your own pace, whenever it fits your schedule.
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Instructor-Led Guidance: Meet with your instructor during weekly live classes to dive deeper into the course content, tackle tricky topics, and get your questions answered.
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Community Discussions: Stay engaged and accountable by participating in daily discussions on the dedicated online community, where you can ask questions, share progress, and connect with peers and the instructor.
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Live Q&A Sessions: Drop into twice-weekly live Q&A sessions for extra guidance when you need it, ensuring you never feel stuck or left behind no matter the challenge.
Watch this short introduction to Python for Beginners to learn more about the course:
👉 Join a live info session on Zoom to find out more about this course.
Why This Course?
- Master Fundamental Python Skills: Gain a deep understanding and fluency in data types, loops, conditional statements, functions, and object-oriented principles. Build skills to develop robust code.
- Live Cohort-Based Learning: Participate in interactive live classes, guided by an expert instructor and supported by an engaged community of peers.
- Flexible, Yet Structured: Access a blend of tutorials, videos, and live instruction tailored for optimal learning.
- Apply What You Learn: Through hands-on projects and real-world scenarios, turn theory into practice.
Should I Join This Course?
This course is for you, if you:
- Have never learned programming or have started learning the basics and you’re ready to master the fundametals and eager to move to the next stage.
- Want to understanding the “why” as well as the “how” behind the fundamentals of coding.
- Want to learn from an experienced educator with a group of motivated learners who all share the same goal.
- Seek a structured, immersive learning experience.
Who Should Not Take This Course?
This course is not for proficient programmers. If you’re at an intermediate or advanced level in Python, or you’re proficient in another language but you now want to learn Python, you’ll find this course too basic. Check out Real Python’s intermediate and advanced-level resources.
Who This Course Is For
#1
Absolute Beginners who’ve never learned programming and feel ready to learn a new skill
#2
Nearly Beginners who’ve tried learning on their own but need structure and accountability to make real progress
#3
Skills Upgraders who use other tools at work but now need to learn how to use Python to solve problems
#4
Career Transitioners who want to access jobs that require Python skills and need structured guidance to reach competency
#5
Curious Learners who are intrigued by the growth of computer programming in our society and who don’t want to miss out on the Python coding revolution
#6
Creative Tinkerers who enjoy experimenting and want to bring their own ideas to life through code
What You’ll Get Out of This Course
- A deep understanding of Python’s core features
- Practical skills to design computer programs and solve programming challenges
- Confidence in writing Python code
This Course Includes
- 8 interactive live classes
- 16 live Q&A sessions for personalized support and problem-solving
- Weekly hands-on coding exercises and mini-projects with instructor feedback
- Guided feedback & reflection
- Certificate of Completion
- Direct access to instructor during live classes, Q&As, and forum community
- A real-world capstone project that ties together all course concepts
- Lifetime access to course materials
Real Python Satisfaction Guarantee
This course is backed by Real Python’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.
Course Syllabus
Over the eight weeks of the course, you’ll build a solid foundation in Python by mastering the essential building blocks of programming. Each week builds upon the previous one, giving you a clear, structured path from your very first line of code to creating your own working programs.
The first six weeks focus on core fundamentals—starting with variables and data types, then moving on to data structures, loops, functions, and the basics of object-oriented programming.
The final two weeks are dedicated to a hands-on project where you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to design and build a complete program of your own.
Each week includes:
- Daily guided learning materials
- Hands-on exercises and mini-projects
- A live class accessed via Zoom
- Daily discussions on the dedicated online community, where you can ask questions, share progress, and connect with peers and the instructor
- Live Q&A sessions for personalized support via Zoom
- Optional weekend challenges for additional practice
Throughout the course, you’ll follow a steady rhythm of learning, practice, and discussion. The daily lessons and exercises will prepare you for each week’s live session, where we’ll work through examples together, answer your questions, and reinforce the concepts you’ve been learning.
Live Q&A sessions give you extra support whenever you need it, while the weekend challenges offer opportunities to test your new skills and build confidence. Regular interaction in our dedicated online community will help you stay motivated, learn from your peers, and feel supported every step of the way.
Please note we’re offering all live sessions at two different times to accommodate different time zones and schedules. Both sessions will cover the same material.
And while you’re welcome to switch between times based on what works best for your schedule, we encourage you to primarily stick with one time slot to help maintain balanced group sizes and build community with your fellow learners.
Let’s explore what we’ll cover each week:
Oct 13–17, 2025
Week 1: Starting With The Basics
Learning Objectives:
- Variables
ifstatementswhileloops- Basic operators
- Importing modules
- Basic data types, including f-strings
- Mini-project
13
Course Kickoff Meeting
15
Live Class: Consolidation Through a Mini-Project
17
Instructor Live Q&A
Oct 20–24, 2025
Week 2: Iteration and Lists
Learning Objectives:
forloops- Lists
- Indexing and slicing
- Tuples
- Mini-project
20
Instructor Live Q&A
22
Live Class: Data Type Characteristics and Mini-Project
24
Instructor Live Q&A
Oct 27–31, 2025
Week 3: Defining Functions
Learning Objectives:
- Defining functions Using
def - Parameters and arguments
- Local variables and scope
- Default value in functions
- Short introduction to docstrings and type hints
- Mini-Project
27
Instructor Live Q&A
29
Live Class: More on Functions
31
Instructor Live Q&A
Nov 3–7, 2025
Week 4: More Data Structures
Learning Objectives:
- Python's duck typing philosophy
- Sequences, iterables, mutable, and immutable types
- Dictionaries
- List comprehensions
- Mini-project
3
Instructor Live Q&A
5
Live Class: Consolidating Dictionaries Through a Mini-Project
7
Instructor Live Q&A
Nov 10–14, 2025
Week 5: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
Learning Objectives:
- Introduction to the OOP paradigm
- Creating instances
- Methods
- Special methods
- Introduction to inheritance
- Mini-project
10
Instructor Live Q&A
12
Live Class: Everything is an Object in Python
14
Instructor Live Q&A
Nov 17–21, 2025
Week 6: More Object-Oriented Python and Debugging
Learning Objectives:
- Inheritance and composition
- Reviewing duck typing and OOP in Python
- Debugging techniques
- Mini-project
17
Instructor Live Q&A
19
Live Class: Inheritance and Composition
21
Instructor Live Q&A
Nov 24–28, 2025
Week 7: Capstone Project (Part I)
Learning Objectives:
For these final two weeks, we’re going to pull everything together by building a project.
This project will challenge you to apply the techniques you’ve learned, providing you with a comprehensive and practical experience.
By the end of the two weeks, you’ll have a fully functional program that’s ready for further development:
- Loops
- Functions
- Conditional statements
- Data structures
- Classes
24
Instructor Live Q&A
26
Live Class: Recap and Project
28
Instructor Live Q&A
Dec 1–5, 2025
Week 8: Capstone Project (Part II)
Learning Objectives:
- Finalize your capstone project
- Course review and wrap-up
1
Instructor Live Q&A
3
Live Class: Recap and Project
5
Live Q&A and Course Wrap-Up
Meet Your Instructor
Core Team member at Real Python and acclaimed Python educator who combines years of teaching expertise and storytelling techniques to make complex programming concepts clear, engaging, and unforgettable.
Stephen Gruppetta is a seasoned Python educator and author known for his engaging narrative approach to explaining complex concepts, drawing on his PhD in physics and years as a lecturer and technical writer.
With experience ranging from corporate training to creating accessible resources like The Python Coding Book, he’s dedicated to helping learners master Python with clarity and creativity.
What Learners Say About Stephen
“For anyone who might be on the fence, I’m in this cohort right now, and I’m loving it! I’ve been a Python developer for over 15 years, and I’m constantly picking up new and useful insights. And Stephen is a wonderful teacher!
As much as I’m learning about Python itself, I’m also learning a lot about how to teach Python. Anyone in a senior position is automatically in a teaching role. So even if you already know everything about Python, you will still learn a lot about mentorship from the course.”
— Andrew Martin
“This was such a great experience. I am thankful for the Real Python team and especially the instructor, Stephen Gruppetta for putting this together and teaching such an awesome course. Looking forward to the next one!”
— Chris Kessler
“Your [teaching style] is succinct, easy to understand, and process oriented… With the exercises you've provided, I'm starting to realize that my first experiences with programming weren't at all representative of my abilities to problem solve or structure my thinking. It has been a great confidence booster for me.”
— Brandon
“I appreciated your patient explanation of and listening to all our crazy questions! I am so excited that I am finally starting to understand programming!”
— Morgan
“I thought the course was a great balance with just the right level of intensity that I felt like we got an awful lot of actual coding written whilst gaining a good overview of the general theory and applications. It was well paced and you found the time to answer questions in detail.”
— Robert Shaw
“[…] the most comprehensive way to really try to get at the material in a way that goes beyond just memorizing code snippets or syntax. I recommend it to everyone I talk to that wants a Python resource for getting started and wants to really understand what they are doing at a deeper level.”
— Nathan
“[Stephen] explains the concepts and syntax of Python in a far more intuitive way! In particular, I thought your explanation of the difference between the = and == operators was excellent […] Incredibly professional work!”
— Edward
“One of the best courses to learn programming. You could see a lot of thoughts went into the design of this course.”
— Li Zhang
“I have to tell you how much I love your approach to coding and the way you explain every step! I'll take this opportunity to thank you for all you've done and you're doing to teach us! and you're great, keep up the great work!!”
— Agus Kotik
“Consistently excellent! Well done - your simple, insightful explanations and teaching style are really going down well […] Highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn Python from first concepts!”
— Samir Patel
“Thank you for the class. I got exactly what I was hoping to get out of it and have a much better understanding of Python. […] I thought the class was well thought out, paced and your insight/teaching was great as we had questions and progressed over the 8 weeks. I'll keep an eye out for the other cohorts coming up in the future and hope to join again on one of the specialized tracks that have been mentioned.”
— Reyes Lopez
“My code reading skills are greatly improved and I feel that I can understand not just the syntax and mechanics, but what the intent of the programmer might be and why they chose to write the way the did. I don't need code walk-throughs as I did before and I feel I can emulate and create good code myself now.
This goes above and beyond so many other courses and tutorials that show you 'how it works' because this course shows you 'why it was built this way'. It's the difference between simply knowing how to do something versus understanding how and why it works that way.”
— Jerry Wilson
🎧 Participant Interviews: Listen to episode #246 of the Real Python Podcast for an interview with five Real Python cohort-course participants sharing their experiences and learning outcomes. While the syllabus and target audience is different for this course, the podcast episode will still give you a good idea of what our cohort-courses are like.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a beginners’ course. Therefore, there are no technical prerequisites. You don’t need any prior programming knowledge to join this course.
To ensure high-quality interaction and personalized attention, we keep our cohorts intentionally small at around 10 participants. This enables meaningful discussions, detailed feedback on exercises, and focused support during live classes. We carefully balance group size to create an optimal learning environment while maintaining engaging peer interactions.
All live sessions are offered at two different times to accommodate different time zones and schedules. Both sessions will cover the same material. While you’re welcome to switch between times based on what works best for your schedule, we encourage you to primarily stick with one time slot to help maintain balanced group sizes and build community with your fellow learners.
While live classes are a valuable part of the learning experience where you can interact directly with the instructor and peers, we understand conflicts may arise. All live sessions are recorded and made available within 24 hours. However, we strongly encourage attending live whenever possible to get the most out of the interactive elements and real-time Q&A.
Course materials are available in advance, allowing you to preview upcoming content. However, the course is designed around daily discussions and collaborative learning within your cohort. While you’re welcome to read ahead, the forum discussions and exercises will follow the daily schedule to maintain group cohesion and maximize peer learning opportunities.
These courses combine the flexibility of self-paced learning with the benefits of structured instruction and peer interaction. You’ll have access to expert instructors who can clarify complex concepts, provide personalized feedback, and guide your learning journey. The cohort format also creates accountability and community, which are proven to increase learning outcomes.
The course is designed for a commitment of around 90 minutes per day. This includes:
- Reading/watching course materials
- Completing exercises
- Attending live classes
While you can occasionally shift work between days, maintaining this steady pace helps you stay aligned with cohort discussions and activities.
Yes, you’ll retain permanent access to all course materials, including:
- Written tutorials and video lessons
- Live session recordings
- Exercise solutions
- Conversations on the course forum
This allows you to review content at your own pace even after course completion.
The instructor actively monitors and participates in forum discussions throughout their working day. You can expect responses to questions within a few hours during the work day in the instructor’s time zone (GMT+1). Additionally, live Q&A sessions provide direct interaction opportunities twice per week.
Our cohort courses combine several key elements:
- Expert instructors with real-world Python experience
- High-quality, tested learning materials from Real Python
- Small group sizes (around 10 students)
- Interactive live sessions and daily forum discussions
- Project-based learning with personalized feedback
- Permanent access to all course materials
This is a one-time payment that covers the complete 8-week course. You pay once and get access to the entire program. There are no recurring charges or hidden fees—your single payment covers everything needed for the full course experience.
This course is backed by Real Python’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.
Have another question? Email us at info@realpython.com