I'm about to start a project on data mining and statistics and the recommended tools are Python and R. As I have never before used R I want to learn about the language before tampering with any of the project code. Also the main structure is already made by someone else and I was asked to add more features.
So that's when this question came to me. Should I get a couple of books on the topic? Am I going to be fine after taking an online course (free or paid) plus some tests and exercises in hackerrank for example? Or do these methods compliment each other so it's best to do both?
What is your opinion? How do you usually get started with programming languages and new concepts?
P.S: If you have any good recommendations on where to start with R it would be much appreciated! But the main topic of the post is still the comparison of the two methods.
Thank you!
Latest comments (52)
It would be easy to learn from videos because human normally understand through images.
I agree, but usually books have snippets of code as examples. If you recreate and try to improve or break them you can get a good grip on the concept you are studying. This of course takes time, but you have to invest in order to learn.
Don't waste your valuable time... a bit of courses and a lot of practice is all what you need.
That seems to be the best choice but I struggle starting a project when I don't know all about the tools I can use. Or the capabilities of the programming language I am learning.
What do you struggle with exactly? just put more info, and I'll be happy to help ;)
For example recently I was doing a python 3 course and didn't have any ideas on what I could build with it or how. I needed more time to see what are py's bemefits and strong points so that I could learn more as I build my project.
I don't know if you've ever coded in that language, I just used it as an example. At what point you think is a good time to start a project? After finishing books and courses or during that time and keep learning as you are coding?
What I do is I work on a project and read/watch about whatever I need... never read/watch something i dont need, it's just a waste of time cuz when i need it I'm gonna read/watch the same content again.
P.S: I spend 2 hours everyday to learn about totally new tech, cuz it's not a problem to not master specific tech, the real problem when you dont have an idea about what other tech can be useful for.
P.S.S: I use Python/CSharp for backend.
So... let's face it with a simple analogy:
Suppose you're practicing as a pro football player, and your dodging & defending skills are good, but you're terrible at free kicks... would you do more dodging and defending? or focus on doing more free kicks?
Lemme define some vars
Dodging = reading from books
Defending = watching courses
Free kicks = doing actual project
Mixed opinions - but the last topic I decided to learn deeply I bought an ebook and an online course, and I use both. I get tired of watching videos after a while and the book is a great reference to go and find things I forgot.
The downsides I have with books are the same with the downsides I have for online courses, so it really would be personal preference for how you learn. Like what got mentioned here:
What's your ideal way of learning? 🤔
Christian Vasquez
I dislike watching videos, so I almost always buy an ebook for whatever I'm learning since my tablet is always with me. Paper books get outdated quick for tech subjects, but for more established frameworks like Python and R, you'd get a really solid foundation on only need to Google some syntax stuff when doing it on your own with the bleeding edge version.
eBooks and online courses sometimes publish updates and corrections, but you'd need to find a good publisher or instructor you can trust will provide the right info. I tend to stick with PacktPub or Manning for material, and they seem to do right by keeping their material modern.
Yes it's easier for me too to focus on a 5-10min video than a full chapter. So videos are the way to go most of the time.
Every one has there own approach in learning .
Someone likes Reading books or documentation and someone feels comfortable by Watching tutorials find your approach too test everything.
If I want to learn a new language I read the documentation and if it has a guide I do it. In this way I have a first approach. After depending on the context I search some book with a good reputation author, usually I use safarybooks. In the end if I a need more specific info I use online courses.
Isn't documentation a bit overwhelming as a first step?
Maybe if we deeping into documentation yes, but ususally we’ve a reference or guide that contain a general vision. For example, few months ago I wanted to learn Kotlin, so first I went to read reference for its web. Of course is a good way for me but hasn’t to be for each one else
I dropped out of CS in 1997. I would pickup books every now and then to try and learn a different programming language or framework. I remember learning HTML 4.01 from a "Dummies" book. I recently decided to jump back into software development. I've read a few Amazon Kindle books, but the bulk of my learning has come from online courses. I think the online courses help me understand topics better because I can follow along typing code as it's being explained, and getting a chance to see the code in action on the instructor's machine as well as mine. I also think instructors that don't edit out their mistakes are very helpful. Understanding error codes is a big help.
As someone who just recently got into web development as a career change, i prefer courses over books. I learn by doing, and would much rather have a teacher explain the concept then try out a few projects myself than read a whole chapter about it.
It depends on the teaching capability of the guy making the video, as it is a skill in itself being able to teach other people.
The other thing is, the technology is always evolving. A book will only stay relevant for so long before it becomes useless, yet someone making a video is more likely make an updated version of the same video than write a whole new book. Just my 2 cents.
Usually good books have tests and practice ideas after or even during each chapter. But I agree, a good teacher is irreplaceable!