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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) by University of Michigan

4.8
stars
226,302 ratings

About the Course

This course aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using Python. We cover the basics of how one constructs a program from a series of simple instructions in Python. The course has no pre-requisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics. Anyone with moderate computer experience should be able to master the materials in this course. This course will cover Chapters 1-5 of the textbook “Python for Everybody”. Once a student completes this course, they will be ready to take more advanced programming courses. This course covers Python 3....
Highlights
High quality instructor

(1484 Reviews)

Introductory course

(4203 Reviews)

Top reviews

DM

Sep 7, 2019

Great course! I always thought of programming as a too-difficult-and-complex thing for me; now I want to learn more. Thank you Dr Charles Severance for explaining everything in such an affordable way.

SV

Sep 8, 2020

Course was very intresting and interactive. And also looking forward to start python data structure course. Charles sir was teaching perfectly and his lecture content was also very helpful.Thank you!!

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251 - 275 of 10,000 Reviews for Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)

By Wilfried K

Nov 5, 2020

This is the first python course that I take. Before that, I had already taken a course in VBA programming(also from the university of Michigan via Coursera). So the notions were not new to me.At first, I found the contents of the chapters 1 and 2 boring and I wanted to do something more advanced like statistics with Python. After struggling and failing at all my attempts to escape the basics of the language, I decided to come back to this course and I finished it. Here are my remarks :*The course is really well organized and suited to a beginner's need because the key concepts of any programming language are explained once at a time. There are also small assignments to allow the students to better familiarize with the concept.*The quizzes and assignments are clearly aligned with the concept studied, which facilitates the finding and correction of mistakes, thus allowing the student to build confidence.*The subtleties pertaining to each concept , especially conditional execution and functions are clearly explained and reviwed in the quizzes and programming assignments.*You will learn how to access your file by referring to its directory using the command prompt, which is unique. (I had never seen it before)The motto of Dr Chuck seems to be : slowly but surely.

By Bakhat B H

May 4, 2022

This is a great course. The teacher not only knows his material, but has a lot of experience working with first time programmers and so knows what errors they are likely to make and what questions they are likely to ask and addresses them all. He is fun to listen to, unlike some moocs I have taken where the teachers were reading and got the intonation all wrong--very distracting. This one wasn't like that by far. He was interesting and even funny at times. I worked through all the materials, including reading the chapters in the book in just four days. I'd say there is about 2 to 4 hours of work per "week" expected. So, great course. I'm glad to have the materials. The videos covers what's in the book, but in an easy to understand way, so when you read the chapter associated with it, you can follow along without it being too dry or laborious. Then you are ready for the quiz and coding problem(s), and then a little wrap up material before moving on to the next lesson. I'm glad we are allowed to work ahead. I'm moving on to the second course in the specialization, which picks up where this one left off. If you want to learn Python or just "a" programing language to get a start or just dabble in programming, this is a great place to start

By Shubham R K

Feb 27, 2023

I recently completed the "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera, and I can confidently say that it was a fantastic learning experience.

The course covered a wide range of topics, from the basics of Python programming to more advanced concepts like file handling and data structures. The lectures were clear, concise, and easy to follow, and the assignments and quizzes provided ample opportunities to practice and reinforce what I'd learned.

What impressed me most about the course was the level of support and engagement provided by the instructors and the community. The forums were active and full of helpful advice, and the instructors were always available to answer questions and provide feedback on assignments.

Overall, I would highly recommend the "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)" course to anyone looking to learn Python programming, whether you're a complete beginner or already have some experience. It's a well-designed and effective course that will provide you with a solid foundation in Python and prepare you for more advanced studies in programming and data science.

5 stars all around!

By siddhant t

Jun 22, 2020

The Python playground is amazing, but it isn't even necessary because the instructor provides such great material for getting Python installed and running on your computer (with windows, mac, and linux instructions), even a complete beginner would be able to follow the instructions and make a functioning script in no time. But the playground is just a lot of fun to play with, and makes tinkering as a beginner super easy.I spent one whole day and finished the entire Getting Started with Python course (auditing, quizzes), and learned more than I learned in the first 4 weeks of a 6 week paid course. Dr. Chuck is GOOD at what he does. He presents material in a very down-to-earth manner in clear, plain language that's technical, but not over my head. I have very little experience with programming, and know the basics of computers and computing, but even the introduction to hardware architecture was fascinating and I learned more about hardware than I expected. I felt a lot more prepared to dive into programming after that lecture.The amazing thing is that so much is crammed into such short lectures, and yet the material is still accessible.

By Gaute M F

Mar 4, 2018

This is a review of the first og five parts in the Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python. It deserves 5 stars. The video tutorials are great and informative and the course also includes PowerPoint slides used in the lectures, the complete book which can be downloaded, quizzes and assignments, an autograder for the assignments and a playground where you can try out your Python skills and examples covered in the lectures. And, even though I haven't used it, a discussion group categorized in weeks (for the different topics covered), where both students and staff are very active. There really isn't a negative side, but if I where to mention something, it would be that I am guessing the PowerPoint slides originally where used for Python 2.7, because some of them have not been updated all the way, to Python 3. And, even though some of the quiz questions are very simple, some harder questions should be available, to make us prepare more. And of course, a few more assignments per week would help boost our confidence, even though I know we could do that on our own. Great course and great teacher.

By Kelly, F

Nov 7, 2020

This course is a super introduction to Python programming, especially if you have little or no prior programming experience.

I took othe course for two reeasons:

i) To keep myself occupied during Covid lockdown 2.0 in Ireland and;

ii) To do a course that was outside of my comfort zone.

The lectures are delivered in a ligical manner with the content being easy to understand.

The quizes check your understanding of each lecture. I recommend that you complete the quizes as soon as you finsh the lecture while the content is 'fresh' in your mind.

The assignments can be challenging; for me; it took a few attempts to get them right. Sometime, it's easy to forget all the syntax requirements. that said, as you complete each assignemnt, your confidence builds up. If at first you struggle with an assignment, leave it for a few hours or a day, then, come back to it. While I did not use them regularly, the online forums are a useful source of encouragement with other students.

In conclusion, a well-designed Python programming course that is easy follow and build up your confidence with Python.

By Naveen K

Apr 25, 2020

First off, let me say that this course is excellent. I've been interested in learning to program for a few months now. I tried things like Codecademy and Code School -- and while I learned a little bit from each of them, Python for Everybody was the key to my success of finally grasping the language.

There are a few reasons for this:

1. Dr. Chuck is awesome! His lessons are light-hearted, thorough, and truly make programming fun. He is the type of professor who is doing this for the love of Python and that really stands out.

2. This course encourages you to work in your own environment. While being able to learn to code in a browser is fun and interesting...using your own machine and your own terminal to execute Python is essential. Plus, you feel like a real programmer! Which really is cool when you're just starting out. It gives you the motivation to keep going. It did for me anyway.

If you're on the fence about this course, take it from another developer-in-training. Dr. Chuck's Python for Everybody is one of the best classes I've ever taken. You'll be glad you did.

By Jennifer F

Aug 10, 2017

I learned more in this course than the introductory course I paid for through a private company. The assignments are practical and helpful, and most of all: Dr. Chuck is truly amazing. He presents technical information in a clear way using plain language, and makes it easy to pick up the Python lingo (and programming lingo in general). He is a clear speaker who doesn't talk too fast, and his teaching slides are helpful and easy to follow. The interactive transcripts and closed captioning are high quality and extremely helpful. This class was so great that I decided to sign up (pay) for the full specialization program.

I whizzed through all the course materials in a day, but I had a (very) little bit of introductory experience before coming to this course. I believe someone without any programming experience whatsoever could comfortably complete this course well within the suggested time frame.

Honestly I can't believe it doesn't cost anything to take (audit) a course of this caliber. If you're considering taking this class, I don't think you'll regret it.

By Sofia A

Jun 21, 2018

Dr Chuck is amazing! He can make you understand all you need to know without any previous knowledge. All the open-sourced material is very helpful too and the exercises are spot-on, perfect for revision and for testing your knowledge. I read several comments from people who were already familiar with programming, saying that for them this course is pretty basic. I would like to share my understanding of the matter, having finished the first part of the specialisation. This course is an introduction to programming, for EVERYONE. This means that it has to build up from scratch assuming that the student has no idea even what is inside a computer! And it achieves it perfectly. So, I recommend this course for everyone that want's to get started on Python; don't be intimidated, you can learn how to do this because this is an excellent step-by-step approach. You will learn same as you learned how to speak English. And I also recommend it for everyone who knows how to program already and would like to touch-base and put things back into context.

By Luke L

Jun 10, 2017

This introductory course in Python was great, overall I found the instructor (Charles Severance) to be an excellent Lecturer. He has a wealth of experience and a great personality which helped motivate me a lot.

If I think back throughout the 7 weeks, knowing what I had ahead of me from one week to the next, it sometimes felt daunting not knowing what might be expected of me in the next class or section of the course. Then..before you know it..Charles is back and at a click of a button..explaining everything you need to know with excellent examples of code (what to do, what not do do etc) and reference to additional resources to dip in and out of, to help bolster my understanding, push me out of my comfort zone and complete the assignments.

This really is one of the best software engineering classes I could find. Charles is an excellent lecturer, mentor and coach and really knows how to help get you started and most of all, get you through it!

I seriously can't wait to start my next Coursera course "Python Data Structures" - Enjoy!

By Hui C H J

Jan 7, 2021

I have greatly enjoyed learning python with Prof Chuck. The videos and textbook provide examples that are easy for me to follow. I can go at my own pace and just have to make sure to submit quizzes and homework assignments on time. The quizzes were a good way for me to gauge my understanding of the weekly lessons. As long as you understand the material then the homework assignments aren't too bad. Also, reading the chapter after watching all the weekly videos plus doing the exercises at the end of each chapter was a great way to prep for the quizzes.

I wasn't sure if I would understand python since I had trouble learning C++ in the past and thought this might be too hard to learn. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I started to understand things and put the pieces together to create my programs. I plan to complete the remaining 4 classes to get the python certification.

This was a very good learning experience and I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn python. Thank you Prof Chuck.

By Nikolay K

Aug 20, 2020

Charles Severance is a truly magician.

All my life I evaded programming, always had negative experience throughout the entire School and University, achieved only C's and hated it.

But Charles took it all and put upside down — programming is Fun! The course is ideally clear and so well structured and balanced, so it is not an iota worse than your favourite TV show! Albeit with one little, but a very crucial difference — you learn REALLY USEFUL THINGS.

And anyone can learn it, for sure. The course requires no special talent or knowledge, it just gives you them both, if you honestly complete all tasks with full dedication. It inspires you to create and program.

It's absolutely true that in the middle of the XXI century there will be two types of people — algorithm makers and algorithm executes. So if you want to have an impact in your future life, ENROLL!

P.S. But the real fruits await you after the completion of the course.

Dr Nikolay Kondratyev (a 10 year-experienced chemist, who decided to learn to program)

By Ashraful A

Jun 11, 2020

by Md. completed this course, spending 1 hours a week on it and found the course difficulty to be easy.

I loved this course.With so many glowing reviews, I don't think mine matters, but here it is anyway: This course is amazing.

This course is so amazing that a) I realized I threw away way too much money on a different "introduction to python" course that had live instructors and one-on-one access to mentors because this class was free and far more beneficial; and b) when I'm done writing this review, I'm going to sign up for the whole Coursera Python for Everybody specialization.

The amazing thing is that so much is crammed into such short lectures, and yet the material is still accessible.

Speaking of accessibility: the lectures have captions AND interactive transcripts. The audio is crisp and clear, as is the video-- without background noise or distractions. The dedication to accessibility has blown me away and is another big reason I plan to support Coursera by paying for the specialization path.

By AKSHAJ K

Aug 21, 2020

This was my first online course ever. New to the world of online courses, I immediately fell in love with it within the first 2-3 weeks (which I completed within a day) of the course. I am really starting to see the potential of online learning and how this particular course makes it so easy for students from any background whatsoever to get starter with Python programming. I myself being a student of computer science and having learnt C++ found it very lucrative to speed through some of the portions of the course (the playback speed feature is really handy) and at the end of each week I could reinforce my learning through the assignments and reviews. Also liked the concept of Peer Graded Assignments and how it boosts the peer learning process in some ways. The video lectures by Dr. Charles Severance are really good and on-point, guiding the student across various circumstances of a particular topic. Will continue with the specialisation courses offered by University of Michigan on PY4E. 10/10.

By Claude R

Feb 8, 2024

I just finished this course a couple of hours ago and I'm happy to provide a review. I must admit that I'm not a beginning programmer. I've been writing computer programs professionally and for fun since I was a kid in the late 1960's, so I've been around the "block" a few times, but I never spent any time with Python. I'm currently retired and I recently started pursuing an interest in statistical learning theory. I wanted to get a rapid but solid understanding of Python, found "Dr. Chuck's" course through Coursera, and started it three days ago. Now certainly one of the reasons I could zip through the material so quickly was having a lifetime of experience to draw on. But my experience wouldn't have been nearly as useful if the course weren't so well designed and delivered. No matter what your background is, I think you'll benefit from Dr. Chuck's clarity and enjoy his humor as you watch the videos and read the textbook. I can't wait to start the next course in the specialization...

By Madhan K

Jun 13, 2019

I started this course having zero knowledge about python software. I had learnt c++ in my school days so i started to grasp the concepts quickly without much difficulty. I am really happy that this online course has proper assignments and quizzes to test our knowledge instead of just having to learn the concepts. A huge thanks to Prof. Charles Severance for making this course seem easy to learn. His way of teaching is very unique and i feel lucky to have got him as the instructor in an online learning platform. Anybody without a prior knowledge about programming can learn this course by taking their time. This course has been planned correctly and adequately instead of rushing with loads of concepts. In a way this course provides time for the individuals to learn, practice, and correct their mistakes while programming. In case of any difficulties, there are forums where we can discuss about the problems and get a solution. I eagerly look forward for my upcoming courses on this specialization.

By Neel C

Mar 19, 2018

Programmers using complex lingo in your life making you feel lost when they explain something to you?

This is the course for you!

Other resources you tried on how to program are too complicated, and sound like an alien is speaking to you?

This is the course for you!

Why?

Everything is explained so "Everybody" (anybody!) can learn! Plus, everything is communicated slowly, and compared to things in everyday life (of that of the "99%" of the population) so that "Everybody" can understand.

Note: Great for LEARNING the basics. Not for PRACTICING. I used this course alongside "Learning Python the Hard Way" since that is an exercise only focused book, and this course is strong in terms of it's ability to communicate complicated concepts.

Also, if you are someone in the tech industry who thinks his explanations are too "dumbed down", take this as a chance to learn and improve your own communication skills by watching someone who is able to communicate "complex ideas" so that "Everybody" can understand.

By Meytal ( V

Oct 23, 2017

The perfect course for beginners.If you, like me, have been over thinking about giving programming a try for a few years now and been too afraid, this is the course for you.From any reason that you might be interested in programming, or from any previous knowledge or experience prof. Charles Severance is a marvelous teacher! I felt as he really understood where am I coming from as a non-technical student that never touched a piece of code before. And that shouldn't be forgotten! The course progress is nice and in a good paste (some might say even too slow) giving you the time to deal with this new world as it's not letting you feel that you are too slow to learn. I know that I acquired the most basic understanding of Python. Which was exactly what I wanted! With that knowledge, I believe I have the infrastructure to keep learning independently or at list was encouraged to deal with my fears. Now, I feel much more confident and sure I will continue to learn. Thank you so much!

By Hank E

Nov 29, 2020

Course is easy to understand and Dr. Chuck works the examples in such as way as to make the solution appear obvious. There are many ways to write a program to solve a problem. Efficiently writing the program such that it actually takes less computer time is something that is difficult to each. Computers work well doing iterative tasks that with fast processors, we do consider how efficient our coding is. In the old days of the cold war when processing power was a competitive and under export control, the Soviet Union which lacked equivalent processor power learned to write code that was very efficient. Hence when the Soviet Union fell, Soviet (Russian) programmer were in high demand by western software companies. Some western software companies even set up research labs in Russia to take advantage of the pool of talented programmers.

I will take a bit of time to think in programming language again to write efficient code in Python. Thank you for this first course.

By Syed F S

Oct 11, 2020

Greetings!

RECOMMENDED to all, specially NEWBIES wishing and willing to learn PYTHON.

First of all, I would like to extend my heartful thanks to the course instructor Dr. Charles, Coursera and all the supporting team members who contributed immensely in creating such a wonderfully planned Course structure for Newbies like me.

I really loved:

1. The simple way in which the content was explained.

2. The additional videos (be it of Dr. Charles office hours or with Mr. Python (Guido van Rossum Sir) or others like the Co-Founder of Coursera and the Piazza one were quite inspiring). All these provided an insight and sparked that you need to be more passionate and even more dedicated towards transforming your passion into your profession.

3. I was aware of the basics of C++. However, I feel the way you have explained everything, even the person with zero programming background can even understand it.

I am excited and looking forward to complete the whole Specialization.

By V V D P A

Jul 8, 2020

This is the best course for the beginners especially for those who do not have any idea about coding. It is user-friendly and it won't take much time for anyone of you to complete this course. The instructor for this course is absolutely phenomenal his teaching is spectacular you will get easily involved with him throughout the course, he often cracks nice jokes hahaha, so he has a nice sense of humor to lower down the pressure build-up (only if it happens), well he will just keep u on track throughout the course while u often try to loose while watching the examples he shows during the video sessions, so that's great, keeps u motivated. So, in the last I say have FUN guys u will enjoy it absolutely no doubt at all, its a full wonderful treat, for more things why not try it out yourself only if u feel that yeah this language will come handy for me in the future. So have fun and stay blessed. Thank u and I pray that u and your family have a very good life.

By Bradley C B

Mar 19, 2018

Encouraging. This is a course you are not likely to drop out of. The order of info being given, and the explanations are very easy and relatable. The foundational knowledge and skills this course passes on is solid, essential, and prepares for future learning very well. No computer background required for this at all. I also commend the Dr. , for his ability to simplify the concepts without teaching anything which is untrue. You won't need to unlearn anything you learn here as you continue to advance. It's all good stuff, and I appreciated a little bit of the trivia. I can tell this is an old course given some of the bonus videos of historical nature were recorded a few years ago.... but I'm doing it in 2018, but it's still relevant. I appreciate that I do not need to wait for a session to start, and there are plenty of peers still doing this course. You can do this at your own pace, and won't need to wait long at all for any peer review.

By SHUBHAM S

Oct 27, 2020

before taking this course i dont know any programming language and was very scared of coding and thought learning a programming language needs very high skills and very hard work and it is not for everybody but after completing this course as its name suggests it is really programming for everybody and now i am very confident that anyone can learn programming language i thank coursera for giving me financial aid so that me and other students like me from various developing countries can learn a skill for free because students like us cannot afford such courses while studying in schools/colleges and also very thankful to the respected teacher dr. chuck from the university of michigan who made this course of programming language very easy for the students like me who knew nothing before starting this course and at last i would say that learn python as your first programming language and to learn python this is the best course available in the world.

By Giuseppe T

Jul 12, 2020

I already had some knowledge about Python, but I really enjoyed this course for the following reasons: (1) The instructor talks in a calm and clear way and with just the right speed; (2) The instructor not only talks about the concepts, he demonstrates them either using slides or physical objects (the demonstrations with slides are really good, in the sense that the slides contain only important concepts, the diagrams/flow charts are well thought through and they indeed help to clarify/visualize the concepts); (3) The instructor explains all the keywords he uses (keywords that are considered in more detail in later chapters are explained briefly, so that the codes presented make sense); further his explanations are concise without suffering the clarity of the explanation(4) The exercises are well suited to the content of each chapter (i. e. they do not contain any concepts which were not covered within the chapter or in previous one);

By Supr S

Oct 7, 2015

Excellent course for those, like myself, who have no experience with computer science or programming. This course will give you a great introduction to Python as well as the skills necessary to take other courses. The pace of the course is just right so you will be challenged and motivated until the end. Furthermore, you will receive a lot of support from the Professor as well as the community so whenever you get stuck, there will be a lot of people helping you understand the problem your are having. The Professor, Dr. Chuck, is extremely engaged, motivating and passionate about enabling people around the world to learn programming skills. He participates in the course and forums, making the long distance learning more personal and exciting. I strongly recommend this course for beginners - if you are afraid of starting a programming course because you do not know whether you will be able to learn, go ahead, enrol and have fun!