Python Foundations Course: Your Expedition into Code

By George Freedom

Master Python fundamentals with this hands-on course (Lessons 0-9). Designed for aspiring developers and tech explorers, these materials will help you build future-ready skills in Python, AI, and beyond!

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🚀 Welcome to Your Python Expedition!

This repository hosts "Python Foundations: From Core Concepts to Strategic Application" – a comprehensive introductory course presented in a series of Jupyter Notebooks. These materials have been crafted to guide you on your journey into the world of programming.

This course is designed for beginners, career-changers, and anyone looking to build a solid understanding of Python from the ground up. We'll navigate from the absolute basics through core programming principles, empowering you to start your coding adventure with confidence.

🗺️ Course Outline / Your Itinerary:

• Lesson 0: Setup & Introduction – Preparing your gear and understanding the map.
• Lesson 1: Variables & Core Functions – Your basic toolkit and first discoveries.
• Lesson 2: Strings, Functions & Methods – Charting and manipulating textual data-paths.
• Lesson 3: Conditions & Flow Control – Making decisions at the crossroads of your code.
• Lesson 4: Collections & Their Methods (Lists, Dictionaries, Sets, Tuples, Frozensets) – Organizing your data, supplies, and discoveries.
• Lesson 5: Cycles, Loops & Iterations – Automating repetitive tasks and scouting an area thoroughly.
• Lesson 6: Functions Deep Dive – Crafting reusable tools and standard exploration procedures.
• Lesson 7: Modules & Packages – Expanding your toolkit with external guides and specialized gear.
• Lesson 8: Error Handling – Navigating unexpected obstacles and building robust routes.
• Lesson 9: Strategic Learning & Next Steps – Consolidating your knowledge, best practices for the journey ahead, and charting pathways for continued development.

🎯 Learning Objectives / Treasures to Uncover:

Upon completing this expedition, you will be able to:

• Understand and apply fundamental Python programming concepts.
• Write clean, readable, and functional Python code for basic tasks.
• Utilize core data structures like lists and dictionaries effectively.
• Design and use your own functions to create reusable code.
• Develop a strategic mindset for problem-solving and continuous learning in tech.

🎒 Course Prerequisites / Gear Up:

• No prior programming experience is required! This course is designed for absolute beginners.
• A willingness to explore, experiment, and learn.
• A computer with internet access.

🧭 How to Get and Run Course Materials:

Here is a guide on how to download the Jupyter Notebooks (.ipynb files) and how to open them. You can choose to work locally (on your computer) or online.

Part 1: How to Download the Materials

Option A: Download as ZIP (Easiest for Beginners)

• Go to the main page of this repository on GitHub.
• Click the green Code button.
• Select Download ZIP. Important: Extract (unzip) the downloaded folder to a location on your computer (e.g., Documents/PythonCourse). Do not try to run files directly inside the ZIP archive.

Option B: Git Clone (For Advanced Users)

If you are comfortable with the terminal and want to easily update materials later:

• Open your terminal or command prompt.
• Run the following command:

  git clone https://github.com/GeorgeFreedomTech/python-foundations-course.git

Part 2: How to Open and Run the Notebooks

Option 1: VS Code (Recommended - Offline)

This is the best way to work if you want to keep everything on your own computer.

Prerequisites:

• VS Code installed.
• Python installed.
• Jupyter Extension for VS Code installed (search for "Jupyter" by Microsoft in the Extensions marketplace).

Steps:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to File > Open Folder... and select the folder you downloaded/cloned.
3. Click on any file ending in .ipynb.
4. In the top-right corner, click Select Kernel and choose your Python version (or venv).
5. You can now run the code cells by clicking the "Play" button next to them.

Option 2: Google Colab (Alternative - Online)

If you cannot install Python locally or want to try the code quickly in your browser.

Prerequisites:

• You have to have a Google account

Steps:

1. Go to colab.research.google.com.
2. Log in with your Google Account.
3. Select the GitHub tab in the pop-up window.
4. Paste the URL of this repository and search.
5. Click on the notebook you want to open.

• Alternatively: You can go to the Upload tab and upload the .ipynb file you downloaded in Part 1.

💡 Purpose of This Repository:

These materials serve multiple purposes:

• Educational Resource: A practical, hands-on guide for self-study or as a supplementary resource.
• Professional Portfolio: Demonstrating my teaching methodology and expertise.
• Content Foundation: A source of examples, concepts, and inspiration for articles, tutorials, and social media content.
• Lead Magnet: An insight into the quality and style of my mentoring services.

🔗 Next Steps & Connect:

• Visit my website: https://GeorgeFreedom.com
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgefreedom/
• Let's talk: https://cal.com/georgefreedom

📜 License:

Copyright (c) 2025 Jiří Svoboda (George Freedom) / George Freedom Tech

This work (educational materials, including text, explanations, exercises, and accompanying code examples within the Jupyter Notebooks) is licensed under:

• Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

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Learn to speak the language of Python !