Learn to Code With the Python for Data Science Badge

Quick link: https://cognitiveclass.ai/courses/python-for-data-science/

I know what you’re thinking. “Python for Data Science? Whoa. One step at a time.” You’re in luck though. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Let me explain.

Python is an excellent language for beginners. It’s easy to get started and has less of a learning curve than other, more static languages. Within minutes, you can have a handful of code that actually does something really cool other than “Hello World.” That’s because the standard “Hello World” in Python is just one line of code. Compare this example in Java:

This is how it would look in Python:

It doesn’t seem like that much of a difference for this particular example, but imagine trying to perform multiple tasks. In Python it will take significantly less code to perform the same task. Time savings! In data science, Python is becoming one of the most popular languages (second only to R). According to the Stack Overflow 2019 Developer Survey, it is the fastest-growing major programming language today. It was also voted as the 2nd “Most Loved” language (beat only by Rust) and the “Most Wanted” language for the third year in a row.

Now that we have established “why Python,” let’s talk about notebooks. A notebook is a virtual environment used for programming. Typically, notebooks are used to analyze data and perform quick tasks while providing the ability to immediately view the results. A notebook can easily be ran in parts or as a whole with the click of a button. In these examples, we will be using Jupyter notebooks. These notebooks can either be ran locally or in the cloud using IBM Watson Studio. For the purpose of the Python for Data Science badge, you don’t need to know how to spin up or manage notebooks. These will be managed for you in an online sandbox environment.

All of that being said, if you are interested in learning more about Python and/or its applications in data science, the Python for Data Science badge is a good place to start. The course covers Python basics, data structures, programming fundamentals, and working with data in Python. No prior programming experience is required, and it’s absolutely free! At the end, you earn a badge of completion that you can share on LinkedIn, add it to your e-mail signature, or even forward it to your manager to show your skills.

Click here to get started: https://cognitiveclass.ai/courses/python-for-data-science/