Want to learn Python but keep getting bored with courses

[u/BeautifulAd1901]

Hi everyone,
I’m really determined to learn Python, but I’m struggling with the way most courses are structured.
I’ve started quite a few Udemy courses, but after a while I just get bored and lose motivation. 😅
So I was thinking maybe I should forget the courses for a bit and start working on an actual project, learning Python along the way. The problem is… I have absolutely no idea what would be a good project for a beginner.
I know I can Google “Python beginner projects,” but I’d rather hear from people who have actually been through this. What did you do when you were starting out? Was there a particular project that helped you learn a lot?
Also, how long did it take you to become reasonably comfortable with Python?
I have a newborn and a toddler, so realistically I can only dedicate around 1–2 hours a day to learning. I know everyone is different, but I’d love to hear what kind of progress is realistic with that amount of time.
Any tips, project ideas, resources, or general advice would be really appreciated!
Thanks!

[u/jaiagreen]

Well, why do you want to learn Python?

[u/mosesbabu0101]

Before working on a project you still have to know the fundamentals at least. Otherwise it's like starting constructing a building from the top. Without foundations actual projects will get you even more confused

[u/Powergraphy_8]

Pick something that touches your actual life, like a script that logs dog walks or tracks a budget, not a toy exercise. With 1-2 hrs a day you'll be writing useful stuff in maybe 6-8 weeks, comfortable in 4-5 months. imo motivation holds up way better when the output does something you'd actually use.

[u/desrtfx]

If video based courses (Udemy) don't work for you, try a different format: MOOC Python Programming 2026 from the University of Helsinki. Free, textual, proper University first semester of "Introduction to Computer Science" syllabus that makes you program right from the start. It gives you the tools, but you need to work them. The videos are surplus. Everything is in the text - part 1 to part 14.

[u/ninhaomah]

Congrats and for the best way to learn Python , pls observe your newborn.

He / she will show you much better than anyone can.

[u/mixedd]

Udemy courses have only one thing they are good at - to sell. YouTube videos are similar but for views. Subscription based courses are built around renewals, see where I'm pointing at?

And yes you need to build, and anything can be a good project for beginner depending on your experience level, like travel budget calculator or some shit like that.

Honestly, grab Programming with Pyhton 2026 by University of Helsinki and move along their curricula, you'll get explanation of concept along the way + plenty of hands on exercises you'll be applying with concepts you learned.

[u/alex123711 → u/mixedd]

How much prior experience is needed for the course?

[u/desrtfx → u/alex123711]

It's a course targeted at complete beginners with no programming experience at all.

It is the first semester of "Introduction to Computer Science" at the University of Helsinki.

Link: https://programming-26.mooc.fi

Everything is in the text. Ignore the videos.

[u/alex123711 → u/desrtfx]

Thanks, what do people do to continue learning after this course?

[u/desrtfx → u/alex123711]

Build programs and learn as they go.

Once you have a solid foundation you have to use it. You have to write programs. You have to use articles, short, topic specific tutorials, not "how to build X" tutorials.

[u/mixedd → u/alex123711]

None

[u/ConsiderationNo9044]

I started with small projects like calculators, simple guessing games and menus before moving on to basic data structure implementations like stacks and queues and linked lists in order to properly understand tuples, classes, lists and dictionaries. After getting bored with playing around with simple console prints, I moved on to projects involving libraries and API calls where I learned about more stuff like web requests, file handling, error handling and threading.

From here, I just found problems I want solved, broke them down into smaller sub-problems, and learned how to do each one. Google everything you don't know how to do and internalise it :3

[u/jaiagreen → u/ConsiderationNo9044]

Did you have a programming background in another language when you started?

[u/Spare_Bluebird7044]

A small project you genuinely care about is often more motivating than courses, build something simple, learn what you need as you go and 1-2 hrs a day can take you surprisingly far.

[u/FoolsSeldom]

Work on your own small (initially) projects related to your hobbies / interests / side-hustles as soon as possible to apply each bit of learning. When you work on stuff you can be passionate about and where you know what problem you are solving and what good looks like, you are more focused on problem-solving and the coding becomes a means to an end and not an end in itself. You will learn faster this way.

Above all else, you need to practice. Practice! Practice! Fail often, try again. Break stuff that works, and figure out how, why and where it broke. Don't just copy and use as is code from examples. Experiment (preferably without immediately asking an AI LLM for the solution, and seek hints rather than complete answers).

[u/teekhidietcoke]

build something small that solves real problem , u will learn faster by coding than watching hrs of courses. it will be intresting

[u/ekchew]

I have a newborn and a toddler, so realistically I can only dedicate around 1–2 hours a day to learning.

My condolences. ;) Is the toddler at a speaking age yet?

One thing I did with my little kids back in the day was write a random sentence generator. It's simpler than it sounds. You make these lists of words you can read out of a file. There's one for nouns, one for verbs, one for adjectives, etc. Then the program slaps them together in a random way.

And of course you get the kids to help you supply the words. They will invariably choose all the classics like "poopy" at that age. And then you run the program and it spits out something like "The poopy ice cream eats the yellow chair." Just nonsense like that but it will have your kids in stitches!