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I’m a Web Developer based in Adelaide, Australia. Even though I have a Telecommunications Engineering degree and an MBA, coding is my passion and my new professional career focus. Developing applications for the web has become my drive.
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Web Developer - I switched careers in my 40s - Writer of web development blog posts - I love to share Notion templates
Buy me a coffee!Do you want to learn Python or improve your skills in this popular programming language? If so, you might be interested in the Python for Everybody Specialization course on Coursera. It’s a great way to master the basics of Python and explore its applications in data analysis, web development, and more.
But what if you need some extra help or guidance along the way? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I have created a Notion template that contains all the notes I made while doing the Python for Everybody Specialization course (80 different topics, to be exact 😅). These notes are clear, concise, and easy to follow. You can use them to support your learning journey in Python or as a standalone reference to understand Python concepts better.
Sounds good? Then download the free template from this link and let me show you how to access and use these notes.
First, you need to click on the “Python Notes” page in the main “Python Notes” template. This will take you to the Python Notes database, where you can find all the information you need.
The Python Notes template database has different views that you can switch between depending on your preferences and goals.
This is the default view, showing an ordered list of cards. These cards have my notes on each of the 80 topics covered in the course. It’s best to access them in the order they appear so you can build your knowledge step by step, in order.
When you click on a card, you’ll find a note explaining the concepts covered in a specific class.
At the bottom of the note, you’ll see a list of references in the form of cards. These references usually point to the class where the concept in the note was explained and other resources that can help you learn more about that specific concept.
This view shows the list of topics conveniently organised by area of knowledge, such as variables, functions, loops, files, etc. You can use this view to focus on a specific area or review what you have learned.
This view helps you track your learning progress and stay motivated. Here, you can move cards across the “Not Started,” “In Progress,” and “Done” columns, showing the step each Python topic has reached in your learning journey.
This view provides a detailed view of how the notes are organized and their properties. This view is useful for creating new notes, editing their properties, and managing the overall composition of the Python Notes database.
That’s it! You’re ready to use the Python Notes template and boost your Python skills. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment or contact me.
But... what if you want to go deeper into your learning journey? 🤔 Well, then you can get the advanced version of the Python Notes template! The Python Notes and Questions advanced template expands on the 80 topics offered in the free version with 375 related questions and two game-changing techniques: spaced repetition and interleaving learning. This template is not free but, trust me, it's worth every dollar you pay for it.
Do you want to learn more effectively and efficiently? If so, you should try answering questions about what you are studying. Answering questions is crucial for learning, especially when you use the spaced repetition technique. Let me explain why.
When you respond to questions about a topic, you're recalling information from your memory to form an answer. This practice of recalling helps you remember and reinforces your understanding of the topic, making it easier to grasp the information. It also helps you identify any gaps in your knowledge that you need to fill.
This Python Notes and Questions template implements two techniques to help you better grasp the concepts you are learning:
Spaced Repetition, and
Interleaving learning
Let's see how these techniques work and why they are useful.
When you are trying to learn a new subject, such as Python programming, you might be tempted to read a book or watch a video course and try to learn everything in one go. However, this is not the most effective way to truly understand a subject. Research shows that you will forget most of what you learned after a short time, unless you review it periodically.
The most effective way to learn and remember something is to use spaced repetition. This means going back to review the material over time, at intervals that are based on how well you remember it. When you answer questions about a topic at different times, it helps your memory. It's like giving your brain a friendly reminder about the important details right when you might be starting to forget them.
The following image shows how spaced repetition works. The red line represents how much you remember over time if you review the material just once. The green lines represent how much you retain when you review the material periodically. As you can see, each time you review, you remember more and forget less. This way, you can achieve long-term retention of the information.
Spaced repetition is a scientifically-backed learning technique (often employed with flashcards) to optimise the process of acquiring and retaining information. The underlying principle is based on the psychological phenomenon known as the "spacing effect," where the review of material is strategically spaced out over time to enhance memory retention.
Another technique that can boost your learning is interleaving, or mixing up different topics or problem types. You might think that it is easier and more efficient to focus on one topic or problem type at a time, until you master it. However, this is not the case. Studies show that interleaving, or alternating between topics, can improve your learning outcomes and problem-solving skills in the long run.
Why is interleaving effective? Because it challenges your brain to switch between different kinds of information and tasks. This makes you pay more attention and think more deeply. It also helps you see the connections and differences between the topics or problems. This way, you can develop a more flexible and robust understanding of the subject.
Interleaving is especially useful when you are learning subjects that involve problem-solving, such as math, science, or programming. For example, if you are learning Python, instead of doing exercises on one topic, such as loops, you can mix up exercises on loops, variables, functions, and so on. This will help you apply your knowledge to different situations and avoid getting stuck in a rut.
Now that you know how spaced repetition and interleaving can help you learn better, you might be wondering how to use them in practice. Well, you are in luck, because I have designed this Python Notes and Questions template with these ideas in mind.
This template contains a collection of questions that cover various topics and levels of difficulty in Python programming. By answering these questions regularly, you can practice spaced repetition and interleaving, and improve your Python skills.
Answering questions regularly, especially with spaced repetition, in an interleaved manner, is like exercising your brain. It makes the information stick, helping you learn and remember things for a longer time.
Before you start using the Questions template for the first time, you need to do one simple thing. Click on the "Reset Questions Config" button. This button will automatically set up the dates in the template to start counting from the date you begin using it.
After clicking the "Reset Questions Config" button, a confirmation pop-up will appear in case you clicked it accidentally. You can click "Continue" to confirm, or "Cancel" to go back.
Once you confirm the "Reset Questions Config" button action, you're ready to start using the questions. Now, click on the "Python Questions" page.
The first view you'll see is the "Recall Today" view. Here, you'll find a series of cards with questions. These questions cover various topics, implementing interleaved learning.
Try answering the questions out loud, provide examples when possible, and make your own notes. After answering, click on the card containing your answer. This will reveal the correct answer, which is a summarised version of the note related to the question found on the Python Notes page of this template.
Below the answer, you'll find the "Source" section, containing a link to the actual note related to the question.
You can return to the question by clicking on the button highlighted in the image below or by pressing the ESC key on your keyboard.
After checking your answer with the provided one, you'll have two possible outcomes:
Your answer was correct: This means you understand the question well. You'll revisit it in the future, and how far in the future will depend on the "Question Level." All questions start at level 0. Increase their level by clicking on one of the five-level buttons in the "Recall" section:
If the question level is 0, and your answer is correct, click "Level 1" to increase its level,
If the question level is 1, and your answer is correct, click "Level 2," and so on.
As the "Question Level" increases, the time gap to revisit the question will also increase, implementing the Spaced Repetition technique.
You can see how the questions spread over time in the "Recall Calendar" view.
If you prefer to sort the questions by difficulty, use the "Questions by Difficulty" view.
Finally, you can view all the questions at once in the "Questions Table" view. This view is useful for performing administrative tasks on the Questions database, such as adding new questions or deleting ones you don't need.
If you ever find that some topics, questions, or pages are missing in any of the templates, don’t forget to look at the bottom of the page. Notion sometimes hides extra information, so you’ll need to click on “Show more” (or something similar) to reveal the rest of the items.
That's all for now! I hope you had fun reading this and that you are finding the templates I shared with you helpful for learning Python.
See you in the next one! 🖖
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