Cohort 01 notebook
Field notes
Short essays from your instructors — what we're teaching, why we're teaching it that way, and the practical odds and ends that don't fit into a live session.
Recent
- 2026-05-20When to use a list, and when to use a dictionaryKelvin AmoabaThree small scholarship-planning scenarios, and the right data structure for each.
- 2026-05-18Errors are friends, actuallyKelvin AmoabaHow to read a Python error message without panicking, and why getting stuck is part of the job.
- 2026-05-16CSVs and pandas — Excel with a Python brainKelvin AmoabaWhat a CSV file actually is, and how pandas turns a flat spreadsheet into something you can ask questions of.
- 2026-05-16Filtering, sorting, grouping — the three questions you ask dataKelvin AmoabaMost data analysis is some combination of three things. Once you see the pattern, half the work disappears.
- 2026-05-16Plan the project before you write the codeKelvin AmoabaThe temptation to just start typing is what sinks most first projects. The fix is boring and free.
- 2026-05-16What is an API, really?Kelvin AmoabaAn API is a restaurant counter, not a magic box. Once that clicks, the rest is just placing your order in the right format.
- 2026-05-15Dictionaries — the contacts app of PythonKelvin AmoabaWhen lists run out of room, dictionaries take over. Looking things up by name instead of by position.
- 2026-05-15Files, and what to do when things go wrongKelvin AmoabaHow programs remember things between runs, and the four lines that turn a crash into a polite recovery.
- 2026-05-15The art of naming thingsKelvin AmoabaGood variable names are the difference between code you can read next week and code you can't.
- 2026-05-14Lists, in more detailKelvin AmoabaCounting from zero, slicing, adding things in, and the moment list comprehensions stop looking like magic.
- 2026-05-14Lists, loops, and functions — the three that change everythingKelvin AmoabaThe week your code stops being a single thread and starts handling real work. A friendly first pass at the three ideas that do the heavy lifting.
- 2026-05-13Hello, Python — explained in plain languageKelvin AmoabaWhat's actually going on with print, comments, variables, and data types. The bits beginners get told but rarely shown the why for.
- 2026-05-13Operators, and how a program makes up its mindKelvin AmoabaThe bit where your code starts making real choices. Math, comparisons, and if/else explained without the textbook tone.
- 2026-05-13You already think like a programmer (you just don't know the syntax yet)Kelvin AmoabaThe decisions you make about scholarships, deadlines, and budgets are the same patterns we'll write in Python.
- 2026-05-13Your first GitHub commit, and why it feels weirdKelvin AmoabaGit looks scary because it uses unfamiliar words for familiar ideas. Here's what's actually happening when you commit and push.
- 2026-05-12Optional — installing Python locally if you want a head startKelvin AmoabaA gentler version of the official docs, for absolute beginners on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- 2026-05-12Why we're starting in Google Colab (and not installing Python yet)Kelvin AmoabaDay one is for writing code, not for debugging your operating system.
- 2026-05-10What to expect from this courseKelvin AmoabaFour weeks. Two live sessions a week. Three mini-projects, one capstone. Here's how it actually runs.
- 2026-05-08Google Colab: your first notebook, end to endKelvin AmoabaA screenshot-by-screenshot walkthrough for absolute beginners.