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Chimezie Nwankwo
Chimezie Nwankwo

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10 Python Tips I Wish I Knew as a Beginner 🐍

When I first started learning Python, I wasted hours trying to figure out things that now feel so simple. If you’re just starting your Python journey, these tips will save you time, confusion, and frustration.

Here are 10 Python tips I wish I knew as a beginner πŸ‘‡

1. Use 'print()' Wisely

Debugging? Don’t just print variables randomly.

Use f-strings to format your output:


python
name = "Alice"
age = 20
print(f"My name is {name}, and I am {age} years old.")
---
2. Learn List Comprehensions Early

Instead of writing long loops:
squares = []
for i in range(5):
    squares.append(i * i)
DO THIS :
squares = [i * i for i in range(5)]

Cleaner, shorter, more Pythonic.
---
3. The Power of enumerate()

Instead of:
i = 0
for item in ["a", "b", "c"]:
    print(i, item)
    i += 1
USE:
for i, item in enumerate(["a", "b", "c"]):
    print(i, item)
---
4. Use zip() for Parallel Iteration
names = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie"]
scores = [90, 85, 92]

for name, score in zip(names, scores):
    print(f"{name}: {score}")
---
5. Master Slicing

Python lets you grab parts of a list easily:
nums = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(nums[1:4])   # [1, 2, 3]
print(nums[:3])    # [0, 1, 2]
print(nums[-2:])   # [4, 5]

To be continued....
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