Ask HN: Beginner to Competent in Python: How would you approach it?

If you want to be a good writer, read a lot of books.

You want to be a good python programmer, read other peoples code. Lots of it. Clone some big python projects and try to make changes. Get a feel for what is possible and look for common patterns in implementation.

You will always run into that classic mastery curve where initial success leads you to a false sense of mastery, before crashing hard and starting the actual climb to mastery. Get it over with as soon as you can by getting feedback on your early code, and don't take criticism personally.

I have this ebook on github [1] which I use to teach Python to my CS 2nd year students. It is quite short on information and has lots of exercises for them to practice and get up to speed with the language, fast.

[1] https://github.com/joaoventura/full-speed-python/