Basic Level

Welcome to the basic level.

In Chapters 2 to 11 you will learn and practice fundamental programming skills that enable you to select, filter and visualize data. You will be introduced to programming in Python, and will learn how to develop and run programmes in Jupyter Notebooks. You will learn key programming principles and will practice applying them to real business problems. These skills will form the basis of your ability to address business problems using data.

The following content will be covered at this stage:

Learning approach

To really get the most out of the material in the upcoming chapters, the first step is to dive into the reading. Don’t just skim through it, take your time to actually understand what you’re reading. Think of it as building a foundation for what’s coming next. Make notes, highlight stuff that jumps out at you, and try to connect the dots between different concepts. This will not only help you remember things better but also prepare you for the practical stuff ahead.

Once you’ve gotten a good handle on the theory, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and tackle the Python programming labs. And here’s the key: don’t just run the code without thinking about it. Take a moment to ask yourself what each line is doing and why it matters. This hands-on experience is one of the best ways to learn. Try to experiment a bit—change some values or tweak the code to see how it affects the outcome. The more you interact with the code, the better you’ll understand how it all works together.

After you finish the labs, jump into the coding assignments at the end. These are great opportunities to apply what you’ve just learned and really get your hands dirty. If you hit a snag or something just isn’t making sense, don’t hesitate to look things up online or even ask tools like ChatGPT for help. There’s a ton of information out there that can give you a fresh perspective or clarify confusing points. Combining reading, coding practice, and some good old-fashioned searching will set you up for success in data science and business analytics!

Happy codings!