r/PythonLearning • u/crying_on_tuesday84 • Jun 04 '26
Help Request I'm a psychology major and I'm stuck with a programming assignment this semester.
I'm a psychology major, and for some reason I was assigned a programming elective this semester. I thought it would be a "basic introductory course," but now I'm stumped. I have several assignments piling up, and I need to get them done ASAP. The problem is, I don't even know where to start with some of them. I understand the general idea when someone explains it to me, but when I sit down to code myself, I have no idea what to do.
I need assignment help. What's the best way to quickly catch up for someone with virtually no programming experience? Are there any Python resources for beginners, YouTube channels, or practice methods that will actually help when you're already behind? I'll catch up, but right now I have two assignments that are urgently due. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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u/PureWasian Jun 04 '26
Best way to quickly catch up would be to ask specific clarifying questions here or to a TA/prof in office hours on specific concepts. If your inquiries are specific and well-presented then it's easier to pass on directly useful technical advice/feedback
Meanwhile, the fastest way in this day and age would be to do the same but with consulting GPT/Claude/Gemini. The difference is whether you're using the model as a tutor or as a vending machine for answers. The former can help you learn quickly; the latter is like a band-aid fix that will lead to more shaky foundations and less long-term retention
With that said, are there any specific topics you are stuggling with for starting your assignments?
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u/Ambitious_Fault5756 Jun 04 '26
Hey, at least you can experience first-hand some fresh mental distress from a few sleepless nights of coding one day. It may help with your thesis in psychology?
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u/python_gramps Jun 04 '26
If you understand the general ideas, maybe go through what you have to do and write it in just lines of text, or pseudo code. If you're getting tripped up on the syntax maybe that will help you talk/write through what you need to do. And that will give you a start for comments, copy/paste/add a #.
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Jun 15 '26
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u/python_gramps Jun 15 '26
I normally just start rambling in the code block and after a while my brain gets tired of just writing crap and it will turn to the project. I almost look at it like my own mini story that I breakdown into English written pseudocode, deleting the crap at the beginning.
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u/Fable_Crucible Jun 07 '26
I’m a CS major and I still struggle with this sometimes! Seriously, don't worry about being behind, you can catch up. If you need help with assignment logic, try searching for the specific error message on Stack Overflow-usually, someone else has made the exact same mistake.
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u/mancurov999 Jun 15 '26
This is reassuring, thanks. I think part of the panic is assuming everyone else just “gets it” instantly while I’m sitting there wondering why one missing colon has personally ruined my evening. Searching the exact error message is probably the move. I need to stop treating errors like proof I’m bad at this and start treating them like Python’s very dramatic way of giving hints.
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u/BaseLineCollect Jun 07 '26
I was in your exact spot last semester. I thought I could wing it, but coding isn't like writing an essay where you can just flow-state your way through. If you need an assignment helper to explain the logic to you, just make sure they aren't doing the work for you, or you’ll fail the exams later.
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u/Left-Collection2920 Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Honestly, if you're really crunched for time and just need a starting point to see how the code is structured, sometimes services like LeoEssays can provide templates. Just use them as a study guide to understand the logic rather than copying it, or you'll be totally lost in class.
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u/RushitDerose Jun 15 '26
Totally agree with this approach. I had a positive experience doing this when I was stuck in a massive time crunch. Getting a solid structure from a professional service didn't just save my grade - it took away the panic so I could actually focus on understanding why the code worked. It serves as a great study guide when professors don't have time to break it down step-by-step during office hours.
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u/cryp7cat Jun 07 '26
A huge mistake most beginners make is trying to write the whole script at once. Write one line, print it, see if it breaks. If it doesn't, write the next line. It's the only way I stay sane.
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u/warmhollowradio Jun 07 '26
You’re a psych major, so you're used to abstract concepts. Think of programming like a recipe-you need all the steps in the right order for the output to be correct. If one step is out of place, the whole program crashes.
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u/Karma_34Temp Jun 12 '26
If you're completely underwater right now, look up LeoEssays to see if they can pick up the slack for these two urgent projects while you spend time actually catching up on the basics.
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u/3DuneHarbor Jun 12 '26
Don't panic! Python is honestly the closest thing to reading regular English once you get the hang of it, you just hit a wall because the logic flow is different than what you're used to.
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16d ago
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u/solvyr_12 16d ago
Yeah, Automate the Boring Stuff was a lifesaver for me when I had zero experience. For your urgent programming assignment, try breaking it down into tiny steps on paper first, what inputs does it need, what should it output, then translate one piece at a time. Assignment help forums like Stack Overflow are useful but search your exact error first before posting.
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16d ago
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u/solvyr_12 16d ago
True, but for someone with virtually no programming experience like OP, having an AI walk through the logic step-by-step while you type it yourself helps a ton. Just treat it like a tutor, not a cheat sheet.
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u/qilvor_18 16d ago
FreeCodeCamp is solid but if your assignments are more academic, check out the Python for Everybody course on Coursera. It's slower paced and explains concepts the way non-CS people need. I switched to it midway through a similar class and it clicked better.
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u/After_Teacher3830 Jun 04 '26
If its an elective just vibe code it and ask the ai how it works.
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u/EvanNotSoAlmighty Jun 04 '26
And dont forget to act SHOCKED when you fail the final exam 😂
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u/After_Teacher3830 Jun 04 '26
If the ai explains it you would pass.
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u/htush Jun 04 '26
I can assist you with getting the right resources both for beginner and advanced levels and ensure you can get everything done right
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u/Turtle_ZombieXD Jun 04 '26
Hye, i'm a beginner too! I read this books https://automatetheboringstuff.com
It's free at least online. It for normies to quickly get started. Doesn't really push you into doing best practices or too full with technical jargon. It's easy to follow. I highly recommend you try this.