I completed the online course Programming for Everybody Getting Started with Python, offered via Coursera and authorized by the University of Michigan. I approached this course with the goal of building a solid and correct foundation in Python.
The course starts from first principles. It explains what programming actually is and how a computer interprets instructions. Python is used as the language to demonstrate these concepts, mainly because its syntax stays close to human reasoning. This makes it easier to focus on logic instead of syntax errors.
Core topics include variables, conditional statements, loops, functions, and basic data types such as strings and lists. Each topic is introduced gradually and reinforced with small exercises. The structure is predictable and systematic, which I appreciated.
The assignments are simple but effective. They require you to write working Python code yourself and to think about the flow of data and control. Even though the programs are small, they clearly show how logic is translated into executable behavior.
I see this course as a technical base layer. It provides the fundamentals needed to continue toward more advanced topics such as data processing, scripting, testing, or automation. Completing this course and obtaining the certificate confirms that I master the basics of programming in Python.