Python Fundamentals

"Think about the end result first, then work backwards to decide the initial value."

A month ago, data was entirely foreign to me. Today, I have completed a Python fundamentals course in one month provided by boot.dev.

As a Master's student in Urban Governance, Policy and Planning, my methodological toolkit has long rested on qualitative methods alone.

I wanted to expand that horizon and reclaim research agency: to decide for myself what data to select, how to analyze it, and what story it should tell.Going through 179 lessons, one moment in particular stayed with me. I asked why, when searching for something in code, we initialize a variable as False( It can be 0 or it can be negative / positive infinity such as float("inf") in some situations) , before finding anything at all.

The answer reshaped how I think: because the function must eventually return True or False, you need a container for that result from the very beginning. Think about the end result first, then work backwards to decide the initial value. The logic is simple once you see it, but it has to be learned, not assumed.Python was my first step. I will continue with R and Stata to strengthen the reliability of my research and to communicate insights through clear visualizations and concise reports.

Ultimately, my goal is to become a policy storyteller powered by data - someone who can not only interpret complex realities but also persuade and drive meaningful change through evidence.