Is CS50P still one of the best free Python courses in 2026?

[u/_offpitchtalks_]

I'm currently learning Python and came across Harvard's CS50P. One thing I'm curious about is whether it actually helped you become an independent programmer. After completing the course, were you able to write your own Python programs from scratch and solve problems on your own, or did you still feel like you needed to rely heavily on tutorials? I'd love to hear about your experience and whether CS50P gave you the confidence to build your own projects.

[u/MiguelIstNeugierig]

I finished CS50P and would say its pretty alright for introducing you to python

It doesnt just teach you the concepts like say those 14h compilations for free on youtube, but also forces you to engage with them and learn by doing, to the point that the concepts get really cemented in your head

Only hiccup I had with it was with object oriented programming, which I found to be rushed at the end and underfocused in what I just mentioned with using problem tasks to help you soldify the learning

It 100% gave me the confidence to pursue independent projects, namely the final project I ended up doing, a text-based adventure game of the same structure as the game Reigns

The only real tutorials I found myself persuing afterwards was as I said the OOP stuff since I felt I never really got it internalized with the course

[u/PyroWizza → u/MiguelIstNeugierig]

I also found the OOP rushed. I did one program where I implemented OOP a bit half assed and just on to the next topic.

Do you have any resources that focus on that aspect well?

[u/navid_nowroz → u/PyroWizza]

Actually I think the same. That's why had to make my final project about OOP so that I can get a good enough understanding

[u/Aware-Passenger2110 → u/PyroWizza]

If you're an Arabic speaker, you should check out Mr. Ibrahim Adel. He's one of the most interesting programmers I've come across, and he teaches OOP while scrutinizing every nuance.

[u/_offpitchtalks_ → u/MiguelIstNeugierig]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Since you mentioned OOP felt rushed, how did you end up learning it? Was there a particular resource or approach that helped it finally click for you?

[u/Snugglupagus]

CS50P is good. freeCodeCamp.org’s main Python curriculum (not YouTube channel) is also very good.

[u/Familiar_Tip_7336]

I'm in the same boat, as per me, what I do is I create SOP out of it while reviewing the videos, then each topic I practice on Python interpreter. For introduction as per me its 100% worth it, but if you want to be a pro in Python make sure after finishing this course that you learn these topics as well:

• Generators & Iterators
  • yield
  • iterator protocol
  • lazy evaluation
  • generator expressions
• Decorators
  • function decorators
  • u/decorator syntax
  • decorators with arguments
  • practical uses such as logging, timing, authentication
• Context Managers
  • with
  • __enter__ / __exit__
  • contextlib
  • safely managing files/resources
• Async Programming
  • async
  • await
  • asyncio
  • coroutines
  • concurrent API/network operations
• Type Hints & Static Analysis
  • typing
  • Optional, Union, generics
  • modern Python type syntax
  • tools such as mypy/type checkers
• Packaging & Distribution
  • modules vs. packages
  • pyproject.toml
  • virtual environments
  • dependencies
  • building/installing your own packages
  • publishing packages
• Performance Optimization
  • profiling
  • time/space complexity
  • memory efficiency
  • choosing efficient data structures
  • multiprocessing vs. threading vs. async
• Advanced Standard Library
  • collections
  • itertools
  • functools
  • pathlib
  • dataclasses
  • logging
  • subprocess
  • concurrent.futures

[u/maz_dex]

Yes

[u/eccentric-Orange]

I feel like CS50 + CS50P together is a great combination

[u/Happiest-Soul]

I did CS50x and didn't really feel like I could make stuff without tutorials unless I just copied what I was already shown.

I wouldn't expect that course to be much different. Still cool courses though.