🐍 Dear Python:

The love letter and confused syntax of a developer coming from JS:

Introduction: The myth of the “easy” language

At first, I found it hard to make the switch between languages. I came from JavaScript, and I had that promise engraved in my head, the one almost everyone who knows Python makes: that it is a “more spoken” language, that it is almost like reading English, that it is easy, and so on.

For me, reality has been a little different.

😅 JS vs. Python: Easier, or just less convoluted?

I would not say it is intrinsically “easy”, but it does feel simpler than JS in many respects. JavaScript is convoluted beyond reason. Python’s syntax — dropping braces, backticks, the complexity of the DOM with addEventListener, grabbing elements with query selectors and all their variants (#, ., all, etc.) — is a relief.

Careful though: this feeling that Python is easier comes from the fact that I already have a base in JavaScript. By comparison, of course it looks simpler. But that simplicity is deceptive, because Python is, at the same time, an incredibly powerful tool.

🧠 The “Switch”: When similar things get confusing

What I struggle with most is precisely that they are very similar in certain things, but with different syntax. For example:

On one side it is array.length.

On the other it is len(lista).

It is the same concept, but with different notation. And sometimes I have found myself completely overwhelmed in a mix of concepts with no way out. 😩

💡 The unexpected pleasure of the terminal

Having said that, I have loved working only with the terminal. No DOM at all, everything through Hyper Bash (or whichever one you use), and you see straight away what is being executed without needing to open an index.html.

At the same time, I feel that the Python console, when it throws an error, is much easier to read. The problem is clearer and by testing you can work out the solution. Sometimes, in JS, the console error is another hieroglyph, just like the language itself. But anyway…

🏃 The pace of the bootcamp and my survival strategy:

At this point, I find myself a bit overwhelmed because we have covered Python very fast. I know we will come back to it when we get to FastAPI, but my feeling is that I would like to spend more time studying each language so that what I learn really sinks in and sticks.

That is why my strategy is to mix everything together. I try to do the Python exercises in JS as well, so I do not forget the syntax of the first language. I do not know if it makes that much sense pedagogically, but it is what works for me to burn things into my memory. There are days when everything flows and it goes well, and there are days when I cannot get anything right… But I keep going!

⛰️ The road is a winding one: Next steps

While I deal with this intensive learning process, I am already making moves:

I am applying to junior job openings and internships.

I have updated all my profiles and my CVs.

I have had sessions with the talent team so they keep me in mind when they put candidates forward.

If I had to pick one word right now to describe how I feel, it would be overwhelmed. Next week we start databases (SQL and MongoDB), and the bootcamp does not stop.

We carry on with the process, even if the road is a winding one. 😂

Do you relate to this?

If you have already been through this transition or you are on the same road, I would love to read your advice or your own battles with syntax in the comments!