#introduction to computer science using python

🔬 Free Online Courses for Bioinformatics Beginners 🚀

Are you interested in bioinformatics but don’t know where to start? Whether you're from a biotechnology, biology, or computer science background, learning bioinformatics can open doors to exciting opportunities in genomics, drug discovery, and data science. And the best part? You can start for free!

Here’s a list of the best free online bioinformatics courses to kickstart your journey.

📌 1. Introduction to Bioinformatics – Coursera (University of Toronto)

📍 Platform: Coursera 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

Basic biological data analysis

Algorithms used in genomics

Hands-on exercises with biological datasets

🎓 Why Take It? Ideal for beginners with a biology background looking to explore computational approaches.

📌 2. Bioinformatics for Beginners – Udemy (Free Course)

📍 Platform: Udemy 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

Introduction to sequence analysis

Using BLAST for genomic comparisons

Basics of Python for bioinformatics

🎓 Why Take It? Short, beginner-friendly course with practical applications.

📌 3. EMBL-EBI Bioinformatics Training

📍 Platform: EMBL-EBI 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

Genomic data handling

Transcriptomics and proteomics

Data visualization tools

🎓 Why Take It? High-quality training from one of the most reputable bioinformatics institutes in Europe.

📌 4. Introduction to Computational Biology – MIT OpenCourseWare

📍 Platform: MIT OCW 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

Algorithms for DNA sequencing

Structural bioinformatics

Systems biology

🎓 Why Take It? A solid foundation for students interested in research-level computational biology.

📌 5. Bioinformatics Specialization – Coursera (UC San Diego)

📍 Platform: Coursera 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

How bioinformatics algorithms work

Hands-on exercises in Python and Biopython

Real-world applications in genomics

🎓 Why Take It? A deep dive into computational tools, ideal for those wanting an in-depth understanding.

📌 6. Genomic Data Science – Harvard Online (edX) 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

RNA sequencing and genome assembly

Data handling using R

Machine learning applications in genomics

🎓 Why Take It? Best for those interested in AI & big data applications in genomics.

📌 7. Bioinformatics Courses on BioPractify (100% Free)

📍 Platform: BioPractify 🖥️ What You’ll Learn:

Hands-on experience with real datasets

Python & R for bioinformatics

Molecular docking and drug discovery techniques

🎓 Why Take It? Learn from domain experts with real-world projects to enhance your skills.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Start Learning Today!

Bioinformatics is a game-changer in modern research and healthcare. Whether you're a biology student looking to upskill or a tech enthusiast diving into genomics, these free courses will give you a strong start.

Welcome to Episode 11 of the Python for Data Analysis Series.

In this episode, we explore NumPy, one of the most important Python libraries used in data science, machine learning, and scientific computing.

NumPy (Numerical Python) provides powerful tools for working with large multi-dimensional arrays, matrices, and numerical operations. It forms the backbone of the Python data ecosystem and is widely used by data scientists, AI engineers, and researchers.

In this video, you will learn:

✔ What NumPy is and why it is important ✔ Why NumPy is faster than Python lists ✔ The concept of NumPy arrays ✔ One-dimensional, two-dimensional, and multi-dimensional arrays ✔ How to create arrays using NumPy ✔ Built-in functions such as zeros, ones, arange, linspace ✔ Random array generation in NumPy ✔ Array reshaping and slicing ✔ Element-wise array operations ✔ Broadcasting in NumPy

By the end of this video, you will understand how NumPy improves performance, efficiency, and scalability when working with numerical data in Python.

This episode is perfect for:

• Python beginners • Data science learners • Machine learning students • Analytics professionals • Anyone interested in numerical computing with Python

📌 Series: Python for Data Analysis 🎧 Podcast: One Click Learning 🎬 Episode: 11 – Introduction to NumPy

Introduction

As a mechanical engineering student, you've probably heard of friends or seniors switching to IT roles — learning cloud computing, data science, or cybersecurity.

But one question keeps coming up:

“Are these courses really relevant to ME — a mechanical engineer?”

The answer is a strong YES — not just for switching careers, but also for enhancing your core mechanical skills and becoming future-ready in Industry 4.0.

This blog will break it down clearly:

What each tech field means

Where it's used in mechanical industries

Why it's relevant

What career paths can you unlock

Why Mechanical Engineering Needs Tech Skills in 2025

Modern mechanical engineers are no longer just working with machines — they're working with:

Smart sensors and IoT

Cloud-based simulation tools

Predictive maintenance using AI

Secure networks in smart factories

Data from production lines

This is called Industry 4.0 — and it’s transforming how mechanical systems are designed, monitored, and maintained.

To stay relevant, mechanical engineers need to understand the digital layer of the physical world.

Let’s see how each of these trending IT domains fits perfectly into that picture.

Cloud Computing – A Game-Changer for Smart Manufacturing

What Is It?

Cloud computing means using the internet to store, access, and process data, instead of local machines.

Relevance to Mechanical Engineers:

CAD/CAE tools like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and ANSYS now run on cloud platforms

Real-time collaboration between design and production teams globally

IoT devices (sensors, machines) push data to the cloud for analysis

Enables digital twins and remote monitoring

Where It’s Used:

Automotive design

Smart factories

Robotics and automation systems

Energy plants using cloud-based SCADA systems

Example Roles:

Cloud Integration Engineer

IoT System Engineer

DevOps Specialist in Industrial Design Tools

Cybersecurity – Critical for Smart Factories and Automation

What Is It?

Cybersecurity protects systems, networks, and data from digital attacks.

Relevance to Mechanical Engineers:

Industrial Control Systems (ICS), SCADA, and PLCs are now connected to the internet — and vulnerable

You’ll need to understand how to secure production lines, CNC machines, and remote systems

As a mechanical engineer, you already know the systems — learning to secure them gives you an edge

Where It’s Used:

Oil and gas pipelines (remote-controlled)

Smart manufacturing plants

Robotics and autonomous vehicles

Aerospace manufacturing systems

Example Roles:

SCADA Security Analyst

OT (Operational Technology) Cybersecurity Engineer

Industrial Systems Security Consultant

Data Science – For Predictive Maintenance, Design Optimization & More

What Is It?

Data science involves using math, statistics, and machine learning to draw insights from data.

Relevance to Mechanical Engineers:

You already work with data — from sensors, simulations, testing

Data science helps you predict machine failure, optimize design, and improve quality

You can automate boring Excel analysis using Python and machine learning

Where It’s Used:

Predictive maintenance in factories and power plants

Quality control using AI-powered image recognition

Product design and lifecycle analysis

Energy efficiency optimization in HVAC systems

Example Roles:

Maintenance Data Analyst

Product Lifecycle Data Engineer

Digital Twin Analyst

Simulation + ML Engineer

Real Industry Example

Example: A manufacturing company in Pune adopted a cloud-based IoT system that tracks over 200 machines across 3 factories. A team of mechanical + IT professionals analyzes this data to:

Predict failures

Reduce downtime

Automate maintenance scheduling

Here, the mechanical engineer understands the machine. The tech skills just make them smarter and more in demand.

Why Learn These Skills as a Student?

Here’s what you gain:

Benefit: How It Helps

Better Internships: Work in automation, robotics, and data teams

Industry-Ready Profile: Companies want hybrid engineers in 2025–2030

Global Job Opportunities: Smart factories are global — and growing

Career Flexibility: Switch to tech, research, analytics, or startups

Future-Proofing: AI + Cloud + Cybersecurity are core to your future

Which Course Should You Choose?

Your Interest Suggested Domain

Love automation, sensors, IoT Cloud + IoT

Logical, systems-focused, security Cybersecurity

Analytical, love numbers and modeling Data Science

Final Thoughts: You're Not Replacing Mechanical — You're Upgrading It

As a mechanical engineering student, learning tech doesn’t replace your core knowledge — it multiplies its value.

You’ll be the engineer who understands the machine and the data.

The system and its vulnerabilities.

The design and its simulation in the cloud.

That’s the future of engineering — and it starts with you.

FAQ: Tech Skills for Mechanical Students

Q1. Should I stop focusing on core mechanical subjects?A - No. Think of tech as an add-on skill that boosts your value in real-world jobs.

Q2. Are these courses too technical for non-CS students?A - Not at all. These are designed for engineers — with beginner-friendly content and practical applications.

Q3. Will I get jobs in mechanical field after learning this?A - Yes — especially in automation, robotics, automotive, and manufacturing, where tech is integrated.

Q4. Will I get mechanical jobs after learning cloud or data science?A - Yes. Companies want engineers who can bridge the gap between mechanical systems and digital platforms.

Q5. Is coding mandatory?A - Minimal coding is enough — focus more on system thinking, analysis, and hands-on tools relevant to your field.

Whether you’ve just received a long list of textbooks you need for a specific uni class or are looking for a particular book/research paper for a high school project, books (and journal subscriptions) can be expensive.

The good news is that there are plenty of resources online where you can find free PDF versions of most written materials, starting with Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology and ending with Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Note that although some of the websites below provide access to copyright-free texts only, or texts that publishers/authors have agreed to share freely, others have been accused of internet privacy.

However, many people see open access practices as morally acceptable, especially considering the unsustainable prices of academic textbooks and papers.

To quote a recent paper on the topic:

"Since shadow libraries are a product of the cooperation between scholars, who contribute texts and other resources (such as donations, volunteer work, etc.), shadow libraries represent a ‘bottom-up’, radical approach to open access: a physical approximation of the Platonic ideal of knowledge sharing that would exist if there were no legal, economic, or institutional barriers to the circulation of scholarly knowledge."

Free Textbooks

Library Genesis

Library Genesis, or Libgen for short, is a shadow online library website where college students can find academic books (including those that are hard to find/very expensive) and scholarly journal articles.

The site also hosts general-interest books, audiobooks, comics, magazines, and images.

Z-Library

Z-Library is another shadow library website that hosts college textbooks, scholarly journal articles, and general-interest books. It calls itself “the world’s largest e-book library.” It mirrors Library Genesis.

The front page also features some of the most popular books at the time. When we viewed it, these included “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Harry Potter the Complete Collection by J. K. Rowling.

You can also use the right-hand navigation menu to see the books that have been added most recently, as well as sort through books based on category.

Use the Book Request option if you can’t find a book you’re looking for. There’s no guarantee your book will be added, but community members look at requests to see what books to upload (you can also upload books).

PDF Drive

PDF Drive is an online library with a ton of free ebooks and PDF textbooks in various categories, including academic & education (but also lifestyle, personal growth, art, linguistics, etc.)

ForCoder.su

Forcoder.su has lots of online textbooks on programming. It also provides free access to online courses, like Apache Kafka for beginners and object-oriented programming with Python. Currently, there are hundreds of free courses available.

Online Mathematics Textbooks

Online Mathematics Textbooks is your source for free digital textbooks on all things math. It’s just one page featuring 77 textbooks.

Tech Books for Free Download

Tech Books for Free Download is where you’ll find free science and engineering books on topics ranging from data mining to general relativity.

There’s no way to search for books easily. However, the site is divided into books on Linux, Java, Microsoft, C and C++, Perl/Python, Science, Networking, Database, Security, and Assembly.

Free Tech Books

Free Tech Books is an open textbook library. It provides access to free computer science books and textbooks, plus lecture notes. All the books and lecture notes listed on this site are freely available on authors’ and/or publishers’ sites.

You can browse books by category (computer science, mathematics, supporting fields, operating system, programming/scripting, miscellaneous), author, publisher, or license.

Directory of Open Access Books

Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) is a website that indexes and provides access to academic, peer-reviewed open-access books. All disciplines are covered, but there’s a particular emphasis on humanities, social sciences, and law.

Ubiquity Press

Ubiquity Press has been an open-access publisher of academic, peer-reviewed books and journals since 2012. It was founded by University of College London (UCL) researchers.

Research Papers

Sci-Hub

Sci-hub has the most expansive collection of research papers. Its mission is to “remove all barriers in the way of science.”

Directory of Open Access Journals

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is an online directory of open-access, peer-reviewed research journals covering humanities, social sciences, technology, science, medicine, and art.

The directory indexes journals from different countries and languages. DOAJ is supported financially by publishers, libraries, and other organizations.

Wiley Open Access

Wiley Open Access provides peer-reviewed open-access journals across topics like biochemistry, economics, sociology, mathematics, and law.

SpringerOpen

SpringerOpen publishes open-access journals across a wide range of areas, mainly STEM.

Elsevier

Elsevier publishes open-access, peer-reviewed journals. You can search for journals by title, keyword, or subject (dentistry, nursing, decision sciences, etc.)

Springer Link

Springer Link provides access to ebooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other resources (mostly scientific).

BASE

BASE is a search engine for academic texts, including journals, digital collections, institutional repositories, etc. You can access about 60% of the indexed texts for free.

Study Guides

Bibliomania

Bibliomania has study guides to the most-read books, like “A Hero of Our Time,” “Animal Farm,” and even Irish politics. It also has over 2,000 classic texts, book summaries, author biographies, and more.

Books

Open Library

Open Library is an open library catalog of more than 3 million new and old books. The project was created by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive. It has also received partial funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation and the California State Library.

You can read old books without an account. However, for new books, you’ll need to set one up (it takes just a few minutes).

Internet Archive

Internet Archive is a digital library of ebooks. It also has free movies, music, and software.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a famous site where you can find lots of free books. There are more than 60,000 books in its collection.

Standard Ebooks

Standard Ebooks take public domain texts and make them as nice as new books. They fix typographical errors and typos, create cool cover art, and format the text for e-readers like Kindle and iPad.

Planet eBook

Planet eBook is where you can download free PDF copies of classics like Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

What really makes Planet eBook stand out is its UX. It’s one of those rare sites that are super easy to navigate and actually look good (aesthetically speaking).

The Ultimate Book Search Engine

The Ultimate Book Search Engine is an ebook search engine that includes 350 open directory sites that relate to ebooks. It was created by the Reddit user u/NotoriousYEG.

Classic Bookshelf

The Classic Bookshelf is a site where you’ll find lots of classic novels, everything from Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy.

Literature.org

Literature.org features classic works of English literature, both fiction and non-fiction.

Bartleby

Bartleby is a site that features both fiction and nonfiction books.

Fiction.us

Fiction.us has a ton of books, including fiction, short stories, children's picture books, poetry, books on writing, and plays.

Classic Literature Library

As the name suggests, Classic Literature Library is where you’ll find classic literature works.

Ideology.us

Ideology.us is a site that has ebooks on philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, and education.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is where you’ll find all of Shakespeare’s work. The site is run by The Tech, the largest and oldest newspaper by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

Read Books Online

Read Books Online has around 6,000 ebooks, including novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays, and non-fiction.

Public Bookshelf

Public Bookshelf is a site dedicated to romance novels.

Categories of ebooks here include contemporary romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, regency romance, inspirational romance, vampire romance, western romance, general romance, and fantasy and paranormal romance.

The Perseus Project

The Perseus Project is a digital library created by Tufts University with books from Ancient Rome and Greece, published in original languages and English.

Chest of Books

Chest of Books has books on a ton of different subjects, including animals, finance, real estate, science, and travel.

The Literature Network

The Literature Network has books by authors like Anne Bronte, Lewis Carroll, and Lord George Gordon Byron. It also features forums, literature summaries, and quizzes.

The Online Books Page

The Online Books Page is a site by the University of Pennsylvania that houses books in categories like philosophy, history, medicine, science, agriculture, music, anthropology, and more. The site also links to the following:

Banned Books Online: A directory of books that were once banned and links to places where you can read them in full.

A Celebration of Women Writers: A directory that lists online editions of literary works by women as well as resources about women writers.

Prize Winners Online: A directory of prize-winning books.

Many Books

Many Books is “your friendly neighborhood library.” It houses over 50,000 books in genres like romance, mystery, young adult, horror, and non-fiction. You can read books online or download them to your device.

Authorama

Authorama turns public domain books on sites like Google Books and Project Gutenberg into HTML format, making it easier to read them.

Audiobooks

Librivox

Want to learn something new in 2022??

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Russian (pretty good cyrillic guide!)

Jan 2, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2023??

Cooking with flavor bootcamp (used what I learned in this a LOT this year)

Beekeeping 101

Learn Interior Design from the British Academy of Interior Design (free to audit course - just choose the free option when you register)

Video on learning to read music that actually helped me??

How to use and sew with a sewing machine

How to ride a bike (listen. some of us never learned, and that's okay.)

How to cornrow-braid hair (I have it on good authority that this video is a godsend for doing your baby niece's black hair)

Making mead at home (I actually did this last summer and it was SO good)

How to garden

Basics of snowboarding (proceed with caution)

How to draw for people who (think they) suck at art (I know this website looks like a 2003 monstrosity, but the tutorials are excellent)

Pixel art for beginners so you can make the next great indie game

Go (back) to school

Introduction to Astronomy (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Principals of Economics (high school course - free textbook w/ practice problems)

Introduction to philosophy (free college course)

Computer science basics (full-semester Harvard course free online)

Learn a language

Japanese for Dummies (link fix from 2022)

Ukrainian

Portuguese (Brazil)

American Sign Language (as somebody who works with Deaf people professionally, I also strongly advise you to read up on Deaf/HoH culture and history!)

Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

Quenya (LOTR fantasy elf language)

Dec 26, 2023

Want to learn something new in 2024??

Beginner-oriented video on how to sail

This guy has so many videos on baking different types of bread. SO very many.

Coding in Python - one of the most flexible and adaptable high-level programming languages out there - explained through projects making video games

Learn to swim! (for adult learners. I don’t care if you live in Kansas or Mali or wherever. LEARN TO SWIM.)

Learn how quantum mechanics works. Then read some more about it

[Learn about quantum mechanics again, but in a more advanced engineering/mathematics class. Then read more about the math and physics of it]

Poetry Handbook, by Mary Oliver

Something I learned this year: how to sew a quilt (Here’s a very easy beginning pattern that looks amazing and can be done with pre-cut fabric!)

How to hit the ball in softball

Tutorial video on what is under the hood of most (gas) cars + weird engine sounds and what they mean

Full beginner mechanics technical training, if you want to go more in depth

Playlist on how car engine physics work if you want to go ultra in depth

Lecture series on architecture design through study of buildings

How (American income) taxes & tax law work (choose “audit course” at checkout for free class)

Pickleball for beginners (so you can finally join your neighbor/friend/distant cousin who is always insisting you join their team)

+ Para-Pickleball for beginners (for mobility aid users!)

School is so much more fun when there’s no tests:

American Law - Contracts

Shakespeare’s Life and Plays

Fairy Tales: Meanings, Messages, and Morals

Modern Poetry

World History [Part 1, Part 2]

Learn a language:

Arabic + Resource Guide compiled from Reddit (includes info on different dialects)

Chinese (Cantonese) (audio)

Urdu (frequently recommended course on Reddit) + Resource Guide

I wanted to start this blog so I could track my progress of the materials I learn as well as to motivate me to really get into coding. I’m so focused on coding for college that i’ve never taken the time to explore programming on my own. So the purpose of this blog is to help me explore that by sharing my experiences.

About Me:

My name is Heather

Age: 21

Pronouns: she/her

I’m a college student studying computer science

Learning French (and maybe Spanish or German)

INFP

My Hobbies & Interests:

Making playlist on my spotify for every scenario & genre

Reading

Learning to cook/bake new recipes

Games (Roguelikes, sandbox, and indie games)

Plants

Learning the piano and guitar

What I Post:

I’ll be posting about my programming and coding journey throughout my uni/personal experiences then hopefully one day post my time as a software developer. I’ll post some hopefully useful resources, info, and such that can also help others. As well as codeblr/studyblr challenges. Mostly though i’ll be posting to motivate myself and be productive.

(I’ll probably post something off topic once in a while such as just general updates, a langblr post, or a new playlist I made.)

Goals:

These are my current long-term goals that I would like to achieve. I’ll post my more specific goals and their status in other post.

- Programming

HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Python

C++

Java

- Personal

Get accepted to an internship 

Continue learning french

Become more involved with college activities

Get a job as a software developer

I also wanted to mention these accounts who inspired me to start this blog and expand my learning. 💚

I'm now 2 weeks into my new semester at school and I definitely have some thoughts about my classes 🧠

📊 stats courses:

Introduction to Design and Analysis of Experiments the material itself should be okay. we have to come up with a small experiment to carry out during the semester worth 20% of our grade which should also be doable, our prof emphasized that it should be something cheap and easy to do. but it's a group project so I hope I can get some good people. the prof for this course is the same as one of my summer courses and unfortunately I didn't really gel with him so I'm not terribly excited about that part.

Applied Regression Analysis definitely my least favourite so far. it's a required course for my program, and I was excited for the material, but my prof is abysmal so far! he's rude to students asking questions and he's giving us a bunch of stuff that seems to be outside the scope of the course. if it's not, he's not doing a great job teaching it. I'm already looking into getting a tutor for this course because I know I'll need it.

⌨️ compsci courses:

Practical Programming Methodology this will be the heaviest course in terms of assignments, and I was initially worried about it because we'll be learning in C, coming out of using only Python at this point. but the prof seems really nice and there's a lot of help sessions so I'll be taking advantage of those.

Formal Systems and Logic in Computing Science technically this is a discrete math course, but very necessary for compsci. we've just started the section on logic so far, and I really like it! it's a bit to take in, but once I get it, I'll be good.

How We Are The Best Computer Institute In Laxmi Nagar?

If you are looking for the “best computer institute in Laxmi Nagar” look no further! In this blog post, we will present to you the reasons why our institute stands out from the rest and holds the prestigious title of being the top computer institute in the area.

Introduction

Laxmi Nagar, located in the heart of Delhi, is known for its diverse educational institutions and bustling marketplaces. With so many computer training institutes in the area, finding the best one can be a daunting task. However, our computer institute has been consistently recognized as the number one choice for students and professionals seeking quality computer education.

Qualified and Experienced Faculty

Our institute prides itself on having a team of highly qualified and experienced faculty members. Each faculty member possesses deep knowledge and expertise in the field of computer science. They are passionate about teaching and dedicated to providing the best learning experience to our students. With their guidance and mentorship, students gain a strong foundation in various computer-related subjects.

Positive Student Feedback

The reputation of our institute is further solidified by the positive feedback we receive from our students. Our students consistently praise the quality of education, faculty support, practical learning approach, and placement assistance provided by our institute. We take pride in the success and achievements of our students, which motivates us to maintain our position as the number one Best Computer Training Institute In Laxmi Nagar.

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