Getting Started with Python

Fundamentals

Alp Tezbasaran

2026-02-03

Welcome

Slides: https://go.ncsu.edu/dss-python

To get a complete from this session:

• In-person: Sign the attendance sheet
• Virtual: We will use Zoom attendance

Who we are

Mara Blake

Head, Data Science Services

Shannon Ricci

Associate Head, Data Science Services

Jeff Essic

Lead Librarian for GIS

Alp Tezbasaran

Data Science Librarian

Selene Schmittling

Data Science Librarian

Lynnee Argabright

Data Science Teaching Librarian

Our team comes from a variety of academic backgrounds, including nuclear engineering, electrical engineering, marine ecology, history, information science, natural resources, and geographic information sciences.

Check our workshops

go.ncsu.edu/datavizworkshops

• Mapping and Analyzing Urban Heat Island Effects with ArcGIS Online
• Designing Data Visualizations for Research Presentations and Publications
• Getting Started with R: Fundamentals
• Getting Started with R: Loops and Functions
• Exploratory Data Analysis with Python [R]
• Git Moving: A Beginner’s Guide to Version Control
• Colab and Chill: A Vibe Coding Approach to Exploratory Data Analysis using AI

Have workshop ideas? Contact us!

How to contact us

go.ncsu.edu/getdatahelp

Direct email: getdatahelp@ncsu.edu

Who is this workshop for?

• Python beginners with little to no experience
• Enthusiasts
• Future coders

• If you are following the full Getting Started with series:
  • Cracking the Code: A Beginner’s Guide to Computing Concepts
  • Getting Started with Python - Fundamentals
  • Getting Started with Python - Loops and Functions

Why Python?

• Easy to read and learn
• Large ecosystem for data, web, and automation
• Strong community and documentation
• Cross-platform and cloud-friendly
• Works with Excel, databases, and websites
• Free and open source

Where can we use Python?

Why Colab?

• No installs or setup; runs in the browser
• Free compute (CPUs/GPUs/TPUs) for small projects
• Autosaves to Google Drive by default
• Easy sharing and collaboration (like Google Docs)
• Many Python/data libraries preinstalled
• Same experience on Windows, macOS, and Linux

How to access workshop material?

1. Go to
   https://go.ncsu.edu/dss-python

2. Scroll down to the right session. Click “Open in Colab”
   

3. Click “Copy to Drive”
   

How to contact us

go.ncsu.edu/getdatahelp

Direct email: getdatahelp@ncsu.edu

Continue learning Python!

• NC State University Libraries workshops
• LinkedIn Learning: lots of python courses!
• Python for Data Analysis 3e
• Search documentation for packages you want to learn!
• Ask AI! (but learn the basics and concepts first)

Follow the instructor on Google Colab

During the workshop:

• Open your Colab notebook
• Type along with the instructor
• Run each code cell after we write it
• Ask questions if something doesn’t work

Tips for following along:

• Keep your notebook visible
• Don’t worry about typos - we’ll catch them
• Experiment with changing values
• Save your work frequently

Tell us how we did

go.ncsu.edu/dss-workshop-eval

THANK YOU