Let go of any doubts or confusion, make the right choice and then focus and thrive as a data scientist.

I currently lead a research group with data scientists who use both R and Python. I have been in this field for over 14 years. I have witnessed the growth of both languages over the years and there is now a thriving community behind both.

I did not have a straightforward journey and learned many things the hard way. However, you can avoid making the mistakes I made and lead a more focussed, more rewarding journey and reach your goals quicker than others.

Before I dive in, let’s get something out of the way. R and Python are just tools to do the same thing. Data Science. Neither of the tools is inherently better than the other. Both the tools have been evolving over years (and will likely continue to do so).

Therefore, the short answer on whether you should learn Python or R is: it depends.

The longer answer, if you can spare a few minutes, will help you focus on what really matters and avoid the most common mistakes most enthusiastic beginners aspiring to become expert data scientists make.

#r-programming #python #perspective #r vs python: what should beginners learn? #r vs python #r