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Code anxiety club

19 May 2026 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Online
Drop-in session
Data skills
Open door

Why attend?

Feeling overwhelmed by the command line? Confused by file pathways? Want to navigate the world of coding with confidence? Join the Code Anxiety Club!

Viewers can follow along as we work through common beginner topics while coding live for a quick half hour. No prior experience, installed software or setup required. Viewers can interact via the YouTube chat (you must have a YouTube account to comment) and we will try our best to answer your questions and comments.

There is no need to book a place, please follow the livestream link to join the session.

Workshop date and topic

What programming language should I use? 

Content:

  • Understand the differences between Python vs. R, and which one will suit your needs most.
  • Get to grips with specialist vs generalist languages and software.
  • Learn how your research question can guide your language choice, with case examples for each.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 19 May 2026

For Loops 

Content:

  • Understand what a for loop is, and when you’ll need one.
  • Get to grips with loop syntax and how this differs in Python vs R.
  • Learn the difference between recursive and infinite loops, and why infinite loops should be avoided.
  • Practical exercises using for loops with lists, sets, and dataframes.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 2 June 2026.

While Loops 

Content:

  • Understand what a while loop is, and when you’ll need one.
  • Understand the difference between for loops and while loops.
  • Get to grips with while loop syntax and how this differs in Python vs R.
  • Practical exercises using while loops for testing environments and triggering actions.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 16 June 2026.

Notebooks vs. IDEs 

Content:

  • Understand the difference between downloading an IDE and working in a notebook environment.
  • Get to grips with tools including: Google Colab, Positron, and Jupyter notebooks.
  • Learn how to choose the right coding environment based on your output type, collaboration needs, pricing, and speed.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 7 July 2026.

SQL: Tables, databases, and the shape of your data 

Content:

  • Explore the philosophy of data and how the way you store it shapes how you use it.
  • Understand the difference between wide and long data formats and when each makes sense for your work.
  • Learn the difference between personal and collaborative storage approaches.
  • Follow a live demonstration of SQL and table formats to see the difference between displaying answers and storing data.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 21 July 2026.

Git structure 

Content:

  • Understanding the root level and top-level organisation of a Git repository.
  • Get to grips with configuration files and why they matter.
  • Learn why consistent naming conventions for files and folders are important.
  • Understand the difference between versions and tagged versions, and when to use each.

To join this session, please follow the link to our livestream - 4 August 2026.

Presenters: Jools Kasmire, Louise Capener, Nadia Kennar and Sarwat Qureshi with interactive moderation to ensure your questions are answered in real-time.

Recordings of the previous sessions are available on our YouTube channel.