Data Exploration
with Python

Step 1 — Download & Install Anaconda

1. 1
   Go to the Anaconda download page

   Visit anaconda.com/download and click the big green "Download" button. It will detect your operating system automatically.
2. 2
   Run the installer

   Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts. When asked, choose "Install for me only" (not all users). Leave all other options at their defaults — don't change the install path.
3. 3
   Wait (this takes 5–10 minutes)

   Anaconda installs Python, Jupyter Notebook, pandas, matplotlib, numpy, and dozens of other libraries all at once. Don't close the window until it says "Installation Complete."

Step 2 — Launch Jupyter Notebook

1. 1
   Open Anaconda Navigator

   Find "Anaconda Navigator" in your Start menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac) and open it. It looks like a control panel with app icons.
2. 2
   Click "Launch" under Jupyter Notebook

   A browser tab will open showing your file system. This is Jupyter — it runs locally on your computer, not on the internet. Don't close the terminal window that appeared in the background.
3. 3
   Create your first notebook

   Click "New" → "Python 3 (ipykernel)". A blank notebook opens. Type the following in the first cell and press Shift+Enter to run it:

   print("Hello, data science!")
4. 4
   Test that pandas and matplotlib are installed

   In a new cell, type and run:

   import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt print("pandas version:", pd.__version__) print("Ready to go!")

   If you see version numbers instead of error messages, you're all set.