Question

Any tips to improve my basic Python skills? All help appreciated.

Answer 1

If you haven't already completed MIT 6.00, do so. It provides a lovely foundation both in Python and in computational thought that will be quite helpful later on. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-00-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-fall-2008/index.htm

If you have finished the course, there are two resources I can think of that would do a good job to improve basic skills:
-- Learn Python the Hard Way - A popular introduction to python and programming that can be found at http://learnpythonthehardway.org/
-- The Python Challenge - A collection of 30-odd puzzles that can all be solved with relatively short python scripts. It can be found at http://www.pythonchallenge.com/

In short, practice, practice, practice. Write code for every problem you can think of. Ask questions. Read others' code on this site and ask why it does what it does.