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After two weeks learning Git and GitHub in a data-science class, I connected a local project folder to GitHub and pushed my first commit. The process involved creating a repository, registering an SSH public key, staging changes, committing them locally, and pushing the commit to GitHub. Here is what I learned—and how to distinguish my class experience from the general steps any beginner should follow.
What I learned in the two-week class
In a DEV Community post, Stanley Maina describes learning basic Git and GitHub and their use in data science over two weeks. He says he created a folder on his computer, made a GitHub repository, added an SSH public key in GitHub settings, and then used Git commands to send the project to the remote repository. He also mentions working in Windows PowerShell.
Maina describes SSH setup as a hurdle that took hours, and says teachers helped him get through it. That is his account of his own experience, not a measure of how long SSH setup generally takes or a verified review of a course. The post does not establish a complete syllabus or the operating-system details needed to reproduce his exact setup.
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LuxDevHQ’s public Data Science and Analytics guide describes a much broader, project-based pathway spanning spreadsheets, BI, SQL, Python, statistics, machine learning, deep learning, NLP/RAG, deployment, and capstone work. Its curriculum page also lists introductory Git and GitHub in a software-engineering track. Those public materials provide context, but they do not show that Maina’s two-week class followed a particular syllabus. (Data Science and Analytics guide; curriculum)
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What Git is doing when you push a project
It is common to say that Git “moves files to GitHub,” but that is a beginner’s shorthand. Git records project changes in a local repository. You stage the changes you want included, save them as a commit in the local history, and then push commits to a remote repository such as GitHub. The push synchronizes committed history; it is not the same operation as simply copying a folder.
git statusshows the repository’s current state, including changes Git has not yet recorded.git add .stages changes under the current directory for the next commit. Review the status first so you know what is being staged.git commit -m "Initial commit"creates a local commit with a message describing that snapshot.git push origin mainsends commits from the localmainbranch to the remote namedorigin, assuming those names and the remote configuration match your repository.
How to connect a local folder to GitHub
Maina’s post gives a useful high-level sequence, not a full set of universally applicable setup instructions. GitHub’s official SSH guide is the maintained reference for operating-system-specific key setup. GitHub explains: “You can connect to GitHub using the Secure Shell Protocol (SSH), which provides a secure channel over an unsecured network.”
- Make or choose a project folder. This is the directory containing the files you want to track.
- Create a GitHub repository. Decide whether to create it empty or with starter files. If you initialize it with files such as a README, you may need to reconcile that remote history with your local repository before pushing.
- Set up SSH for your computer. Follow GitHub’s current guide to check for an existing key, generate one if needed, add it to
ssh-agent, add the public key to your GitHub account, and test the connection. Do not share your private key. - Connect the local repository to the remote. Use the repository’s SSH address as the remote URL. The precise commands depend on whether your folder is already a Git repository and how the GitHub repository was initialized.
- Check, stage, and commit. Use
git statusto inspect changes, stage the intended files, then create a commit. - Push the commit. Push the branch to the configured remote. A successful push makes that committed history available in the GitHub repository.
For exact current key-generation commands, account settings, and the connection test, follow GitHub’s SSH documentation. Its steps vary by operating system and are more reliable than assuming the settings or commands from one learner’s setup apply to every computer.
SSH or HTTPS for GitHub authentication?
SSH is the method Maina reports using, and the GitHub guide covers its key-based setup. HTTPS is another way to authenticate Git operations. The best fit depends on your existing device and account configuration and whether you prefer to set up SSH keys; the account of one class workflow is not enough to establish that SSH is the only or easiest choice. This walkthrough does not reproduce HTTPS setup steps.
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What to take from this account
- Maina’s post is one learner’s account of a two-week class, not independent evidence of course outcomes.
- The essential Git sequence is to inspect changes, stage selected changes, commit locally, and push commits to a remote.
- SSH key setup has its own steps; use GitHub’s maintained guide and connection test rather than treating public-key registration as the whole process.
- LuxDevHQ’s public analytics curriculum is broader than this account of learning Git and GitHub, so the two should not be conflated.
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