Will having python installed without some type of virtual environment effect anything that is related to the Mac OS python, specially when installing pip packages?

If PIP is not recognized as an internal or external command when trying to install Python libraries here are some suggestions to help you.

Python Development Libraries Python has several packages that can be useful for development, especially if you’re building C extensions for Python or need Python’s virtual environment support: sudo ...

You're taking a new programming class this fall, and you don't know anything about code. Python is taught widely in schools, and it's one of the most loved programming languages because it's simple.