Hello Hashnoders! I have a story about SQL. I hope it helps you who might be learning or looking to learn SQL.

How it Began

I started learning SQL first week of August 2022. I signed up on DataCamp and shortly after, applied for a scholarship programme organised by GirlLead. The application turned out successful and gave me access to some paid courses on Datacamp. I have recently completed the 'Introduction to SQL' course and now taking the next course on the track which is 'Join in SQL'

What it Has Been Like

Great! yet challenging. To explain better, let me give a brief explanation of SQL. If you are somewhat involved in Data Analytics or Data generally, you definitely must have heard about databases. If not and you are interested in knowing about them, you can check this article as it greatly helped me to understand better: Article on Database.

SQL is a software that allows to interact with a type of Database called 'Relational Database'. This type of database contains data points that are related to one another. these are usually organised in rows and columns. Want to know more? Check out this article:Article on Relational Database Now that you may understand better what Databases are and what SQL is used for. I can now share insights from my ongoing learning process.

Firstly, I didn't understand a thing!

when I took the very first lesson, I didn't understand what was going on. I was watching the tutor speak but I couldn't relate to a number of things. Then I wondered what the problem was. The tutor was doing a good job 'tutoring' but I wasn't able to retain the information being passed across. That was when i discovered the issue, I needed to revisit the fundamentals of Data/Statistics.

'SQL is pretty easy when you begin'- This was my mindset when I started the course but, I didn't realise that overtime, I had forgotten some of the fundamentals and it was due to this that I was finding it quite difficult. As soon as I went back to understanding rows and columns, as funny as it may sound, I began to understand much better.

What's my Opinion now?

SQL is not as hard. I haven't gone too deep but so far, as long as I make sure to properly understand each lesson before proceeding, I tend to understand.

What then makes SQL seem really difficult?

'Coding isn't the problem, debugging is'

The level of problem solving skills it requires. In SQL, you code and most developers will tell you, Coding is actually the fun part, the tough part is debugging and I couldn't agree less. SQL involves thinking, critical thinking. You need to be able to spot problems that are not easy to spot.

Do you then have to become super human to do this? Absolutely not. Like I said, if you would be learning SQL through a course, I suggest you don't just aim at doing well in activities but also, aim at properly understanding each lesson before moving on to next. know why a problem is considered the problem and why a solution is considered the solution in various cases. this will not just help your learning process, but will also help you better apply the knowledge gained when you begin to pick up projects.

Is that all? No not at all. This is simply what I have gained in my learning process so far. Stick around and expect updates as I'll be documenting all through the learning process. I'll also be sharing a few resources I have been able to come by which have aided my learning process.

Well then, till next time!