CRUD, reps, repeat - My Database Grind

Howdy! Just wanted to share how the database section went. It was packed! Like always, I kept track of the hours and days (for anyone curious). It ended up taking me exactly 30 days, from 17/07 to 17/08, and exactly 73 hours.

I’m posting this a little later than I thought I would, because I switched up the way I track my time. I’ll do a separate post on that since it might help somebody.

Databases

When I first got to databases, there was one sentence, which my friend told me has been ringing in my ears since - “databases are terrible and I hate working with them.”.

I knew it was coming and this fact made me a little bit nervous. After I started and looked at these 2 lessons inside, I thought to myself, “something must be wrong here.”

It’s either my friend, The Odin Project or my memory. I actually preferred this to be the 3rd option!

Anyway, jokes aside, let’s start databasing.

I started reading all the basics, what databases are, what they do and how different types compare. That first lesson is really packed. Lots of links, lots to read, and plenty to absorb.

The final assignment in that lesson is the Khan Academy SQL tutorial, which has really been well put together and it’s worth finishing.

And please don’t skip the extra resources. There are only two lessons in the section, and if databases are new to you like they were to me, those links are truly gold.

You will need the practice for the project in lesson three, it’s pretty demanding. These resources are well chosen and full of clarity. My favorite was the CS50 video. Yes, it’s long but it really cements the concepts!

Databases and SQL

The second and last lesson is even longer and mostly about doing, writing SQL and actually populating a database. CRUD in action: Create, Read, Update and Delete. Get ready for proper repetition here.

Of course, again, hit the additional resources. As far as I remember, one of the links felt outdated so I skipped it, but the rest? Full of practice.

Are they boring? YES. But drilling the same patterns for a while helps your brain lock in the flow. I’m not the most clever one as you can see, so I leaned into the reps.

Project: SQL ZOO

Finally there we are! Project time! It took a while to reach this point and I thought, “Huh, this wasn’t that bad if you asked me.”

Then I started the exercises. The site feels a bit old-school, but it works and there’s a funny little face that pops up when your query is right. You’ll end up waiting for that face like it’s a treat. If you have gone through all those exercises I nagged you about, you’ll probably handle 90% of the project with some head scratching but steady progress.

Here’s the catch. The Odin Project says to complete 0 throught 9:

But the site itself also hides a few extras on the main page: 8+, 9- and 9+. They are also required but if you were going through the lessons selecting new ones from the panel on the left hand side, you might not have noticed them.

And well, that’s where I finally agreed with my friend. Some of these were brutal. I found posts from others saying the same. Some prompts aren’t super clear, which makes it tough to know exactly what results they want.

Still, don’t skip them. Most are solvable if you give yourself time to think and test. The last couple in those “bonus” sets, though… different story.

I’ve got to be honest here: I failed the last one in 9+. I looked up a few solutions and none worked for me. I didn’t bother asking AI at this point, after all the practice, the query process itself felt clear. If you crack that final one, tell me how you did it! I am really genuinely curious!