Re: [GENERAL] Looking for an online mentor

On 12/08/2016 04:19 PM, Metare Solve wrote:
> Sorry, I got on so many lists yesterday. I'm really not that dense.
>
> I have absolutely no language programming skills and it is very very
> frustrating. I can HTML and that's it. I desperately want to develop the
> skills but whenever I try on my own, I hit the same wall as I do with
> SQL. I'm just bad at the deep dives into code and really need some
> honest help. I kind of had this kind of help at my old job but I got
> laid off on 11/30 and I don't think it's appropriate to ask them anymore.
>
> SQL experience: Only MS Access. I know it sucks, but it's all my boss
> "let" me use (it didn't occur to me for a while to pursue it on my own
> after she told me "no" for whatever odd reason she had). But! I can use
> that GUI like a champ. I used Access for all of my data crunching, my
> biggest record set was 600k so I didn't need anything more powerful. The
> reason I think I can learn SQL with just a bit of guidance is I know the
> concepts behind "where" and "group buys" and "unique," etc, but I miss a
> ; and get an error and then get frustrated.

GUI's only get you so far. At some point you will need to dive deeper to
get what you. I am mostly a self taught programmer(biologist by
training) so I understand the hill you are facing. The language I use is
Python, mainly because to me it made sense. For you it might be a good
choice as it is quite prevalent in the data analysis world. There are a
lot of places to turn to to learn how to use it. My suggestion for
seeing if it is something you can use would be to start here:

https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/

Go through at least the Introduction to Python part. The rest has to do
with Django, Web framework built using Python.

If you want an immersion into programming the events that Django Girls
put on are a good place to start:

https://djangogirls.org/events/

I have seen it action at my local Linux Fest and it is impressive.



>
> Purpose of the project:
>
> Eh, a bunch of things.
>
> - The project is to build my Tableau skills, for one. There are a lot of
> (work from home) jobs out there that call for Tableau skills and I know
> the best way to learn something is to do it. I think using the SQL
> database as a source will enable me to learn a lot of things in one stroke.
>
> - The project will also give me a product (eventually multiple) to embed
> on a website when I start looking for "clients," or what have you. Just
> starting a portfolio.
>
> - I have two projects, one of them is to analyze crime rates around the
> moon phases. Just a question my dad once posed as a science project that
> I blew off. Now seems kind of interesting to me to pursue. Will give me
> date experience, mapping if I want it, can go down to the precinct
> level, etc. The other is some data I've been collecting for about 15
> months on a pixel dragon game I play. I want to build a dashboard to
> manage my lair/income/value, etc. That is definitely where the SQL
> database comes in. I think the moon one is just data blending.
>
> - To give me intellectual stimulation because I am a nerd.
>
> Just a note, I'm a female gen x with a master's degree in library and
> information science. I took a database design class in grad school and
> it was the biggest waste of money and time. lol, I wish I'd had these
> project ideas then, I could have gone to the teacher with them.
>
> Meta
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 6:59 PM, Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@aklaver.com
> <mailto:adrian.klaver@aklaver.com>> wrote:
>
>     On 12/08/2016 03:46 PM, Metare Solve wrote:
>
>         Hi,
>
>         I'm looking for an online mentor, someone I can chat/email and ask
>         questions of. Maybe "meet up" and have a direct chat. I've been
>         trying
>         to get into SQL for years and I just... have... problems. It's very
>         frustrating and at this point in my career is going to keep me from
>         getting a new job. (I was just laid off on 11/30.)
>
>         I have a project in mind: I want to build an SQL db to house some
>         datasets and sit a tableau dashboard/storyboard on top. A data
>         engineer
>         at my old job said that would be his preferred method, and I
>         think it
>         would be a useful project to learn SQL.
>
>         I know this is the pgadmin support and not a postgres, but I'm
>         technically going to be using pgadmin so it's tangentially
>         related ;)
>
>
>     Actually this is the Postgres mailing list.
>
>     FYI, the pgAdmin list is here:
>
>     https://www.postgresql.org/list/pgadmin-support/
>     <https://www.postgresql.org/list/pgadmin-support/>
>
>     Though pgAdmin is often discussed on this list(pgsql-general).
>
>
>         Any input, even on the project?
>
>
>
>     What language(s) do you plan to program in?
>
>     What studying on SQL have you done?
>
>     What will the purpose of the project?
>
>
>
>         thanks,
>         meta
>
>
>
>     --
>     Adrian Klaver
>     adrian.klaver@aklaver.com <mailto:adrian.klaver@aklaver.com>
>
>


--
Adrian Klaver
adrian.klaver@aklaver.com