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