Learning Journal Week 2 - databases

 

  • SQL can join tables in more ways than just matching primary and foreign keys. For example, in these recent labs, with the small courses database, we created a view for the average salary in each department. After that, we joined the instructor table with the view to see which instructors earn more than the average salary in their department. In English, the query is: find the instructors whose salary is greater than the average salary for their department. In SQL, the query is:

SELECT i.name, i.dept_name, i.salary
FROM instructor i
JOIN dept_summary d USING (dept_name)
WHERE i.salary > d.average_salary;

This shows how joins can use a condition like “greater than” instead of just matching keys.

  • I think SQL is easier to learn compared to Java work. It feels closer to English, and when I run a query, I can see right away if I did it right. The harder part is when the question involves grouping or subqueries, because it takes me a little longer to set those up. The most challenging aspect overall hasn’t been SQL, but rather the Java homework, especially Lab 10, where I had to mix Lab 4 and Lab 8 to make them work in harmony. That was tough, while SQL feels more direct. I like how running queries provides me with quick feedback and helps me learn by trying.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 2 Learning Journal Post

Image
Part 1: Review and Reflect Learning Strategy My top 3 study skills, in which I believe I am good at, are thinking skills, getting the main idea, and extracting important details. Why do I say this?  Well, I think you develop thinking skills from experience. The article says that everyone has thinking skills, but not everyone uses them correctly. My response to this is that I cannot be scared of dead ends; I have to be scared of not thinking there is no way out. Identifying the main idea from anything is crucial, especially being around a high-paced environment. After 22 years, I believe I have learned to do a decent job when I have to figure out the central idea or concept. Meaning that I can focus on what is more relevant.  This goes hand in hand with extracting important details , good note taking is mentioned, I like to organize ideas on bullet points in a way that I organize what I hear from what I think. I believe I do a good job with that I am weak when it comes t...
Read more

Industry Expert Interview – Exploring Career Paths and Industry Trends

  Interviewee: William Kerney Institution: Clovis Community College  Interviewer: M. Camila Caicedo Date: 3 June 2025 Duration: 30 min Can you tell me about your academic and professional background? Professor Kerney attended UC San Diego and obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science from there. As for his professional career, he worked for a defense contractor developing Virtual Reality applications and video games for several years, and then worked in various departments at UC San Diego, utilizing his computer science skills. After graduation, he worked on Virtual Reality educational programs and, after traveling around the country to train teachers on its use, transitioned into full-time teacher education with his own company. He also did a lot of freelance grant writing and computer science consulting. What made you want to pursue a career in computer science? Professor Kerney has always had a passion for technology, and he has known since secon...
Read more

Week 4 Learning Journal

  Part One: Set Your Educational Goals Regarding my educational goals at CSUMB, I aim to earn my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science with a strong GPA. As I mentioned previously, I aspire to specialize in Cybersecurity and, hopefully, attend a reputable university that offers a respected Master’s degree program, such as the University of California, Berkeley. I also want to create projects to add to my GitHub portfolio. I also want to become proficient in languages such as Python, since it is commonly used, specifically in cybersecurity. Additionally, I want to pursue certifications that will help me stand out from others, like CompTIA Security+, to start. Obtaining the Certified Ethical Hacker certification will help me demonstrate my knowledge. I can picture myself obtaining all these certifications, degrees, and knowledge, and also adding my projects to my portfolio. Ultimately, I must stay on top of the constantly changing world to effectively adjust to any changes.  Par...
Read more