Professor: Dr. Kathleen Pulling
Would I take this course again or recommend it: I have taken a lot of course with Kate, and I think she was most knowledge with databases. I wouldn’t take this course again, but I do recommend it. This was a quality introduction course to SQL. I learned the basics of SQL using MySQL – creating databases, tables, SQL data types, constraints, schemas, SQL functions, SQL operators and data manipulation.
What would I have done differently: If I were to take this course over again I would focus more on the pros & cons of the design of the relational database. I would say I have a good understanding of terminology and usage of SQL but I would struggle on how to design a database to be the most efficient and beneficial.
Is it worth the Money: $285 tuition, $19.50 technology fee, $24 student union fee, $55 Murach’s MySQL, 2nd Edition (new textbook) -- for a grand total of $393.50 plus time invested: Yup. Having an understanding of databases and SQL made some assignments in CIT 252 Web Database Development a breeze. It was also helpful when we touch on Java Database Programming for a short time in CIT 230 Advance Java.
Certification: There are some SQL certifications out there, but I haven't taken any of them. From what I here there are some differences between Oracle SQL and MySQL. Oracle does offer a for Oracle SQL certification. Oracle also offers a separate certification for MySQL Developer which covers more than what was taught in this course. All for a low price of $245. Pocket change...
Transfer to UNLV: (Don’t know. I’ll find out later.)
I really enjoyed taking the CIT 180 class at CSN. In fact, it was actually the course that changed my career trajectory. Prior to this class, I had just finished my graduate degree in Psychology and was going towards the clinical route. My introduction to SQL led me to pursuing a new graduate degree in Management Information Systems. Today, I work with data and SQL every day as a business intelligence professional. There are definitely some differences among any of the SQL versions. Oracle uses SQL, SQL Server uses T-SQL but I view them as different dialects of the same language. Certifications are always handy to have since it shows expertise and knowledge to future employers. And I can definitely say CIT 180 does not transfer to UNLV (unfortunately). UNLV does not offer an equivalent course but it is still a very useful class to take.
ReplyDeleteThat seems like a pretty big switch. Do you feel your graduate degree in psychology is more beneficial as oppose to having a graduate degree in business administration or data science? Does your psychology back ground give you a difference perspective from the rest of your colleagues?
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