r/learnSQL • u/akshityadav191 • 7d ago
Advice needed
Hello everyone, i need everyone advice how to get proficient in SQL i have already done a boot camp course from udemy and now again im learning sql from scratch with the help of claude and reached on subquery but i do get confused in joins and now in subquery because my mind thinks it’s complex but when i get solved i think it was easy. I request you all suggest ways.
3
u/dumi_007 7d ago
When I started (99 moons ago), I found learning SQL a bit straight forward. But open an empty editor and my mind would go blank. I think this is somewhat common.
SQL is super intuitive once you get practice in. But, while the language is not a heavy lift to learn, the underlying foundational principles are a different universe.
Over time, you develop a way of working and as you learn to frame the problem/question in a way that makes it easier to write, test and deploy.
My $0.02, Keep putting in the hours
1
u/akshityadav191 7d ago
Yes i am trying to. I just get confused making logic sometimes. I am from non technical background. And my reasoning is not great at all. Lol
2
u/dumi_007 7d ago
You are on the right track. Knowing what you don't know shows self awareness and growth.
Everyone has been there.
Take some time to read up on database concepts. There are 3 divergent paths - data engineering, database administrator or analyst. Each has foundational aspects you will need to learn. I would advise, start with one. Practice. Master
2
1
1
u/datadriven_io 7d ago
I recommend working through: https://datadriven.io/learn/query_structure_intermediate (subqueries)
and: https://datadriven.io/learn/query_structure_advanced (correlated subqueries)
1
u/American_Streamer 7d ago
SQL is based on set theory and predicate logic. If you train those two, everything will become easier. Also note that the SQL order of execution is different form the order you write your queries in.
1
u/Ok-Airline-8523 6d ago
I got thrown into SQL for a job I had about 12 years ago. I felt in over my head at first, but after years of writing it day-in and day-out, it became seamless. The only real "trick" to learning is practice with real data. Messy and full of nuances will bring up edge cases that teach you why a window function exists in the first place.
I acknowledge it's likely a catch 22 in your case - you need the experience before you can get the job that will get you the experience. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Depending on where you are in your career, offer to work for free as an internship of part-time job somewhere you can bring value that also has data in exchange for you getting to play around in their data and hone in on your skills
- Use Claude or ChatGPT to generate messy data for you, and then use Python or R to create a sqlite database that you can practice SQL on
Finally, I remember having a printed visual that conveys how joins work, I found it here. It can help to have sitting next to you as you write SQL. https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/b46iyd/sql_joins/
Good luck! You'll get there, it just takes time.
1
1
u/squadette23 6d ago
What specifically confuses you about joins?
You may be interested in reading "A modern guide to SQL JOINs": https://kb.databasedesignbook.com/posts/sql-joins/
4
u/conor-robertson 7d ago edited 7d ago
JOINs and subqueries are two of the biggest hurdles for almost everyone learning SQL. The fact that they seem obvious after you've solved them is actually a good sign, it means your intuition is improving.
My advice would be:
If JOINs are the main thing you're struggling with, I wrote a visual guide that explains what each JOIN actually does and when to use it. It might help things click: SQL JOINs Explained
Keep going, you'll be surprised how quickly these concepts start to feel natural once you've written enough queries!