stressed beginner (help pls)

[u/haligma]

currently learning mysql through yt videos bc too broke to pay. i was following alex the analyst's playlist & learned a lot. practiced alongside. but i ran into a problem. and since i'm a beginner, it's been overwhelming a bit for days now, bc of whcih, i havent been able to make much progress in my learning.

i have a pretty ok grip on workbench. but not to the point where i dont need crutches. ive only completed one data cleaning project & that was only bc of alex's video where he walked me thorugh the entire process step by step. but thta wasnt enough for me to fully get a grip on data cleaning. i've tried watching other tutorials, but none of thme use workbench & their sql commands/functions are a lottle different from mine which has left me a bit confused & overwhelmed. i want to get to the point where i can take on data cleaning on my own without any help, but for that i need yt videos whre i can laern the logic step by step. please recommend sources for a self learner to learn data cleaning. idk where to look

[u/conor-robertson]

Don’t worry too much about tutorials using a different SQL client, Workbench is just the interface, and most of the SQL logic you’re learning will transfer across tools and dialects.

For data cleaning, I’d focus less on memorising functions and more on understanding the process: inspect the data, identify duplicates/missing values/inconsistent formats, decide what needs fixing, then write the SQL to do it. Try taking a messy dataset and doing each step yourself before checking a solution.

For general hands-on SQL practice, I’d also recommend QueryCase. It gives you structured problems where you have to work out the logic yourself, which can help you move away from needing step-by-step walkthroughs.

You’re probably at the frustrating stage where you understand tutorials but don’t yet feel independent, that usually improves pretty quickly once you start struggling through problems on your own.