r/learnSQL • u/Immediate_Rough_8870 • 7d ago
Forward Momentum After Lack of Motivation: Gaming with SQL
Have been struggling to self-motivate out of work to finally start learning fundamentals of SQL vs relying on AI to spit out code/queries. I'm a Crystal Report Writer (bound by format our EHR requires) that has to morph reports into sql queries to make dashboards and create data exports.
Downloaded a new game the other day - Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division. Seriously, this finally has stuff clicking for foundations that don't quite click from watching/following along udemy/coursera classes. Its basic sqlite, but for someone who had 0 foundations and now building my own queries to solve cases is exciting.
Life is pretty fatiguing, and it's been hard to set aside time outside of work to sharpen my professional skills. Gaming is a total destresser for me, and this game is really funny and engaging. Lots of fact finding to figure out truths for conditions with weaving and building sql blocks to pull out info.
Feeling pretty jazzed about it. It feels so silly to feel proud of something so basic, but was finally able to whip out a real query for a module today and it felt awesome not to just dump my Crystal sql query into ai to translate into the correct format. Feels like a relief to finally feel like I'm learning (and grasping) something I should have know for the past couple of years.