Day 20: Add Sql
AROUND DAY 20, START ADDING IN SOME SQL
The best way to do this is to tackle more than one course at a time. That's why you take multiple courses in college. I think about 20 days of Python is enough to make you "start thinking like a computer" and that's a good time to dive into SQL.
THE ULTIMATE MYSQL BOOTCAMP: GO FROM SQL BEGINNER TO EXPERT (COLT STEELE)
Gets you into MySQL, which is an easy path into data analysis.
This is a MySQL bootcamp, and lots of what you see out in the real world is MySQL. With that said, once you learn MySQL, it's basically easy to move to MariaDB, SQLite, PostgreSQL (better known as Postgres), etc.
SQL is more about logic and understanding the basics than anything else. I am convinced that most people can become SQL experts in under a year. You can get functionally employable in under six months. Easy.
Colt taught an immersive bootcamp at Galvanize, one of those bigger and more expensive coding bootcamps. I have personally hired people out of Galvanize, and the reason I like his course is he's trying to get you job ready, rather than "theory ready" like some denser computer science programs.
Colt Steele teaches this course, and it's almost exactly how I would personally teach you SQL.
Add the course to your Udemy Personal Plan (https://www.udemy.com/course/the-ultimate-mysql-bootcamp-go-from-sql-beginner-to-expert/).
FREE CODE CAMP: SQL TUTORIAL (MIKE DANE)
Free Code Camp is usually pretty good.
I don't love all the tutorials for Free Code Camp, but the SQL one has a solid instructor (good job dude) who explains what's happening behind the scenes. That's the thing that you'll need to understand the most with SQL, is that you're editing a database, and that takes some imagination. You should learn in a way that can you "see" it in your brain what's happening.
Mike Dane does a good job on this course, and since it's free, I can't really complain about the few small notes I had. There are a few things I would personally teach differently, but that all comes down to personal choice.
This is a good course that will get you up to speed, for free. Shoutout to this instructor.
Watch the course on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXV3zeQKqGY).
QUERYVIS: A COOL VISUAL TOOL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SQL IS DOING
What's really happening with those queries? For some people visual help matters, and for me… that's how I learned SQL. I needed to see what was going on.
This will also help you later on down the road when you learn about ERD's, or "Entity Relationship Diagrams" in SQL.
demo.queryvis.com (http://demo.queryvis.com/).
SQLBOLT: A CHEAT SHEET
I think SQLBolt's quick lessons are a nice run through, and it's all web based, with all your tables laid out in front of you.
Secondly, they use examples that we all understand, like movies.
Once again… it's free.
sqlbolt.com (https://sqlbolt.com/).
SQL BASICS CHEAT SHEET
It's totally okay to have a cheat sheet while you're learning. Seriously. Download the PDF, print it out, and have the two page cheat sheet nearby. Like any other cheat sheet, after a while, you won't need it as a crutch anymore.
SQL Basics Cheat Sheet, PDF (https://learnsql.com/blog/sql-basics-cheat-sheet/sql-basics-cheat-sheet-a4.pdf).
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Curriculum last updated 2026-04-30