The 8 Week SQL Challenge is proudly brought to you by the Data With Danny virtual data apprenticeship program to celebrate the launch of the Serious SQL course!
What is the 8 Week SQL Challenge?
My idea was to create a online community which supports all data professionals who were specifically starting on their SQL learning journey.
I also wanted to help everyone start crafting their own personal branding, online presence and a personal portfolio of data projects - and so the 8 Week SQL Challenge was born!
For the next 8 weeks - I challenge you to:
- Dedicate yourself to learning SQL
- Share regular updates on social media about what you are learning
- Get started on your own GitHub Pages personal website and project portfolio
How can I get started with the challenge?
- Share an update on LinkedIn using the dedicated #8WeekSQLChallenge hashtag
- Start solving the 8 Week SQL Challenge case studies
Here’s an example post you could share on LinkedIn - please feel free to improvise and personalise your post as much as you like!
When does the 8 Week SQL Challenge actually start?
In all honesty, the challenge has no official start or end date!
You can literally start and finish the 8 Week SQL Challenge anytime you like - even the 8 week period is not a mandatory requirement :)
I’m ready to start the challenge - what should I learn first?
There is no one single correct answer for this question but here are a few suggestions!
- Throw yourself into the deep end and attempt the case studies:
- Review the super comprehensive list of SQL resources I’ve put together on the Resources page, there blogs, courses, videos and documentation links included
- Join me for my Serious SQL course - I’ll be on hand to actively mentor you and respond directly to any questions throughout the course
What else can I expect to find on this website?
On this main 8 Week SQL Challenge website - you’ll find the following content:
- Weekly interactive SQL case studies
- Comprehensive curated list of free SQL learning resources
I’ll also be sending out regular emails too to all participants who register for the 8 Week SQL Challenge to keep you updated when new case studies and other posts are published!
What is Serious SQL?
Serious SQL is an online course that I’ve created - it is the very first part of the Data With Danny virtual apprenticeship program.
I’ve really put my heart and soul into the Serious SQL course and I truly believe that it will make a huge difference on your data journey!
Serious SQL is priced at $49USD and $29 for students and includes access to all written course content, community events as well as live and recorded SQL training videos!
Here are a few reasons why I think Serious SQL is perfect for anyone starting their data and SQL learning journey - I’ve created this course to help beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Course Datasets
Learn SQL by doing through multiple realistic end to end case studies that closely represent the sort of work we perform in a data analytics role and includes datasets and case studies from the following domains:
- Health analytics
- Marketing analytics
- People analytics
- Financial markets
- Fast moving consumer goods
- Digital marketing
Topics Covered
Cover many core SQL skills and techniques required for data analysis from beginner to advanced levels including:
- Where filters and ordering data
- Group by aggregates
- Identifying and dealing with duplicate data
- Common table expressions and subqueries
- Summary statistics
- Exploratory data analysis
- Complex table joins
- Entity relationship diagrams
- SQL reverse engineering
- Data problem solving techniques
- All the window functions
- Case When Statements
- Recursive CTEs
- Cumulative aggregates
- Simple, weighted and exponential moving metrics
- Historical vs Snapshot data analysis techniques
- Temporary tables, database views and materialized views
- Interpret SQL optimizer execution plans
- String transformations including Regular Expressions
- Date and Timestamp manipulation including timezones
- Different types of table indexes
- Impact of indexes on simple table operations
- Loading raw data
- Table schemas and data types
Live SQL Training
Can I learn SQL directly from Danny?
From November 2021 - I’ve started weekly live SQL training to cover all of the written course content from beginning to end. All live streams are recorded and uploaded to the Serious SQL course player and available for students to watch on demand.
Each weekly session runs for about 90 minutes with an additional 15-30 minutes of live Q&A where I answer a wide variety of questions about data, career, social media and other topics such as health, motivation and productivity, which I am very passionate about!
Live training restarts on the 15th of January 2022 to cover everything from table joins and beyond as we continue with the Marketing Analytics case study section of the Serious SQL course!
Additional Bonus Content
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Gain familiarity with popular programming tools such as Docker, Markdown, GitHub and the command line interface (CLI)
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Learn how to setup your own GitHub Pages project portfolio page with a guided step-by-step guide
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Full access to complete solutions for all case studies included in the 8 Week SQL Challenge with full explanations
Course Setup
All database and SQL interface infrastructure are Docker based and I’ll help you get setup for Docker Desktop on Windows, Mac and Linux systems - Docker is simply a must-have skill if you want to move into data science and machine learning!
Installation and setup of all required data and systems is super fast and will run on all machine types that support Docker Desktop including Windows, Ubuntu and all Macs including the latest generation of Apple M1 Macs.
Dedicated Support
We also have dedicated Q&A threads for each separate course tutorial as well as a dedicated SQL Support Forum where all students enrolled in the course can share their SQL problems for direct assistance - even if its for data or problems that are not included in the course.
Serious SQL is priced at $49USD and $29USD for students - please send an email to support@datawithdanny.com from your educational email or include your enrolment details or student identification for a speedy response!
Will you be providing case study coding solutions?
If you’d like to see the complete code solutions and detailed explanations for all case studies and a whole lot more, please consider joining me for the Serious SQL course - you’ll get access to all course materials, case study solutions and I’m on hand to answer all of your additional SQL questions directly!
Serious SQL students get access to complete solutions for each case study, they will be made available directly inside the Serious SQL course player after the case studies are published here so everyone has a chance to try and solve the problems before solutions are provided.
Complex sections identified by students will also have specific video explanations to cover key problem areas - join me to get customised support and in-depth explanations for the parts which you find most challenging.
I’m nervous about sharing stuff on LinkedIn - what should I do?
I totally understand this as I was in exactly the same position - scared out of my wits and never bringing myself to post anything!
The secret is to start posting regularly and aim to help others with your posts. That was the one single thing that really helped me grow on LinkedIn!
Remember the following tips for LinkedIn posts to maximise your reach:
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Avoid sharing direct links in posts as reach is depressed for external and post shares - add the URLs after by editing your original post
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Be sure to keep your first 2-3 lines catchy and snappy - you only have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention in this digital world
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Sometimes it helps to post an eye-catching picture - we humans process visual information much more efficiently than reading
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The initial
like:viewratio is the main determinant for your post reach, reshares also help boost overall view counts -
Limit your amount of hashtags per post to 3-4 and aim for tags with lots of followers or specific community hashtags (like #8WeekSQLChallenge or #DataWithDanny or #66DaysOfData) - you can check the counts by clicking on the hashtag on LinkedIn (#Data #Analytics #DataScience #BigData are my go to tags for reach!)
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Resharing other people’s posts is a good way to help promote their content but will usually generate low view counts for your post, this is normal
-
Join in the conversation and regularly comment on popular influencers’ posts
You might laugh at that last point - but trust me! This really works because this is pretty much how I became friends with many data superstars like Eric Weber, Ben Taylor and Kate Strachnyi :)
Final Thoughts
The 8 Week SQL Challenge is proudly brought to you by me - Danny Ma and the Data With Danny virtual data apprenticeship program.
Students or anyone undertaking further studies are eligible for a $20USD student discount off the price of Serious SQL please send an email to support@datawithdanny.com from your education email or include information about your enrolment for a fast response!
We have a large student community active on the official DWD Discord server with regular live events, trainings and workshops available to all Data With Danny students, plus early discounted access to all future paid courses.
There are also opportunities for 1:1 mentoring, resume reviews, interview training and more from myself or others in the DWD Mentor Team.
From your friendly data mentor, Danny :)