Week 24: CST 363 - Introduction to Database Systems

WK08: Final Reflections on Databases

With both group projects finished and my final exam turned in, it's a good moment to pause and reflect. This journal captures the three most important lessons I'm taking from the course.

Course outcome

In this course I learned to design reliable databases by translating messy real-world rules into normalized schemas with clear keys, foreign keys, and constraints. I strengthened my SQL by writing efficient JOINs and aggregations and by using execution plans and indexing to turn slow queries into fast, scalable ones. Finally, I learned how ACID transactions and isolation levels protect correctness under concurrency and failures, and when to use compensating transactions. Together, these skills - good modeling, performance-aware querying, and transactional thinking - give me the confidence to build data features that are both accurate and efficient.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 4. Class: CST 300 - Major Pro Seminar

 Part One: Set Your Educational Goals My goal is to graduate from the CS program with a strong understanding of core computer science concepts and score above the national average on the Major Field Test. I want to strengthen my skills in algorithms, systems, and software engineering so I can grow in my current software development role and take on more advanced projects with confidence. Part Two: Set Your Career Goals My career goal is to move into a senior or lead software engineering role within the next few years. I want to become someone my team can rely on for architecture decisions and mentorship. I can picture myself leading major projects, making technical decisions, and helping others grow. Part Three: Take a Wild Guess of Your Percentile I feel reasonably confident about taking the ETS Computer Science test in 18 months. Based on the sample content, I'd probably land around the 75th percentile.  I already have a job in software development, and with continued learni...
Read more

Week 2. Class: CST 300 - Major Pro Seminar

Image
  Part 1: Review and Reflect Learning Strategy After reading Learning Strategy, I can say that my top 3 items that I am good at are: Creating and Following a Study Schedule: I habitually block out study time in my calendar, which keeps me on track and prevents the possibility of being late. Choosing a Distraction-Free Environment: I’ve set up my work desk specifically for studying - it's a quiet and comfortable space where I can focus. Everything I need is within reach and neatly organized, which helps me stay on task and avoid unnecessary distractions. Active Reading with SQ3R: Before diving into a chapter, I survey headings, turn them into questions, and then read to answer them. That helps me retain key concepts. Here are the top 3 items that I need to improve:  Tendency to Cram When Tired: I sometimes push into late-night review sessions when I'm already exhausted, which makes studying inefficient and causes stress levels to spike. Inconsistent Note Organization: Although ...
Read more

Week 5. Class: CST 300 - Major Pro Seminar

 Part One: Support and Comment on Teammates' Goals My first comment is here and the second one is here . Part Two: Possible Capstone Ideas Three possible capstone projects I might pursue include a web-based incident reporting system, a performance tracking dashboard, and a scheduled report delivery platform. The incident reporting system would allow users to submit, review, and manage incident reports through a secure web interface. The performance tracking dashboard would present key employee or departmental metrics using interactive charts and tables, helping managers analyze trends over time. The report delivery platform would let users configure recurring report schedules and automatically generate and send formatted reports via email. Each project would be built using modern web technologies and structured to support real-time data interaction, role-based access, and reporting capabilities. These ideas would allow for the creation of functional, scalable systems that address r...
Read more