SQL Mastery Guide

As first-year students, the best approach to mastering SQL is through hands-on experience, followed by certification. Here are some resources recommended for the Fall semester. Ideally, you should explore these resources and practice on interactive labs to identify and improve weak areas before the semester starts. These resources will also serve as useful references throughout the year.

Learning Resources

O’Reilly Learning Platform

Qwiklabs

Insights from Data with BigQuery

Towards the end of the first semester, it’s recommended that students aim for Databricks certification. This will boost your success in the practicum, give you a competitive edge for internships, and demonstrate your ability to apply SQL to real-world problems.

Recommended SQL Certifications

Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark 3.0
- Study Material: Databricks website, and O’Reilly Learning Platform
  - Learning Spark
  - Spark: The Definitive Guide

If you prefer an alternative certification, here are other equally credible options. Advanced students may consider obtaining all these certifications.

Alternative SQL Certifications

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
- Study Material: Coursera, Microsoft Learn and O’Reilly Learning Platform
  - Coursera Course Microsoft Azure DP-900 Data Fundamentals Exam Prep
  - Exam Ref DP-900
Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification
- Study Material: O’Reilly Learning Platform and Oracle
  - OCA Oracle Database SQL Exam Guide
  - Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification
Google Data Analytics Professional
- Study Material: Coursera and O’Reilly Learning Platform
  - Data Governance: The Definitive Guide
  - [Data Science on the Google Cloud Platform](https://learning.oreilly