STEM TRAIN: databases


Well, aside from this crash course, I initially had zero understanding of either! Throughout this semester though I definitely learned that databases are much more complicated (to me) and they go farther in depth than a spreadsheet would. They allow for specific questions to be asked about the data at hand. They pull information from other tables that are made whereas a spreadsheet would just organize the data into cells. I guess a 101 explanation would be that spreadsheets are "2D" and databases are "3D". At least, this is how it makes sense to me when trying to determine the difference.

So our project consisted of a csv file with raw data. My partner and I chose mortality statistics of opioid users. We were instructed to create and ER diagram that would explain the relationships between each "category" within our dataset (person type, drug type, etc.). Once we figured that out, the hard work began. We learned how to use software to create a database from scratch and our final day will be showing the class our journey of that, as well as a few table examples of specific questions we wanted to ask our database.

I learned that databases are HARD to understand for people like myself. I'm sure the computer majors in the room had a ball with this. But this project definitely tested my attention to detail because my database wasn't working for a while and I couldn't figure it out. Finally, the professor and I went through and found a bunch of typos in my work and that was the root of the issue. Detail is the main theme of my takeaway knowledge from this project!

I'm not quite sure how databases will influence my future career. The field I'm entering requires a lot of field work and feet on the ground collecting the data. Of course that data needs to be organized in some way which is where this skill might come in handy, but for now all I can say is "I don't know yet". I think it might at least influence my understanding if I were to work alongside someone who does this more frequently. It would be nice not to be the type of person who shrugs things like this off because it's "not my job". Being well rounded has it's benefits.

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