30 days to Intermediate SQL: A Real-Time Learning Journey
As a data analyst, SQL is the backbone of my work. As much as I’d love to do nothing but make dashboards all day, the dashboards have to tell a story. And the data is the story. Granted, I will be doing a 30 days to Intermediate challenge PowerBI as well but, I digress.
I have built dashboards before. I have cleaned messy spreadsheets. But honestly, something was missing: my confidence in SQL. Right now, I can write basic SELECT statements to pull data from the database server at work, but it’s not enough. I want to know the language like it’s the back of my paw. So I gave myself a challenge. 30 days to move from “I kinda get it” to “I know what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.”
THE SETUP
Tools: MySQL, Peppermint Tea, a notebook for making notes
Course: Udemy’s The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp: Go from SQL Beginner to Expert by Colte Steele
Time Commitment: minimum 8 hours a week
Tracking method: Notion template (self created)
MySQL has been downloaded on my pc for quite a while. I use it sometimes for fun. Now I’m using it to dig deeper. Why 8 hours a week? I am still making sure that data analytics fundamentals are secure. Getting drills by chatGPT on real world issues, creating quizzes, and answering flashcards on Quizlet. But also 8 hours a week because I want to dive deeper into the information. The more I work with it, the faster I will learn it.
THE PLAN
Every day: at least 1 hour of SQL by reviewing the course. Watch the video, then write the code. Take any notes as necessary. At the end of each video, summarize the video and copy/paste any code written.
Weekly Structure
Mon–Wed: SQL + Quiz Night (Data+ or SQL concepts)
Thu: SQL + Power BI
Fri: SQL + Light Review (quiz or video recap)
Sat: Longer SQL sprint + light Power BI
Sun: Project Lab (mock dashboards, small SQL builds), Q&A dump
I’m doing this not just to learn SQL—but to prove to myself that I can keep showing up, one query at a time. I’ll check in regularly with reflections on what I’ve learned and any umps in the road.
If you’re doing your own SQL sprint, feel free to follow along or adapt the plan to your own style. The point isn’t perfection—it’s momentum.
Let’s get querying. 🐾
