Course Organization
How the Course is Structured
This course is organized into weekly modules, each covering specific topics in SQL and database management. Each week includes lectures, readings, assignments, and quizzes to help you understand and apply the material.
Textbook: Getting Started with SQL and Databases by Mark Simon, which is available for free using the Hekman Library.
Lectures: Weekly lectures on Mondays and Wednesdays will cover the main topics and provide examples. Attendance is important (and required) to grasp the material and ask questions.
Quizzes: Every Friday, there will be a quiz covering the week’s material. These quizzes are designed to reinforce your understanding and prepare you for the exams.
Assignments: Weekly assignments will give you hands-on practice with SQL queries and database management. These are crucial for applying what you’ve learned in lectures and readings.
Final Project: In the last few weeks of the course, you will work on a final project that involves designing and querying a database based on a real-world scenario.
Instructor Information¶
Instructor: Prof. Eric Araújo
Email: eric
.araujo@calvin .edu Office: NH293
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1.30pm - 2.30pm and Fridays 11.00am - 12.00pm, or by appointment.
Schedule¶
The schedule for lectures, quizzes, and assignments is as follows:
| Week | Dates | Topics | Quiz | Homework |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 16-20 | Starting with SQL | ✅ 1: Mar 20 | ❌ |
| 2 | Mar 23-27 | Database Structure & Design | ✅ 2: Mar 27 | ✅ 1 |
| 3 | Mar 30-Apr 3 | Filtering Data | ❌ (Good Friday) | ❌ |
| 4 | Apr 6-10 | Ordering Results & Calculating Values | ✅ 3: Apr 10 | ✅ 2 |
| 5 | Apr 13-17 | Joining Tables | ❌ | ✅ 3 |
| 6 | Apr 20-24 | Aggregating Data | ✅ 4: Apr 24 | ❌ |
| 7 | Apr 27-May 1 | Working with Tables & Set Operations | ❌ | ✅ 4 |
| 8 | May 2-May 7 | Final Project | ❌ | ⏰ Final Project Due 5/7 |
Lectures¶
CS354 is organized by week. Each week is structured as follows:
🧑🏼🏫 Lectures on Mondays and Wednesdays (SB372) at 1.30pm - 2.35pm.
👩🏾💻 Quizzes on Fridays (SB372) at 1.30pm - 2.35pm.
Grade Breakdown¶
| Component | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Quizzes (4) | 30% |
| Assignments (4) | 40% |
| Final Project (1) | 30% |
Materials¶
The textbook for this course is:
Getting Started with SQL and Databases by Mark Simon, which is available for free using the Hekman Library.
A setup guide for how to do the assignments is available on the Student Guide page.