In my journey to become a Data Scientist and Analyst, I’ve come to realize that SQL is a foundational industry skill. Since I didn’t get much exposure to it during college, I decided to take the initiative to learn it on my own.
There are countless free and paid resources available to learn SQL. I spent some time exploring them, but one piece of advice from Data Scientist and YouTuber Igor Howell stuck with me:
“Don’t waste too much time searching for the perfect resource—just pick one and start learning.”
That mindset helped me move forward with confidence.
I chose to follow Mode Analytics’ SQL Tutorial for Data Analysis, which is structured into four sections:
- Basic SQL
- Intermediate SQL
- Advanced SQL
- Analytics Training
This blog-style repository documents what I learn in each section. It includes:
- Reflections and summaries of key SQL concepts
- Annotated SQL queries from practice problems
- Personal notes on what trips me up, what clicks, and what I want to revisit
- To solidify my understanding of SQL by writing, not just watching or reading
- To build a public record of progress that recruiters, mentors, or future collaborators can see
- To connect what I learn to real-world data analysis workflows
Each Markdown file (.md) corresponds to a tutorial section:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
basic.md |
SELECT, FROM, WHERE, LIMIT, and basic filtering logic |
intermediate.md |
GROUP BY, HAVING, JOINs, CASE statements, and nested logic |
advanced.md |
Subqueries, window functions, CTEs, and performance tuning |
analytics.md |
Applied SQL techniques for cohort analysis, funnel metrics, and time-based slicing |
The tutorial I’m following is publicly available at mode.com/sql-tutorial.