Reflecting on Databases

 Relational databases eliminate the redundancy of spreadsheets and create a system that can be easily queried to obtained higher level information from the data they contain. These queries could not be achieved as simply by spreadsheet algorithms. For the class database project we used CORGIS for our clean data. Initially we ran into issues with deciding on which data set made the most sense to use due to only needing three tables maximum. 

At first we chose SAT scores and then pivoted to Airlines. I do regret not selecting a more stream lined data set because the Airlines data set was appropriate but it came with way more attributes than we were prepared to handle. I will say I found all of the information that Dr. Dietrich provided on databases extremely helpful. For assignments and in class exercises we were using Dr. D’s Databasesformanymajors website to help us understand how databases work and how we could begin to design one. 

I had to learn to use SQLite to host/build the database. It was a bit of a challenge since we were importing the data from the CORGIS CSV file. I also had trouble exporting the sql file because SQLite encrypted the file so my partner and I were definitely struggling to get use to SQLite and build the database together from different locations. I will say when all was said and done it remained clear to me that hosting the data set in a database was the easiest and most efficient way to query the data versus spreadsheets and even a python script for the CSV file.

Learning about databases hasn’t really influenced my future plans but it does give me confidence in my ability to store and query data properly in the future. The course has cemented my feelings of preferring databases versus traditional programming. I don’t know if my new found skills will be of use any time soon but I believe it could come in handy in the next few years as I progress in my career and into graduate school. I know that if the topic of databases comes up I will know what it is and how it works and that feels good. 

Why I Make Time For Me

 Hello friends, we have been focusing a lot on mental wellbeing in our class lately. I am incredibly grateful to be exposed to information that reminds me that I am a human who needs breaks and time to decompress. Something I have come to learn is that I can not do it all, and that is ok! It took my health to see that. I put everything above myself and my health and it has taken longer to gain my health back then it did to almost ruin it.

You see, diabetes is the only inheritance that I will get from my family. When I entered community college, I was ambitious and hit the ground running. I wasn't used to the schedule and the workload and I truthfully wasn't balancing everything well. I had my two young kids and full time school and still having to run a home. And then I jumped into the amazing opportunity of research. From there everything kind of snow balled in good ways and bad ways.

 I was a 4.0 student, winning awards, and scholarships. My kids were thriving, my home was a bit messy but could have been worse. You know what was worse? My health. In a year I had gained at least 50 lbs, I'm not even sure how much I actually gained because I truly didn't notice. I know that sounds crazy but I was so consumed by school and life that I forgot about myself out side of my mind and work. I finally took a step back and had to acknowledge that if I didn't make a change that I would have diabetes sooner than later and I couldn't do that to my kids if I could avoid it. 

I had to say it out loud. "I can either be a 4.0 student, have a clean home, happy kids, or be healthy" something had to give, because I couldn't do it all. Well I relaxed on the cleaning and passed some chores onto my husband and the kids and I made time for me to move and workout instead of being in front of a computer and notebook all day. Now at ASU, I am no longer a 4.0 student and I truly don't mind. I am so much healthier and happier. I am still not where I was heath wise before I lost myself in school and life, but I am getting there. I often reflect that I took only one year to almost wreck my health and it has so far taken over three years to get it back. Please make time for yourself and your health! It is so easy to let your health go, but trust me, it will take a lot of time and hard work to get it back. Stay well my friends!

Persisting in STEM

 Hello friends, I have a great question that I am going to try and answer from my perspective and with everything I've learned so far.

 How do we persist in STEM despite the obstacles and challenges? 

Despite the fact that I had almost no role models in STEM growing up, I let my curiosity guide me, and honestly it hasn't failed me yet. I think it is also important to let go of the indoctrination of everything needs to be perfect and failures are to be avoided at all cost. Let's be realistic, nothing is perfect! you can exist in STEM and not be perfect, really you can exist period and not be perfect, because no one and nothing is perfect. I actually find peace and beauty in that, and I hope you will too. We can not truly learn without failures! It is actually a natural progression of learning. Some could argue that we learn better from seeing the failures, the 'what not to do'. If you are always afraid to fail you will never grow outside of your existing knowledge that was build on failures you experienced as a young person, before the world told you you had to be perfect and failure was now something to avoid at all cost. Go grow, be yourself and make mistakes and learn form those failures like nature intended! In the famous words of one of my favorite teachers and STEM role models - Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!

https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Ms._Valerie_Frizzle?file=Mrs._Frizzle.png

Looking Up

 I had an interesting question brought to me today. Did you have any role models that influenced your educational path? 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any personal role models. I mostly had people in my life that showed me who I didn’t want to be or what I didn’t want to do. When I think of what brought me to a STEM education and career I think of TV shows. Sesame Street, Barney, more influential was Bill Nye The Science Guy, The Magic School Bus and any nature documentary on PBS. PBS really caught my attention and brought me into the world of science. I still watch PBS Docs like Nature, Nova, Secrets of the Dead, and Finding Your Roots. It meant so much to me, that I have been a monthly donor for some time now. My hope is that others get exposed to STEM and new experiences outside of their bubble like I did. 

Challenges...

 When I think about how far I have come since I first created this blog I think if all the challenges that brought me here. I think about how hard coding still is for me and all the times I have been asked why don't I just switch majors? But why would I do that? Just because coding is hard for me, does not mean I'll never get it. In fact, I think the challenge coding brings me is what keeps me pushing to earn this degree and become proficient in it. There were times when I wanted to give up, but I knew I couldn't. This is the Growth Mindset! We need to know that we may fail but that is the process and the only real way to learn. When we give up, we really learn nothing. If you struggle with change or challenges then I recommend Dr. Carol Dweck, she has great TED talks on the growth mindset that can be found on YouTube. Thanks for reading and I hope your semester is off to a great start!

Experience

 We have been going over how to translate our academic experience or our past job experience into desirable skills/traits that a future employer is looking for. When I think of my experience so far one of the first thing that comes to mind is Leadership. I have gained leadership skills by being a mother, it’s literally my job to lead my kids but I have also gained leadership skills from working on several research projects two of which I have been the lead on. I also have the desirable skill of being able to work with a team. The research experience has helped here but also most of my classes have group projects and homework. Furthermore I was very active in campus clubs at my CC so I am comfortable working in a large or small teams. Anther important skill I have is I am capable of working on my own, at times I prefer it. I love being self sufficient but I am not afraid to ask for help. I am an amazing communicator. In fact I could not be efficient in all the other areas without great communications skills. Don’t forget to emphasize your soft skills my friends, these are extremely important. 

How I think I want to use my degree and why

 Hello friends! I have an interesting prompt this week. How do I want to use my degree and why. Well this is a multilayered question because I want to use my degree to propel me into grad school. I also want to use my degree to get my foot in the door of potential internships in the area of cybersecurity. I have learned that I am not a big fan of the Applied computing area of my degree but I'm extremely interested in the Cybersecurity focus that comes with my degree. And that is why I will go to graduate school, so I can earn my masters degree in the field of Cybersecurity.  Eventually I will use my masters degree to hopefully secure critical infrastructure. Furthermore, I hope to use my masters degree and experience to earn a PhD. We will see where this road takes me. Stay well my friends and enjoy Halloween 🎃