数据库管理与金融应用

If you want to learn Database Management or SQL for job purpose (especially in Finance) in the closest way, this is WAY BETTER than the one in Computer Science Department. Regardless of how good you are in R and Python for most data related jobs, the job market says that they worth nothing without SQL. This course is a recognized Major Elective Course credit for Statistics major thanks to me!

Grading criteria

20% Assignments (4 times; one homework published for each month, all application questions) + 40% Project (2 times) + 40% Final Exam.

The difference from Principle of Database from Computer Science Department is that this course only covers those consistently used in general finance purpose.

Course contents

Part 1: Databases and Database Design

• Fundamental Concepts of Database Management
• Architecture and Categorization of DBMSs
• Conceptual Data Modeling Using the (E)ER Model and UML Class Diagram
• Organizational Aspects of Data Management
• Financial Applications: Chinese Databases

Part 2: Types of Database Systems

• Relational Databases: The Relational Model and Structured Query Language
• Object Oriented Databases and Object Persistence
• Extended Relational Databases
• XML Databases
• Financial Applications: International Databases

Lab Practice (Like typical lab class in Computer Science Department Courses)

• A Quick Start using SQL Online Playground
• SQL: Data Manipulation
• SQL: Data Definition
• Advanced SQL
• Stata

My past expectation and experience

Given that this is an applied SQL course, I set having B or B+ as my worst tolerated case (although I thought that I can get an A- while the semester was in progress). At first, the course was supposed to be in bilingual but turns out he made a change to English course since he said that speaking Chinese in technical databases will result in more confusion which was surprising and nice. For every lecture session, he always said "Good afternoon everyone, how are you all doing?" which shows that he is a kind professor (I forgot if he also did that in lab class). Sometimes, professor asked questions voluntarily about what were the answers in lecture without pointing to specific student. So, make sure to utilize these chances to improve your skill in Database and SQL.

In project, he was willing to share his thought during discussion about any confusion in the projects. The first project was mainly about:

• Developing an appropriate conceptual model using ER diagram;
• Developing a relational data model with necessary normalization; and
• SQL coding and outputs.

The second project mainly involved Stata and it was time consuming which was a surprise until a new member was allowed to join my team after I finished all final exams and before deadline given that all HWs and first project difficulty levels are not hard (even considering their deadlines too). Actually, we were just late a couple of minutes but thank goodness the professor allowed that and we did not receive any penalty as long as we did not take too long to submit as they need to submit the weighted performance of this course to the official system.

The final exam was hold in the first day of final exam period 8:00 AM which was a bit disappointing. But luckily, the professor decided to only include part 1 in the final exam and allowed us to make our own one A4 cheating paper on both sides as a response to the scheduling. Also, he emphasized that we would not have any questions requiring us to write any code In the exam, there was 3 kinds of questions:

1. Multiple choice questions
2. Simple one to three words fill in the blank
3. Long answer form questions asking pure definition and conceptual questions.

All students passed the exam.

General student performance

Total grade（总评成绩）report:

• Average: about 86 (B)
• Highest: 95 (A).
• Mine: 88 (B+)
• Note: There are very few in this class getting at least A-. The professor did not know that A- needs a total score of 90+, so the total score is just the natural sum of each component.

Conclusion

This course is the best to learn SQL for application side or job purposes so far for now. Given the ideal personality of the professor and the curriculum (including HWs and projects), you HAVE TO take this course without facing the CS Department difficulty!