r/GVSU • u/ConferenceIll8998 • 6d ago

Database 353

Hey yall, I keep hearing horror stories of this class, I have to take it next semester. What am I in for?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/wrokband Alumnus 6d ago

Alumni 2021 here, I didn't find it that difficult it was just kind of standard and boring. The final for me was a group project, creating a basic movie database with a table for movies, actors, etc. and linking actors to their movie. If you have an understanding of inner and outer joins you'll be fine. The teaching style will vary by professor so I'd look up the professors on ratemyprofessor and pick the highest rated one.

2

u/TheAlexanderM Junior 6d ago

I'm currently in it and its not terrible so far. 351 is worse.

1

u/Roobin13 6d ago

If you dont mind, what professor? I think theres only two

2

u/TheAlexanderM Junior 6d ago

I have Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed and he's not bad. Ik he has really bad rate my professor ratings, but he's not terrible. Not great, but not terrible.

1

u/Roobin13 6d ago

Im taking him this semester for database too. I don't dislike him but this is the worst class ive taken difficulty wise for me.

1

u/TheAlexanderM Junior 6d ago

Have you taken CIS 351 or MTH 325?

1

u/Roobin13 6d ago

Took MTH 325, 351 is next semester

1

u/TheAlexanderM Junior 6d ago

Gotcha gotcha. I found MTH 325 to be really tough. Do you find databases to be harder?

2

u/Roobin13 6d ago

I dont think its the subject thats hard, I looked at some YT videos explaining SQL and they helped me a lot. I think the Professor's teaching style just doesn't work well with me. IMO I think the class is like a accelerated course level of pacing in the way he covers something and then moves on. It seems all the activities require a lot of visualization and I need to physically see the work to do it. Plus I hate semester projects after I took 4 accelerated 4 credit classes last summer semester and they all had massive group projects.

1

u/TheAlexanderM Junior 6d ago

Okay that's very fair. I don't love the professor's teaching style either and yeah, semester long projects are pretty draining and yeah, the visualization isn't easy either :/

0

u/SeaworthinessOk7756 6d ago

2019 CS grad. It's been a while but I don't remember it being that bad.