What classes should I start with. I am college educated but nothing related to computers – looking for a hobby/potential second job. I have to admit, I am lacking in computer skills so I need to start with basics
I Am Interested In Web Design And Database Management?
January 26th, 2010 by CTO WebOjO.com website designers Lahore Pakistan Leave a reply »
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As the first poster said, the fields of web design and database management are very different. You can learn both and it’s fine to play around with different areas. But you’re not going to find single jobs for both, so if that’s your it’s better to focus on one area and become an expert in that.
If you’re lacking in computer skills, then the first place to start is with a general computer information background.
Then, if you have little technical experience, you might have an easier time getting into web design than databases. Most people in web design start out by learning HTML and CSS. Then to get a little more advanced, venture into Javascript. That’s all the technical languages. Many web designers forget about practicality, which is why it’s also important to learn about accessibility standards and user interface and behaviors to be a good web designer. It’s no good if you know the technical mechanics on creating web sites if it’s not well designed in a user friendly way that visitors can use your site easily.
Then from there, many web designers venture into PHP and MySQL, which is a good way to get into databases.
If you want to skip the web design route and actually get into database management, start with MySQL. It’s free and it’s relatively easier to learn than other database systems. And then you can try other databases, especially if you want a job with databases.
There are a lot of online resources.
Here’s one good place to start: http://w3schools.com/
WOW! That’s a pretty big “leap” if you lack computer skills and you want to start from scratch! The field is so extreme from one end to the other, it really depends on where you ultimately want to go with this – a database administrator? or a designer? or an analyst?
There are some really great books you can get from most reputable bookstores (Barnes & Nobles, for instance, among many others), by SAMS publishing. They are entitled, “Learn … in 24 Hours” and “Learn … in 21 Days”, in which you replace the … with the specific computer topic you are interested in.
I have a few on my shelf behind me, and they have been an invaluable source, both from a learning standpoint, as well as a reference later on.
Again, you have to decide where you want to go before you can decide which book or books (many, I would guess) to purchase.
Good luck on your endeavors, but remember, luck comes with hard work and perseverence (and a lot of sweat – LOL)