Get a good group early, make sure you're on top of requirements and deadlines. Redundancy was required for me when submitting. Make sure final project will meet all the requirements regardless of what the idea is. Reaching out to someone that passed the class would probably help a lot. Prepare to learn a lot of cool stuff if you're new to databases!

Submitted Fri Mar 20 2026

I think the hardest part of this course is dealing with your partner. It's like interviewing, right? They may seem good on paper until you start working with them and discover that your timelines and expectations are different. They make you choose your partner after the first week via an introductory ED post where anyone can write anything, lol. My partner was OK in the beginning but started falling off a bit towards the end. Aside from having to manage timelines with your partner, I found the project to be really easy especially with the starter code that was provided. I see lots of folks recommending to avoid python/flask, but that's what I used and I thought it was a cakewalk. If anything, node/react probably would have been harder. Really depends on what you're comfortable with. There are 2 midterms in this course, but most if not all of the questions are like the ones you take in the quiz. Study that up and you'll be fine.

Submitted Wed Mar 04 2026

A lot of CS programs don't have a databases course, so I'm glad we do! It really gave me a leg up on understanding database normalization, schema design, and SQL for my internships/work. Super useful class for anybody interested in full stack/backend web applications.

Submitted Wed Dec 10 2025

The class difficulty is between easy and medium. You really need to make sure to choose a good partner who is reliable and shares the same goals as you. You basically choose the difficulty of the class by how complex you want your group project to be. We chose a simple project (but not the absolute bare minimum) and my average workload was 10 hours each week. You could definitely work less than that or a lot more depending on your project. You have a few assignments that are not for your group project, and I highly recommend watching the video walkthroughs for them since the written instructions can be confusing. Overall one of the better classes in the program and it gives you the opportunity to create a solid portfolio project.

Submitted Mon Mar 24 2025

I loved this class and learned a ton about database management and integration. You work with one partner for the entire semester, so choose wisely. The project is only as difficult as you make it. In our case, we implemented some extra capabilities that were not necessary to pass the class but added a new level of difficulty to the project.

Submitted Mon Mar 24 2025

Seek a partner on Discord, don't just join a group

Submitted Mon Dec 09 2024

I would recommend reaching out to the professor in OH early to have him review your schema. This is a great course, but unfortunately the feedback on your project progress is outsourced to the other students in the course. This means that you will need to attend OH if you want a TA or the professor to give you real feedback on your class project.

Submitted Wed Jan 31 2024

The quality of the course materials and responsiveness of the instruction team is pretty good, easily one of my favorite classes in its mix of theory and practical application. What really makes or breaks your experience of the class is who you choose for your partner. I cannot stress this more, as there is almost nothing you can do to change partners (you can exchange with another consenting group, but who would agree?). I did more than 95% of the project and associated reports on my own, so this class took way more time than expected. Otherwise, it's an informative and even fun class because you can pick any topic for your database. There are a lot of nitty-gritty details to look out for when it comes to the group project and its reports. Be sure to check and double check the rubric. It is very fair in its grading as long as you pay attention to detail.

Submitted Tue Jan 30 2024

You won't need any SQL training before class, and I feel like this class does a pretty solid job in teaching the concepts. I didn't really need to use outside resources to get familiar with it. We ended up using Flask (Jinja templates) with Javascript, and was fine. The course goes over how to create your website using frameworks like Flask and Node. I had very limited recollection of Javascript learned in web dev (290) but was able to get by just based on the lecture and walkthrough videos.

Submitted Mon Jan 08 2024

Course materials provide everything you need to get a good grade, but I'd spend some time brushing up on web dev especially if your only exposure to it is from 290. More importantly, make sure the topic you choose for the project is something you're interested in. I compromised a lot in the beginning thinking that if my partner was excited about the topic, they'd be more likely to contribute. I ended up completing the last steps of the project (i.e. the bulk of it) by myself. If your partner is not open to meeting you halfway from the start, ask to switch groups while it's still feasible.

Submitted Thu Dec 21 2023