The query runs

My early days in NCR are like early days of GIKI.. Too much assignments with no knowledge of what to do and how to do what we think we have to do.. The day we got our laptops , we were assigned some 14 web based courses without enough information on "HOW TO DO THEM".. much of the time (in hours) was spent in "how to learn" instead of "learning".. and there were some other BIG delays (again in hours) which were caused by "OH! how to set up things on this laptop" .."I am having some difficulties in installing the Easy SET UP CDs".. "Do we have to study the courses told by the HR guy or the courses recommended by the NCR University" , "Err.!!! I passed the course test but my course status is still the same"... so in the start things were really messed up.. Now , things are going on a good track , still there is a problem of "OK... i know how to write this SQL statement, but does any one here know how to run the program that runs it..and how do i start the database server on my PC"..there are so many things/tools which we have to use for our learning but we are not very clear on how to use them and it is expected from us that we will not be needing any time to learn the these tools ..and if an instructor uses a software tool in a flashy speed then we are supposed to learn all the configurations and names etc. that he changes in some microseconds..

Anyway, the training is going good.. The teacher is great...only problem is that he says that we are not supposed to believe in every thing that he says..as he can be wrong in telling us many things.. so we are roughly getting the idea as to what is important and what is not by getting the idea of our instructor's amount of knowledge about it. but then there are times when we have to hear "ok.. now this topic is really important but i am skipping it for you people"... argh!!!!!..

The training is not without regular evaluation. We had a test two days ago and then we had a test yesterday..

FIRST TEST

The first test was to write an SQL query.. We had to do it in teams (not of our choice).. I was grouped with the only bearded guy of the batch who bluntly says that he doesnt know how to write the basic SQL commands.. .. The time provided to write down the given query was spent in understanding how to open the software required to run the query , how to run the server for it , understanding the reasons of getting the USER HAS NO ACCESS PERMISSIONS TO USE THE DATABASE error and searching the right table in the database that could give us the revenue generated by the customers...arghh!! We had to find the coulumns that could give us the revenue and we were not sure wether to multiply the product id with its price or the order number with the discounted price...Me and the bearded guy aka Naveed had a tough time together as we started fighting each other initially .. the fight ended when i told him to do things individually.... :). The marks that we got at the end of the test were only the grace marks.. as we were not able to run the query till the end.

SECOND TEST

We had the second test yesterday. Me and the bearded guy , Naveed "had to" team up again..and this time things went great.. We did ok in the verbal testing section..and later My little practice in SQL along with Naveed's efficient searching of the functions used in the end part of the query saved the day ... It was really fun.. Both of us couldnt really believe that we had really executed a query completely written by us... The test was annouced a few days ago and we were not afraid of the test as we were both sure that we will fail it..but in the end the query executed perefectly and not only that it gave the required output , we were also able to give its justification .. The test has given me confidence and it has also made me to realize the importance of team work.

with time i am learning things....and i hope i will do great in NCR.. people seem good.....The daily ranking of all the people in the batch is shown in the class daily and it gives me a real hope.. i am improving... :)