DEV Community: Novice Mk

The Restart Challenge: Day 07

Novice Mk — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:31:34 +0000

Hey guys, MK here!

As planned yesterday, today was dedicated to revising frontend technologies.
Here’s what I covered:

• HTML basics
• Common HTML tags
• CSS basics
• Styling with CSS
• JavaScript basics & introduction

Tomorrow, I’ll try to dive deeper into JavaScript and cover as much as I can.

As for SSMS, I couldn’t give it time today — feeling mentally exhausted after the revision sessions. Sometimes progress also means knowing when to pause and recharge.

Step by step, moving forward.

The Restart Challenge: Day 06

Novice Mk — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:03:14 +0000

Hey everyone, Mk here !

Yes — I broke the streak.

The rest day was necessary, but it unintentionally turned into days off. Sunday slipped away to laziness, and it reminded me of an important rule: never take two rest days in a row.

Instead of being harsh on myself, I chose to learn from it, reset my mindset, and get back on track. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Today marked a strong return to my learning routine.

Today's Learning Progress

SSMS
• CASE Statements
• Aggregate Functions

Django
• Django Model Creation
• Understanding Django Structure — what it is and why it matters

It may not look like a lot, but the day isn’t over yet. I’m continuing my study session and will include additional progress in tomorrow’s update.

Next Focus
To support my Django development, I’ll briefly revisit frontend fundamentals — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap. Not a deep dive, just enough to strengthen integration understanding.

Step by step. Consistency over intensity.

(SSMS — Day 6/7, Django — Day 5/15)

Tomorrow is the final day of my SSMS challenge — time to buckle up.

The Restart Challenge: Rest Day

Novice Mk — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:51:31 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here!

So today turned out to be a rest day.

Sometimes we forget that just like our body signals when it needs recovery, our brain does the same. I was dealing with a headache, sore eyes, and overall mental fatigue — probably a combination of intense study sessions and sleeping late.

Instead of forcing productivity and risking a complete burnout, I decided to listen to my body and take proper rest. Honestly, resting felt like the smarter decision today rather than pushing through and shutting down mentally later.

It’s around 9 PM now and I’m feeling much better. I might continue studying tonight, and if I do, I’ll simply count that progress toward tomorrow’s learning log — because progress doesn’t have to strictly follow the clock.

Recovery is also part of discipline.

Day by day. Step by step.
(REST DAY)

The Restart Challenge: Day 05

Novice Mk — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:29:29 +0000

Hi guys, Mk here!

Today was kind of a peculiar day. I got a call from a company hiring fresher SDEs, and they asked for documents like marksheets and ID proof for background verification. At first, it felt a bit strange, but after discussing it with a close friend, I realized that some companies actually do this as part of their hiring process. The company also seemed reputable, so I decided not to overthink it.

Anyways, coming back to today’s learning progress.

I’ve noticed something interesting — I’m really starting to enjoy SQL. Maybe it’s because the logic feels more structured and intuitive compared to Django (at least for now). Today’s SQL topics were:

• NULL Functions

On paper, it sounds like a small list, but honestly this topic is like a tree — lots of branches, sub-topics, use cases, and rules underneath. The deeper I go, the more practical use cases I start seeing.

As for Django, it was definitely tougher today. Most of my mental energy went into SSMS practice, so I intentionally kept Django light — mainly skimming 1 or 2 lectures and doing a little practice. The goal right now is consistency without burnout rather than forcing heavy learning every single day.

Learning day by day, adjusting pace when needed.

PS: After completing my 7-day SQL phase with SSMS, the plan is to focus purely on practice for a while and then move into Advanced SQL.

Step by step.
(SSMS Day 5/7 | Django Day 4/15)

The Restart Challenge: Day 04

Novice Mk — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:03:28 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here!

Today turned out to be a bit of a lazy day. I slept late last night (around 2 AM), and it definitely caught up with me today. Woke up around 8–8:30 AM and even ended up taking a 2–3 hour afternoon nap. Not the most productive energy-wise — but progress is still progress.

Anyway, most of my focus today went into SSMS.

Topics covered:

SQL Functions (revisited the intro)
String Functions
Numeric Functions
Date & Time Functions

That’s about it for today.

Tomorrow’s goal is clear: better energy, less fatigue, and higher productivity. I’ve already planned my targets for both SSMS and Django, and I’m hoping to complete them successfully.

Day by day. Step by step.
SSMS — Day 4/7, Django — Day 3/15

The Restart Challenge: Day 04

Novice Mk — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:03:28 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here!

Anyway, most of my focus today went into SSMS.

Topics covered:

SQL Functions (revisited the intro)
String Functions
Numeric Functions
Date & Time Functions

That’s about it for today.

Day by day. Step by step.
SSMS — Day 4/7, Django — Day 3/15

The Restart Challenge: Day 03

Novice Mk — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:10:20 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here!

Today was a bit disappointing. I planned to cover a lot of topics and concepts, but honestly, I couldn’t. Maybe laziness kicked in a little. Still, I believe I showed up and made some progress — and that matters.

Today’s learning update:

SQL (SSMS):
• SQL Functions
• Types of Functions in SQL

Django:
• Revised Django basic commands
• Django Request–Response workflow
• Models, Views, Templates (especially DTL)

That’s it for today.

Not every day is perfect, and consistency matters more than intensity. I’ll try to pick up the pace and either study tonight or continue fresh tomorrow morning.

Day by day. Step by step.
(SSMS day 3/7, Django day 2/15)

The Restart Challenge: Day 02

Novice Mk — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:13:25 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here!

Today was Day 2 — still motivated and fully pumped. I tried to do better than yesterday.

I started the day with SSMS.

Continuing from yesterday’s tutorial, I covered SSMS/SQL Topics:

Filtering Data
SQL Joins(basics)
SQL Joins(Advanced)
Set Operators
some query practice

After that, I switched to Django.
For Django, my plan is to quickly skim through the basics and then focus more on advanced topics and practical implementation.

Django Topics Covered are:

web development introduction (because why not)
Django introduction and history
Creating Django project and app
virtual environment
running Django file
templates
settings.py structure and configurations
Django admin panel (overview)

Today was Day 2/7 of SSMS and 1/15 of Django.
So, That’s it for today.

The Restart Challenge: Day 1

Novice Mk — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:36:17 +0000

Hey guys, Mk here.

I officially started this challenge yesterday, but today is the first day I’m documenting my progress.

The beginning of any challenge always feels exciting — motivation is high and energy is strong. I’m trying to use that momentum properly this time.

Anyways, yesterday was pretty cool I focused mainly on SQL Server Management System (SSMS). SQL might not be the most exciting subject, but the lecture turned out to be surprisingly immersive.

I’m currently following:
“SQL Full Course for Beginners (30 Hours) – From Zero to Hero” by Data with Baraa.
I took notes and practiced along with the video.

So, the topics covered yesterday were:
Introduction to Databases
Introduction to SQL
Environment Setup
Querying Data (SELECT)
DDL Commands
DML Commands
Filtering Data
Basic query practice

That’s my progress so far.
Still at the starting line, but this time I’m focusing on consistency rather than speed.

Let’s see how far I can go.

The Restart Challenge: Day 0

Novice Mk — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:00:43 +0000

Hey guys! My name is Mk.
I’m what you might call an unsuccessful and unemployed guy. I completed my computer application's master’s degree in 2024, and yes — I’m still jobless. Part of it is due to inflation and companies raising their expectations for freshers, but honestly, most of it was my own fault for not keeping up.

After many failed attempts, I lost hope for a while.

I’m not a very tough person, but recently I gathered some courage to start again — to brush up my knowledge and sharpen my skills better than before.

That’s a little background about me.

Now, coming to the point, I’m starting a challenge where I will share everything I learn daily until I get a job. This will basically be my journey — my progress, struggles, and lessons.

TARGET SKILLS TO ACHIEVE:

HTML
CSS
JavaScript
Django
REST API
SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)
Git & GitHub

Yes, maybe I’m aiming too high. But I need to catch up, and it’s not like I’m a complete beginner.

Here’s how I divide my current level:

HTML & CSS: Light revision
JavaScript: Concepts are clear, but I lack practical experience — needs serious practice
Django: Same issue — weak practical exposure
REST API: Completely confused — relearning from scratch
SSMS: Light revision + Advanced SQL practice

CHALLENGE PLAN

I initially thought about a 30- or 40-day challenge (and no, I’m not overconfident — I’ve already learned around 50%-55%; I just need structured revision, not a complete relearn).

Instead of doing everything at once, I decided to focus on what interests me first.

So I’m starting with Django and SSMS since they don’t conflict with each other.

First Targets

SSMS: 7 days
Django: 15 days (I strongly believe I can achieve this — though timing may vary because I learn slowly.)

This is my starting point.
Let’s see where this journey takes me.