is learning MS access beneficial to learn oracle and sql server?

Hi,
 Please bear with me.

I am a computer student who has missed out on learning database course
(junior level) well because the prof. just taught nothing. He was sick
that semester and all he gave as assignment was to create some tables and insert values. Actually, it was a 6 credit course for "Data Structure (use C) and Database Design", called a leveling course for grad studnet whose background is not from computer.

Fortunately, I was taking "Inrto to SQL and PL/SQL" at a community college (knowing that I would get nothing from the course at my school) but the instructor there was teaching it for the first time
(he usually teach pascal and C++) and so the pace was quite slow.

I basically learned on my own reading the text book which was too easy. I don't feel that we finished as much as we could have. I also had a surgery that semester and so the pace worked well for me at that time.

By the way, I jumped into computer field (Originally from my natural science background: chemistry) without taking any course in MS office cause I had no money; I plan to study those on my own but didn't happen due to time constraint and illness.

Later, I took a graduate level database course (DBMS), very theorectical and so I am thorughly familiar with relational databse.

 What I would like to do is get serious skill in using Oracle Pl/SQL as well sql server's stored procedure (not as a DBA but as someone who can pick things up so that I can find a job). I have taken Java, Basic C++ - like C, Visual Basic, and plan to take a Unix course at a community college.

I am not proficient in use of MS Access except for creating basic tables.
Should I get a book on MS ACCESS (I have 2002 software) and if so, what book if you know and do some exercise before getting serious on SQL langauge, etc. Remembr that I have already learned "Intro do SQL and very basic PL/SQL" and have theorectical background.

I am asking because I don't want to buy books and then not used while I am overwhlemed with what to learn on my own. I have so many books some of which I tounched only a few pages once or twice, like "Regular Expressions". Now..it is time for me to learn systematicllay instead of buying books after books, not that I have any more money.

Any suggetsion on how I should go about "establishing good Databse skills" would GREATLY be appreciated.

Amanda Received on Tue Mar 18 2003 - 12:53:34 CST