Changing....Growing

Hello again all.

So...I hope life is finding everyone well and happy and getting into the spirit of the holiday season. For myself, I have to say that I’m having the quintessential Florida holiday experience which, roughly translated, means it doesn’t feel like Christmas. I’ve had trouble since moving to Florida with the holidays not really seeming like the holidays. Something about bright sunlight and being able to wear shorts and tanks in December just makes the holiday season feel less....real. To my mind, Christmas is the time to snuggle up with a nice mug of cocoa, listen to Christmas music, watch the snow fall and gaze at the lights on the tree. This year there isn’t even a tree up. It’s....disconcerting to the mind a bit. It’s hard to adjust to Christmas in the sun. So...once again I find myself not really reveling in the Christmas spirit but more of the mindset of it just being another day on the calendar. I guess it’s all what you put into it, as many things are, but I’m just not feeling the holiday this year.

As for life, things have been a bit....weirder than usual. I did actually pack up all my stuff and drive up to Chicago thinking about finding work and trying to make DePaul work out, but I just didn’t get the right vibe from the city and ended up just turning around and driving back. *shrug* At least I can say I’ve been now. It didn’t do much for me. So...DePaul might have really good programming or whatever, but it’s just not the place for me, and I’m okay with that.

I have finished up my first semester at UCF and I have to admit that I am pretty proud of my grades. For my first semester at “real college,” I feel like I did well. I got an A in my Writing for the Technical Professional class. I got an A- in my American Literature II class and an A- in my Theories and Techniques of Literature Study class. In my final class, World Literature, I got a B+. I am extremely happy with that B+ as the discussions and what-not in that class were hella hard. So...I feel accomplished and capable and ready to move forward.

My schedule for the Spring semester, which starts in January, is as follows:

Advanced Expository Writing
Magazine Writing I
Professional Editing
American Literature I

I drove the two-hours-each-way drive yesterday to Orlando to campus to get my books for my classes and also managed to pick up some books that will help me in the future – mostly stylebooks and manuals. I’ve done some preliminary looking over of my new course books and I’m glad I went to get them early. The books for my Advanced Expository Writing class are really intensive. It looks like I’m staring down the barrel of a semester full of lots and lots of writing. I’m looking forward to it, but also feeling a little intimidated as well. I’m hoping that working ahead a bit on my own through the first two chapters in each of the books will help me to get a handle on where those classes are headed.

As far as the future of my education, I’ve been traveling back and forth to Gainesville a bit and really like the vibe up there. It reminds me of a cross between the Redmond/Bellevue areas in Washington and Springfield in Missouri. I’d never been to the UF campus or paid much attention, but the more I see and travel around up there, the more I like that campus. So...I’m considering applying to transfer from UCF to UF after the first of the year. My main concern with continuing on at UCF is the fact that it seems like a lot of the classes for my major moving forward are only offered on campus and not online. As I don’t care for the feel of Orlando and have no desire to move down there and live, it makes the prospect of continuing on at UCF a little bleak. However, transferring to UF seems like it would be a good move and that way, if I do have to take on campus classes in the future, it’s easier to get around Gainesville than Orlando. Of course, UF’s application process does look like it might be harder to get in, but I’m telling myself that if Columbia was head-hunting me, and if I got into DePaul, surely UF might be willing to let me in – right? Maybe? I dunno, we’ll see.

Aside from all of that, life is kind of in a holding pattern until after the first of the year. I have begun the job and housing searches in Gainesville as whether or not I transfer schools, I really want to move to Gainesville. So far there are some prospects that look good and I’m hopeful that after the first of the year, things will start falling into place. The more I travel back and forth up there, the more I like it and find new places I want to check out. I’m excited at the prospect of exploring around up there and seeing what there is to see.

Apart from all of that, things are quiet. I did have the opportunity to do some ruminating over the last year and one of the things that struck me the most was how lucky and grateful I am that I attended CF. I have to say that for anyone who is a high school student unsure about moving forward to a four-year college or university, or for anyone like myself returning to school after a long absence, a two-year college where you can get an Associate’s Degree is a great stepping stone. Even though I only had a couple of semesters there, I felt like I had a great transition from there to UCF. Without having gone to CF, I don’t think my first semester at UCF would have gone nearly as well. God knows Rasmussen didn’t do crap for me as far as getting ready to transfer to another school, and they certainly weren’t a four-year college that would have done anything for me vocationally upon graduating. So on the whole, I felt really prepared to head off to regular university after my time at CF. So...thanks College of Central Florida – y’all rock. :)

Well...here we are at the end of another year. My time going back to school has certainly been interesting...and taking longer than I thought it would. But, I feel good about the future, I feel good about my major and my plans moving forward. At some time, I might be interested in considering graduate school, but right now I’m just moving forward with completing my Bachelor’s and trying to find the right connections to get into the tech writing field. We shall see how things develop. In the meantime, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and to all of you in the cold – enjoy the snow and Christmas season for me. I’ll just be here, sweating it out under the sun, kind of seasonally jet-lagged if you will. Cheers all!

Where You Are Is Where You're At - Deal With It

Hey again all.

So...once again plenty of updates here. :) Life has been crazy busy and also very stagnant and limbo-like at the same time. Because of my PTK status, I got a lot of schools e-mailing me information and inviting me to apply. Some of these schools are very, very good schools - like Columbia in New York (which was my dream school when I was 16), and also DePaul University in Chicago, which I'd never thought about but promptly fell in love with when I checked into their programming.

However, love is all well and good, but as DePaul is a private university, it's also mega expensive. And I have not been able to find work anywhere in Chicago to be able to facilitate a move. As such, while I applied and was accepted, there just isn't enough financial aid available and/or a job there to be able to make that dream come true, which is very sad. But, sometimes where you are is where you are and you just have to suck it up and deal, make the best of the situation, lemonade from lemons, etc. Considering I haven't won the lottery, I'm taking the present state of things as a sign and making due with what I have where I am.

To that end, I went earlier this month to the big orientation at UCF. And I mean BIG. SO. MANY. PEOPLE. o.O And, honestly, their staff? Not the nicest folks on the planet. The free lunch was garbage and....well....I'm just not in love with that school or the programming. But, it is what it is and so I am moving forward. I got through the orientation and got classes scheduled, but I have had to re-work that schedule into all online classes for this first semester. Like with Chicago, I still am unable to find any employment in Orlando that can facilitate a move. As such, I can't commute 4 hours each day trying to get back and forth while staying here in Ocala so....online classes it is. Which is fine with me because I'm a Technical Writing major and I actually prefer my writing classes online.

As such, here is my schedule for this first semester of classes at UCF:

American Literature II
Writing for the Technical Professional
Theories and Tech of Lit Study
World Literature I

Looks like a lot of reading and writing which are my two favorite things. Every time I have had online writing classes I have enjoyed them so I'm looking forward to this semester. Classes start August 22nd and I'm ready to get back to the studying.

As for the educational future, I do still long for DePaul, and maybe some time I can either transfer or head there for graduate work, but for right now I must make due with the options available to me. Once upon a time, when I was young, reckless, and stupid, I would have taken off and lived out of my car or something just to get the experience I was dying for. Now, older, wiser, and much more cautious, I'm hoping to do things the smart way. I'm either maturing or getting soft in my old age - some days that feels like a judgment call either way.

So....I will be back later next month to relay the fun and excitement of new classes at a new school with a new major and lots and lots of....newness. Until then - stay cool all! Cheers!

P.S. - before y'all say anything - yeah, scholarships, I know. Only problem is they contacted me with the invite to apply after the deadline for scholarship applications. It blows, but there it is. But - hey - maybe it might work out later? Who knows. We'll see. :)

Transitions

Hi all.

Well....it has been a while, hasn't it? :) A lot has happened since my last entry, so let's see if I can recap it all.

First, I did very well on all of my mid-terms. My Acting monologue went fabulously and I really enjoyed the experience.

Second, the rest of my classes went well and the semester was a fun one. My final acting assignment was a challenge in terms of having to work with a partner that I really didn't care for, but it all turned out well. I ended the semester with 4 A's and a B+ in Liberal Arts Math, so it was all good.

Third, I am officially a graduate of College of Central Florida! Woot! I was so happy and felt so accomplished the night of graduation. My mom, stepdad, brother and sister-in-law all came to graduation and it was just a great experience. My first college graduation was kind of lame. I had finished my two-year program in a year and happened to be in the same town when graduation rolled around, so I walked with the class, but had never made any friends with anyone or any of the instructors, so it was kind of hollow. This time around I had some friends, faculty I really liked and admired, family and it was great. It was a beautiful night and a really special time.

Fourth, things on the transfer front have gotten....interesting. I was all accepted and prepared to go to MSU, but then it turned out that the "scholarship" they were offering for my mother being an alumni was being taken out of my financial aid, so it wasn't really a scholarship at all - I was still basically being charged out-of-state tuition. Then, they weren't going to accept any of my coursework as anything other than electives, so to be able to pursue my Animation degree I would have had to start at square one and it would have taken me another four years. Add in to that moving from Florida to Missouri, trying to find jobs in tiny Springfield, etc. and it just wasn't feeling right. So....I applied and have been accepted to University of Central Florida for the fall. I feel very good about this, but it's also proving to be a challenge.

Staying in Florida means that my credits will transfer and they will accept my AA with no problems. But, prior to orientation at campus I'm having to do some major hoop jumping. I am specifically running around trying to get bloodwork done to prove I've had all of my immunizations (which kind of makes me feel like a dog). I've had blood drawn twice now as the first time the lab screwed it up and it's just a bunch of craziness. Also, the financial aid awards have been limited so I'm going to be struggling to find a decent place to live in Orlando. And the job market is not being kind to me. I know I am not alone, but I have NEVER been looking for a job this long and it is really starting to get to me. I'm educated, experienced, and hardworking, but there just don't seem to be any jobs anywhere. I've applied for everything and haven't even been called for an interview. So....that's difficult.

But, I'm just trying to work on my writing and rebuilding my Etsy shop in the meantime and getting things prepared for moving to Orlando here in a couple of months. I think that once I'm back in school and getting closer to my degree and what I want to do with my life, things will be better. I'm trying to stay positive about everything at any rate. At my age, to be in the position I'm in, with no job, it just really feels like utter failure. Again, I know I'm not alone and that thousands of people are in the same boat I am, but still....it does a number on the ego and heart for sure.

Another new development is that I have decided to change majors a bit. I'm planning to major in technical writing and minor in digital media. UCF seems to have a really great technical writing program and it's work I've done before and that I know I am good at. With the degree, it opens up a lot more possibilities in the job market, and I still get my minor for my digital education. I think this is the best decision as with the job market the way it is currently, the animation degree is so specific and the job market there so tough....I think the technical writing degree will work better for me when it comes to being employable. I have hope anyway.

I'm still considering the benefits of also going to graduate school once I have my Bachelor's, we'll just have to see where things are in a couple of years. Until then....this is where things stand. I will be starting at UCF in the fall and until then, things will be pretty quiet. Thanks for hanging in there with me all and I'll see everyone from a new city and new campus here soon.

Cheers! :) Have great summers!

Mid-Terms Once Again

Hey all.

So, like I said in my last post, this is one exceptionally busy semester so time to post here is hard to find. But, I'm studying for mid-terms and needed a bit of a break so here I am. :)

This semester is flying by just like I thought it would. It's a lot of work and keeps me going non-stop, but it's all good. I'm enjoying my classes for the most part and the grades so far are good.

First major bit of news is that due to my 4.0 last semester, I was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. I was surprised and delighted and really proud of myself. The organization has a lot of positive aspects to it and I'm looking forward to receiving all the official information and going to the official induction ceremony. Plus - they have scholarships that you can apply for and being a member is something you can put on a job application and resume that really makes an impact so....yay me. :)

I'm also proud of myself in that Liberal Arts Math is not, as I feared, kicking my butt so bad. The instructor took some warming up, but he's a nice guy overall and the class is going well. I've made Bs on all of my tests so....things are going okay there.

Acting is a lot of fun. I'm really enjoying it and the more the class goes on the more I like it. The instructor is really enthusiastic and fun and so far, so good. We have a big monologue assignment that is our mid-term so....that happens on Wednesday. Wish me luck. I feel really prepared so we'll see how it goes. :)

Biology and Biology lab are kind of weird. The instructor is elderly, as I said before, and has a bunch of medical appointments that he keeps canceling classes for. As such, it's really hard to get used to my schedule this semester because it changes from week to week. We're covering a lot (LOT) of information every class and seeing as I haven't had a science class of any kind in, oh, 20 years or so....it's keeping me on my toes to be sure. The sexist comments continue, as do his inappropriate stories and what-not, but as long as I pass the class, I don't care. We're starting up a lot of debates on hot-topic issues following spring break. Why we are doing this kind of thing in a science class I don't know, but whatever. I usually do very well in those types of settings so....I'm hopeful it will all go well....as long as the rest of my group doesn't screw me over. I never have good luck with group work.

Wellness class still irritates me, but it's just another class I'm trying to survive. I'm doing okay in it and I think it'll be okay overall. My Wellness plan for the semester was approved and basically all I have to do is try to eat three times a day and get to the pool three times a week and I'm golden. Of course, these things will be challenges as I usually only eat once a day and finding the time to get to the pool will take some work but....it's all good. I haven't participated in a single gym day yet and considering that they do not count for much for the overall grade, I may just call in sick those days altogether. We shall see.

Aside from all of that, I'm just focusing on moving forward with admittance to MSU. Since my mother is an alumni from there, I qualify for in-state instead of out-of-state tuition, which is a huge savings! My application is in for evaluation and I've sent off the requests for all of the transcripts. Now I just have to wait to have everything evaluated and see if they admit me. It will all depend on how much of my previous work they want to give me credit for. We shall see.

Anyhoo....that's the latest. I'm finding this whole back-to-school experience to be very interesting to say the least. I'm realizing a few things about myself through it.

1) I take a hella lot of notes. Probably too many, but I don't know what else to do.

2) I am appreciating the experience a lot more than I would have when I was 18 or whatever. College the first time for me when I was 16 and 17 was just about getting through the program, getting done, and moving on with life. Now I am able to really appreciate the educational experience and enjoy the learning.

3) Things have changed a LOT since the last time I took a science class. :)

4) If I give myself permission to not be so grown-up and tight-laced, a lot of things like my acting class are really fun. Choosing to take that class has been really good for me on a lot of levels.

5) I'm a lot more capable than I thought I would be and I am constantly surprising myself.

6) I don't give myself enough credit. I tend to doubt myself and my abilities a lot. I need to work on that.

So....the experience moves on. We'll see how mid-terms go and hopefully I'll hear from MSU soon.

Cheers all!

Moving Forward

Greetings all! And a very Happy New Year to you and yours!

All in all, 2010 was not the worst ever for me. I made some major life changes and moved schools, had some interesting experiences and learned a lot. Going back to school was a very intimidating thought for me in the beginning, but now I feel much more confident in my learning and studying abilities and for the most part I’m enjoying the educational experience.

Last semester was very intense. My Comp II class was very challenging for me, and Spanish I was a whole new experience in torture, but I persevered and managed to end the semester with a 4.0. :) I was very, very excited and happy with that.

I am now moving into my final semester at CF. In all honesty, switching to CF from Rasmussen was pretty much the best decision I’ve made educationally. Rasmussen was not able to give me the kind of education I was looking for, and CF has allowed me to ease back into the real college environment and get prepared for transferring to a regular four-year college. I’ve had issues with wrangling with financial aid, and some of my instructors have been a bit hmmm....not great, but the actual experience and education at CF is heads and shoulders above anything Rasmussen could have hoped to offer and I am really, really happy.

Moving forward, classes have now begun for my last semester at CF. I’m both excited by this and a little anxious. I know that these next couple of months will be challenging, but also that they will fly by and I will be dealing with moving schools, moving states, trying to find work and a place to live and things are going to be very, very crazy. That aspect of things I am not looking forward to. But I am looking forward to moving on in my education and getting closer to my educational goals.

I made the most of my time off from school during winter break by picking up some writing books and got some really great writing done over the break. I also spent some time with the family and was able to enjoy the Christmas holiday with my family all together for the first time in about 14 years. So it was a good break, very palate cleansing, and I have returned to classes refreshed and ready to learn.

My first classes were Liberal Arts Math and Acting I. From the syllabus posted online, I had the feeling that my Liberal Arts Math instructor might be a bit of a dick, and he didn’t disappoint in our first lecture and going over the syllabus. However, he did explain things in a very knowledgeable manner and I’m hopeful that as the semester progresses, he will warm up to us and us to him. We have already covered the first chapter and will have our first exam next Wednesday. I have already had to make use of the math lab on campus and am asking lots and lots and lots of questions during the chapter reviews before the test. He’s been very helpful and knowledgeable in answering the questions so....I have hope that I can survive this class this semester.

My Acting class so far has been fun and I’m looking forward to getting more and more involved in that class. I think it’s definitely a better choice than yet another public speaking class. I’ve taken tons of those and there’s no challenge in it for me. This class will have some challenges involved, which will be nice. All of the other people in the class are sooooo young though. They’re shiny and new and just....way too energetic. There are some getting-to-know you game activities that remind me of team-building exercises from when I worked at various jobs (and I am not comfortable with those kinds of exercises), but I am trying to play along and allow myself a little freedom. Most of all, I hope this class helps me get a handle on voice, movement, blocking, and other aspects for my animating in the future, and also helps me with being able to perform my own poetry and short stories at slams and readings. Wish me luck!

My Biology and Wellness classes are the banes of my existence this semester and really irritate me personally on many levels. To start off with, my Biology professor is about 70, getting ready to retire, and just really doesn’t want to work anymore. Every lecture is a series of vignettes and stories he tells where he gets off topic, and they are very sexist and insulting on many levels. He also has “offered” people opt-outs on the final if you a) do 20 hours of community service, b) give blood, c) agree to be an organ donor, or d) engage in a weight loss program during the semester. Well....I’m not a convict and I have limited amounts of time so option A is out for me. I do not believe in giving blood or organ donation/transplants so B and C are out and as far as D is concerned, that is just really inappropriately getting into people’s personal business in my opinion. He’s already informed us that he’s been a coach for however long and loves to call people fat, etc. and that.....is just not the kind of stuff to say around me. I don’t appreciate the sexism and I don’t appreciate a professor using a position of authority to pass judgments on others. Especially not for a class I am paying for. However, I am holding my tongue and just keeping my head down, doing the work and trying to make it through the semester. Unfortunately, this instructor is also the instructor for my lab class so....woe is me.

This “Wellness” class is yet another serious irritation point for me. I’m a bit offended (actually, a LOT offended) by being required, at a state college, to pay for a class that is pushing agendas from the insurance and drug lobbies. The instructor for this class also requires gym days and I have already spoken to her about the fact that unless she is an M.D. with the credentials to back up dealing with my injuries, I’m not doing anything against my well-being. This course REQUIRES you to create a “wellness plan,” and engage in enacting it during the class. This just....irks me on many levels. If I want to change anything about my life, I will do so on my own. I don’t appreciate paying my good money to be forced to take a class that intrudes on my privacy and personal business. It just....really rubs me the wrong way. Plus, I’m almost 40 damn years old – if I wanted to take gym, I’d go back to high school. Ugh. The instructor is all very into the propaganda being enacted in our society through the Big Brother Just Wants You To Be Healthy campaigns, which is just another way for the government and insurance and drug lobbies to keep Americans occupied getting into one another’s business rather than noticing what is being done, and not done, in our country.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Here’s an example. Big Brother tells you to blame the fatties for the high costs of insurance – it costs so much to keep fatties alive right? WRONG! I’ve worked for insurance companies and THEY are the ones creating the BMI charts NOT the government. The insurance lobby pays to have the government enact these BMI charts as what is healthy and what is not. Check out the following for a little eye-opening example of what I’m talking about:

http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/

So....insurance companies are telling everyone to blame fat people for their rising costs of insurance rates. Well...here’s a little newsflash – that’s all bullshit. Fat people can’t get insurance in most cases and if they do, they are paying 3-4 times what everyone else is paying. Also, doctors are so fat-phobic that right now, trying to find a decent doctor is almost impossible, which helps to encourage fat people not to see the doctor. When and if emergencies arise, fat people are treated at the hospital and then go bankrupt when they receive the bills. This, in NO WAY affects anyone’s insurance costs. But the insurance companies won’t tell you that. They’re not about to stand up and say, “Hey! We’re a bunch of money-grubbing greedy bastards and we’re changing the BMI charts and raising costs just because we feel like it and want more money! If we change the BMI charts, we can charge more of you more for your insurance because you’re technically ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ now – okay? Thanks!” No, they’re going to say, “Hey! Don’t blame us for your costs increasing! Blame those fatties!” All the while skipping to the bank while everyday Americans turn on each other and spend more time getting into everyone else’s business and judging one another rather than paying attention to how things are really functioning in the country. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!

So....yeah....I have issues with being REQUIRED to PAY GOOD MONEY to be FORCED to take this stupid, intrusive class where all of this government-sanctioned PROPAGANDA is being shoved down everyone’s throats. *Ahem* (Sorry about that....let me just get off of my soapbox here and put it back in the corner....) So....yeah. Again, I’m just trying to stay cool, keep my head down, and survive the semester. Wish me luck y’all.

So....that is the latest here. Lots and lots of homework this semester with five classes, one being a math class and two being science classes so....updates will be sparse. But as things progress I’m sure I’ll wander by with little tidbits and anecdotes. So....until then...back to the Biology reading and note-taking.

Cheers all – thanks for reading.