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. :)
Showing posts with label UCF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UCF. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?
Greetings all. :)
Hope everyone had good Turkey Days. Mine was filled with homework, homework, and then, for a change of pace, some homework. :) Finals time is upon us. This upcoming week is the last of regular classes, then it's finals week, then a nice winter break until classes start again on the 5th of January. The workload is crazy and I'm pretty much just focusing on Spanish. I feel very confident in my Microcomputer Applications class so....that's kind of a gimme grade. :) It's always nice to have one of those every semester. Comp II is going well, I think, but I have not as yet received my research paper grade. I do know that my group got the highest score on our poetry unit test so...that's all going well. I'm not worried about passing that class. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my Humanities paper on Hannah Senesh. Then it's just a matter of studying for that final. Luckily, some of it will come from the mid-term so that helps. I feel fairly confident about that test and class. Spanish is my trouble spot. Our recent three-unit test really kicked my ass. I'm having so much trouble with the uses of ser and estar and the preterite tenses....woe is me. I did have an A in the class before that test, which I got a 74 on. Happily, she graded on a curve and I noticed much, much worse grades than mine so....hope springs eternal. We have one last vocab test on Tuesday that can help bolster a grade, and I'm getting 100's on all of my homework so....keep your fingers crossed on that for me.
My classes for next semester are already scheduled and then sometime mid-January I will fill out the paperwork to graduate and will then have an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts in May. :) My diploma I got in Business Computer Applications back in '90 does not seem like a real college degree of any kind (and isn't counted as one either), so this will be my first real college degree and I'm very excited. This experience at CF has been really good. I'm looking forward to next semester and the classes. Liberal Arts Math....maybe not so much. Nor their "Personal Wellness" class. But I always enjoyed science classes in lower school years, so I'm looking forward to Biology and the lab. I'm also curious to see how my Acting class goes. I'm hoping that class will be fun.
As for the future, there have been more developments in that department. Truth be told, I have never had any desire, whatsoever, to live in Orlando. I don't even like driving down there. But for the purpose of the future, I resigned myself to Orlando and UCF because I am determined to complete my education and get into animated film. However, like Rasmussen (grrr!), UCF's programming is not animation specific. It is a digital media program that employs aspects like web design (which I hate), and regular design classes which do not interest me. So....I've been not exactly excited about the future of my education, but more accepting that UCF would be a better fit than UF or any of the other schools here. I had checked out programming back in Seattle (home! I miss you!!) and other parts of the country, and UCF seemed to be the better deal. UNTIL....I had a discussion with my mother. I don't know what prompted it, but we were discussing education and the subject of SMSU came up. That is the university she went to in Springfield, Missouri and she enjoyed going there. It has recently come to my attention that the education I received in the Springfield public school system was exemplary and head and shoulders above anything offered here in Florida by far. Anyhow, when she mentioned SMS (now MSU) I decided to check them out online. WHAT A STROKE OF LUCK!!!! For a small-town school, they have an AMAZING program for Computer Animation that is just about computer animation. Capstone projects that are computer animation. AND they offer a Screenwriting minor! The course descriptions and coursework are so exciting and so much better than UCF! Plus, honestly, I hate Florida, I always have. It's simply where I've ended up at this point in life, but it's certainly not somewhere I have any desire to remain. But I am an Ozark Mountain girl at heart and would like to live somewhere with four real seasons again.
So....instead of heading to UCF next fall, I will be moving back to mighty MO and starting classes at MSU. They, like UCF, give priority admission to those transfer students with a completed Associates degree so I feel fairly confident about admission. I'm excited to head to a school with better educational opportunity and a program more tailored to exactly the type of work I want to be doing upon graduation. So....we'll see if it's true that you can't go home again. :) I have not been back to Springfield in well over 20 years so it will be interesting so see how things have changed. But the eye is still on the prize - - completing my degree and then hopefully interning somewhere like Pixar, then eventually moving on to completing my own animated films and living back in my beloved Seattle. So...changes are afoot as always.
Wish me luck with these finals y'all - I need it! Cheers!
Hope everyone had good Turkey Days. Mine was filled with homework, homework, and then, for a change of pace, some homework. :) Finals time is upon us. This upcoming week is the last of regular classes, then it's finals week, then a nice winter break until classes start again on the 5th of January. The workload is crazy and I'm pretty much just focusing on Spanish. I feel very confident in my Microcomputer Applications class so....that's kind of a gimme grade. :) It's always nice to have one of those every semester. Comp II is going well, I think, but I have not as yet received my research paper grade. I do know that my group got the highest score on our poetry unit test so...that's all going well. I'm not worried about passing that class. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my Humanities paper on Hannah Senesh. Then it's just a matter of studying for that final. Luckily, some of it will come from the mid-term so that helps. I feel fairly confident about that test and class. Spanish is my trouble spot. Our recent three-unit test really kicked my ass. I'm having so much trouble with the uses of ser and estar and the preterite tenses....woe is me. I did have an A in the class before that test, which I got a 74 on. Happily, she graded on a curve and I noticed much, much worse grades than mine so....hope springs eternal. We have one last vocab test on Tuesday that can help bolster a grade, and I'm getting 100's on all of my homework so....keep your fingers crossed on that for me.
My classes for next semester are already scheduled and then sometime mid-January I will fill out the paperwork to graduate and will then have an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts in May. :) My diploma I got in Business Computer Applications back in '90 does not seem like a real college degree of any kind (and isn't counted as one either), so this will be my first real college degree and I'm very excited. This experience at CF has been really good. I'm looking forward to next semester and the classes. Liberal Arts Math....maybe not so much. Nor their "Personal Wellness" class. But I always enjoyed science classes in lower school years, so I'm looking forward to Biology and the lab. I'm also curious to see how my Acting class goes. I'm hoping that class will be fun.
As for the future, there have been more developments in that department. Truth be told, I have never had any desire, whatsoever, to live in Orlando. I don't even like driving down there. But for the purpose of the future, I resigned myself to Orlando and UCF because I am determined to complete my education and get into animated film. However, like Rasmussen (grrr!), UCF's programming is not animation specific. It is a digital media program that employs aspects like web design (which I hate), and regular design classes which do not interest me. So....I've been not exactly excited about the future of my education, but more accepting that UCF would be a better fit than UF or any of the other schools here. I had checked out programming back in Seattle (home! I miss you!!) and other parts of the country, and UCF seemed to be the better deal. UNTIL....I had a discussion with my mother. I don't know what prompted it, but we were discussing education and the subject of SMSU came up. That is the university she went to in Springfield, Missouri and she enjoyed going there. It has recently come to my attention that the education I received in the Springfield public school system was exemplary and head and shoulders above anything offered here in Florida by far. Anyhow, when she mentioned SMS (now MSU) I decided to check them out online. WHAT A STROKE OF LUCK!!!! For a small-town school, they have an AMAZING program for Computer Animation that is just about computer animation. Capstone projects that are computer animation. AND they offer a Screenwriting minor! The course descriptions and coursework are so exciting and so much better than UCF! Plus, honestly, I hate Florida, I always have. It's simply where I've ended up at this point in life, but it's certainly not somewhere I have any desire to remain. But I am an Ozark Mountain girl at heart and would like to live somewhere with four real seasons again.
So....instead of heading to UCF next fall, I will be moving back to mighty MO and starting classes at MSU. They, like UCF, give priority admission to those transfer students with a completed Associates degree so I feel fairly confident about admission. I'm excited to head to a school with better educational opportunity and a program more tailored to exactly the type of work I want to be doing upon graduation. So....we'll see if it's true that you can't go home again. :) I have not been back to Springfield in well over 20 years so it will be interesting so see how things have changed. But the eye is still on the prize - - completing my degree and then hopefully interning somewhere like Pixar, then eventually moving on to completing my own animated films and living back in my beloved Seattle. So...changes are afoot as always.
Wish me luck with these finals y'all - I need it! Cheers!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Contemplation
Hey all.
Sorry it's been a while but life has been busy. CF really is a different world from any college I've attended before and seems to be a good transitional experience to a regular four-year university. As such, the workload is hella intense and keeps me busy.
We've just passed mid-term week. I only had one "real" mid-term. That was in my Humanities class. That class has not really improved over time. Mostly we sit and listen to the instructor drone over Powerpoint presentations for the entire class time and you can literally feel the minutes of your life slipping away. The mid-term was a fill-in-the-blank type test instead of the standard Scantron, so that sucked fairly majorly. Twelve chapters of information to study to figure out what is required for 20 questions. Even with a review day, it was still way too much to process. I think I maybe scraped a C, but I won't know until Tuesday. Everyone in my class agrees that while no one likes a quiz after every chapter or whatever, a little reinforcement at the end of every chapter would help to get the information straight in our minds. We'll see what comes of it all once the grades come out. Luckily, the mid-term was just practice and doesn't count toward our grade. We are only given scores for a research paper and our final exam so....I need to kick out one hella good paper and study like a crazy woman for the final. I'm getting to know some people in the class and we have a good time.
English Comp II is a bit of a challenge. Our instructor is kind of a world-class wench and tends to change her mind on what she wants from day to day. Makes the writing assignments a little difficult. We didn't have a mid-term per se, but we were tested this week on the end of the short story fiction section of the class. I feel pretty confident on my test. She is very different from my previous writing instructors in that she is obsessive about word count. She also like a lot of in-text citation, which I was always instructed was lazy writing so....my usual happy place this class is not. We have a major paper due in that class as well that I am still struggling to come up with a thesis about. I have the book I'm going to use, but it's not really one of my choosing and so finding something to write about, in conjunction with 10 (10!) literary criticisms which she requires as research is a bit difficult. I've never had an instructor ask for more than 5 sources for any paper so....yeah. That's going on.
My Microcomputer class is pretty much lab time every week. I have a solid 100% and I don't touch any of it until class time. I'm so far ahead of the rest of the class that I will be out of things to do entirely very soon, but the instructor is cool and just lets me work ahead. No worries on that front.
Spanish is going well. I have a solid A and if I am very, very lucky, this will be the last Spanish class I will have to take. I feel confident about the class so that's good and I'm making friends in that class too.
The financial aid situation at CF continues to be an on-going struggle. They are not good at all when it comes to communicating with students and one must continually check in with them to make sure they are processing your file. I finally found one person to meet with and she introduced me to an actual counselor who helped me to see what classes remain for me to get my AA and also helped me to realize that the admissions people had put me in the wrong major. Good info to know. Scheduling will begin for Spring semester soon. I'm actually enjoying my time at CF. With the amount of classes I need, I will have three more semesters to get my AA. It's a longer wait to get to UCF, but you get priority admission in Florida with the AA so it's well worth it. I also discovered that I can take some alternative classes for requirements that I did not know about. For example, for my Oral Communications requirement I can take the Public Speaking the admissions rep told me about OR I can take a writing class OR an acting class. So....options, I likes them. ;)
All the present focus on required courses and general education requirements kind of makes me feel like my design muscles are going to atrophy, but the more time passes, the more I find myself wondering about the path of my future. UCF's Digital Media program is still the current goal, but I have always had other interests and I am wondering now if perhaps tweaking my goals might make better sense in the long run.
I still feel very passionately about the power of the film media and animated film in particular. I also think education is extremely important and being in Florida, and having worked in their elementary education system, I can foresee the death of public education as we have all known it in the very near future. That said, what of digital media in a newer age with more home or private schooling? Won't education need to become more dynamic to keep interest and convey messages? I think it will and I would be interested in being a part of that movement.
Education has always interested me. I've always thought it might be interesting to teach somewhere around the 7th-9th grade English classes. Having been exposed to the Second Step educational materials, knowing the impact those kinds of lessons can have on young minds, and seeing the recent waves of teens suicides, it makes me wonder if a new kind of curriculum and learning isn't desperately needed. I would be very interested in being a part of something that works for the greater good.
I come from a family of worker bees. Being particularly artistic without any final dollar amount of income in mind has never really been encouraged. I tend to be the family black sheep who marches to the beat of her own drummer. As such, I can totally see working as a teacher for minimal income if I know I am making a difference in the world. Working at Pixar making beaucoup de bucks would be sweet, but in reality, even filmmaking in my mind needs to have a purpose, a message, something positive sent out in the world to educate and impact and inform. So....I am wondering about majors, minors and other courses, plus trying to learn of some new ways forward. All this while trying to work on my own writing and art and studying and such. Life is full, even without calls about jobs. C'est la vie.
I'm not a religious person, but I do consider myself to be spiritual and I do have faith. As such, I feel with great conviction that at this moment, I am on exactly the path I am meant to be following, and that I have everything I need, even if not everything I want. And in that much, I'm contented and after my recent dark period, it's a very good feeling. :)
Education goes on. Finals are in December and then a long break until mid-January and Spring semester. In the meantime, it's pretty much the same old same old. Even with all the financial aid mayhem and drama, I'm still very glad I left Rasmussen when I did and that I am at CF. I am making friends and enjoying the campus and a real college experience, even if I am a couple of decades late in having it. Until later y'all! Peace!
Sorry it's been a while but life has been busy. CF really is a different world from any college I've attended before and seems to be a good transitional experience to a regular four-year university. As such, the workload is hella intense and keeps me busy.
We've just passed mid-term week. I only had one "real" mid-term. That was in my Humanities class. That class has not really improved over time. Mostly we sit and listen to the instructor drone over Powerpoint presentations for the entire class time and you can literally feel the minutes of your life slipping away. The mid-term was a fill-in-the-blank type test instead of the standard Scantron, so that sucked fairly majorly. Twelve chapters of information to study to figure out what is required for 20 questions. Even with a review day, it was still way too much to process. I think I maybe scraped a C, but I won't know until Tuesday. Everyone in my class agrees that while no one likes a quiz after every chapter or whatever, a little reinforcement at the end of every chapter would help to get the information straight in our minds. We'll see what comes of it all once the grades come out. Luckily, the mid-term was just practice and doesn't count toward our grade. We are only given scores for a research paper and our final exam so....I need to kick out one hella good paper and study like a crazy woman for the final. I'm getting to know some people in the class and we have a good time.
English Comp II is a bit of a challenge. Our instructor is kind of a world-class wench and tends to change her mind on what she wants from day to day. Makes the writing assignments a little difficult. We didn't have a mid-term per se, but we were tested this week on the end of the short story fiction section of the class. I feel pretty confident on my test. She is very different from my previous writing instructors in that she is obsessive about word count. She also like a lot of in-text citation, which I was always instructed was lazy writing so....my usual happy place this class is not. We have a major paper due in that class as well that I am still struggling to come up with a thesis about. I have the book I'm going to use, but it's not really one of my choosing and so finding something to write about, in conjunction with 10 (10!) literary criticisms which she requires as research is a bit difficult. I've never had an instructor ask for more than 5 sources for any paper so....yeah. That's going on.
My Microcomputer class is pretty much lab time every week. I have a solid 100% and I don't touch any of it until class time. I'm so far ahead of the rest of the class that I will be out of things to do entirely very soon, but the instructor is cool and just lets me work ahead. No worries on that front.
Spanish is going well. I have a solid A and if I am very, very lucky, this will be the last Spanish class I will have to take. I feel confident about the class so that's good and I'm making friends in that class too.
The financial aid situation at CF continues to be an on-going struggle. They are not good at all when it comes to communicating with students and one must continually check in with them to make sure they are processing your file. I finally found one person to meet with and she introduced me to an actual counselor who helped me to see what classes remain for me to get my AA and also helped me to realize that the admissions people had put me in the wrong major. Good info to know. Scheduling will begin for Spring semester soon. I'm actually enjoying my time at CF. With the amount of classes I need, I will have three more semesters to get my AA. It's a longer wait to get to UCF, but you get priority admission in Florida with the AA so it's well worth it. I also discovered that I can take some alternative classes for requirements that I did not know about. For example, for my Oral Communications requirement I can take the Public Speaking the admissions rep told me about OR I can take a writing class OR an acting class. So....options, I likes them. ;)
All the present focus on required courses and general education requirements kind of makes me feel like my design muscles are going to atrophy, but the more time passes, the more I find myself wondering about the path of my future. UCF's Digital Media program is still the current goal, but I have always had other interests and I am wondering now if perhaps tweaking my goals might make better sense in the long run.
I still feel very passionately about the power of the film media and animated film in particular. I also think education is extremely important and being in Florida, and having worked in their elementary education system, I can foresee the death of public education as we have all known it in the very near future. That said, what of digital media in a newer age with more home or private schooling? Won't education need to become more dynamic to keep interest and convey messages? I think it will and I would be interested in being a part of that movement.
Education has always interested me. I've always thought it might be interesting to teach somewhere around the 7th-9th grade English classes. Having been exposed to the Second Step educational materials, knowing the impact those kinds of lessons can have on young minds, and seeing the recent waves of teens suicides, it makes me wonder if a new kind of curriculum and learning isn't desperately needed. I would be very interested in being a part of something that works for the greater good.
I come from a family of worker bees. Being particularly artistic without any final dollar amount of income in mind has never really been encouraged. I tend to be the family black sheep who marches to the beat of her own drummer. As such, I can totally see working as a teacher for minimal income if I know I am making a difference in the world. Working at Pixar making beaucoup de bucks would be sweet, but in reality, even filmmaking in my mind needs to have a purpose, a message, something positive sent out in the world to educate and impact and inform. So....I am wondering about majors, minors and other courses, plus trying to learn of some new ways forward. All this while trying to work on my own writing and art and studying and such. Life is full, even without calls about jobs. C'est la vie.
I'm not a religious person, but I do consider myself to be spiritual and I do have faith. As such, I feel with great conviction that at this moment, I am on exactly the path I am meant to be following, and that I have everything I need, even if not everything I want. And in that much, I'm contented and after my recent dark period, it's a very good feeling. :)
Education goes on. Finals are in December and then a long break until mid-January and Spring semester. In the meantime, it's pretty much the same old same old. Even with all the financial aid mayhem and drama, I'm still very glad I left Rasmussen when I did and that I am at CF. I am making friends and enjoying the campus and a real college experience, even if I am a couple of decades late in having it. Until later y'all! Peace!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Fall Semester 2010
Hey there.
So....there is news. :)
First of all, I did not flunk Spanish II. I got a D, but I did not actually get an F. However, the D was not good enough for admittance to UCF (duh) so I am currently still enrolled at CFCC/CCF/CF/Whatever-they're-calling-themselves-now.
After many visits, phone calls, etc., they have finally gotten financial aid worked out and I am taking a full schedule of courses. Interestingly enough, to get the AA degree that they offer to prep students for transferring to a 4-year college, I only need 2 semesters of coursework so it looks like that is what I will do, Fall and Spring at CF and then transfer to UCF for next fall.
My schedule for this semester is as follows:
Microcomputer Applications. This is basically a Microsoft Office 2007 course. I already know this stuff, but it's a requirement and hopefully an easy A class. It meets in one of CF's computer labs and their labs are 8 million percent better than anything Rasmussen had to offer. I still feel so ripped off by Rasmussen. If there was a way, I'd try to get my money back. The teacher is an older lady, but seems super nice and the coursework should not be too hard at all. I never actually took any classes on Access so I'm hoping I might learn something there. We shall see.
Freshman Composition II. Another required class. I always enjoy English and writing classes so this should be good. The teacher is another older lady who also teaches at one of the local high schools. She's been teaching close to 30 years and it shows. You can tell she's the teacher the high school kids hope they don't get. All in all though, should be a good class, I hope.
Spanish I. Back to the Spanish drawing board. Same teacher as my online Spanish II class last semester and it actually meets in the same classroom I had Statistics in (little bit of trivia there). Looks like it's going to be intensive, but I found some books she recommended at the college library (which, incidentally, is an AWESOME library!), so I'm feeling good about starting over here.
Introduction to the Humanities. Yet one more required course. While waiting for the classroom to open, myself and another older student noticed this skinny, ponytailed dude in all black being led around by an administrative aide explaining things to him and we both had a sinking feeling he was going to be our instructor. Yep, he was. When he wrote his name on the board, I got another sinking feeling as he is a Rev. Dr. and has a fruity, hippy name. Turns out he's a "minister" at "an interfaith church" where "we love everyone equally" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. Ugh. He's a real space cadet this one. He thinks he's amusing and gets upset when people don't laugh at his not-funny jokes and comments. There are a LOT of young kids in this class (I feel so old) and so this is going to be the hard class this semester I can tell. Surviving these lectures is going to be hard. Just the first intro meeting class was the longest hour and a half of my life. I hope he gets organized and can get things on track, otherwise I'm going to have to invest in no-doze. The class has the potential to be interesting, and the book looks very interesting so....we'll see if he can step it up at all. And also as a side note - a ponytail? Really? Dude, the 60's called - they want their look back.
So....that's the situation currently. CF is actually more like a "real" college than anywhere I've attended before, so I think these two semesters will help me transition better to a four-year college. Now that the financial aid seems to be all squared away, I was able to get my books and have everything I need. As with Rasmussen, I'll post and share what I can as the semester continues. But things are looking up and I'm really feeling much better, more motivated, and more excited about learning again. Yay! That's the latest! Cheers!
So....there is news. :)
First of all, I did not flunk Spanish II. I got a D, but I did not actually get an F. However, the D was not good enough for admittance to UCF (duh) so I am currently still enrolled at CFCC/CCF/CF/Whatever-they're-calling-themselves-now.
After many visits, phone calls, etc., they have finally gotten financial aid worked out and I am taking a full schedule of courses. Interestingly enough, to get the AA degree that they offer to prep students for transferring to a 4-year college, I only need 2 semesters of coursework so it looks like that is what I will do, Fall and Spring at CF and then transfer to UCF for next fall.
My schedule for this semester is as follows:
Microcomputer Applications. This is basically a Microsoft Office 2007 course. I already know this stuff, but it's a requirement and hopefully an easy A class. It meets in one of CF's computer labs and their labs are 8 million percent better than anything Rasmussen had to offer. I still feel so ripped off by Rasmussen. If there was a way, I'd try to get my money back. The teacher is an older lady, but seems super nice and the coursework should not be too hard at all. I never actually took any classes on Access so I'm hoping I might learn something there. We shall see.
Freshman Composition II. Another required class. I always enjoy English and writing classes so this should be good. The teacher is another older lady who also teaches at one of the local high schools. She's been teaching close to 30 years and it shows. You can tell she's the teacher the high school kids hope they don't get. All in all though, should be a good class, I hope.
Spanish I. Back to the Spanish drawing board. Same teacher as my online Spanish II class last semester and it actually meets in the same classroom I had Statistics in (little bit of trivia there). Looks like it's going to be intensive, but I found some books she recommended at the college library (which, incidentally, is an AWESOME library!), so I'm feeling good about starting over here.
Introduction to the Humanities. Yet one more required course. While waiting for the classroom to open, myself and another older student noticed this skinny, ponytailed dude in all black being led around by an administrative aide explaining things to him and we both had a sinking feeling he was going to be our instructor. Yep, he was. When he wrote his name on the board, I got another sinking feeling as he is a Rev. Dr. and has a fruity, hippy name. Turns out he's a "minister" at "an interfaith church" where "we love everyone equally" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. Ugh. He's a real space cadet this one. He thinks he's amusing and gets upset when people don't laugh at his not-funny jokes and comments. There are a LOT of young kids in this class (I feel so old) and so this is going to be the hard class this semester I can tell. Surviving these lectures is going to be hard. Just the first intro meeting class was the longest hour and a half of my life. I hope he gets organized and can get things on track, otherwise I'm going to have to invest in no-doze. The class has the potential to be interesting, and the book looks very interesting so....we'll see if he can step it up at all. And also as a side note - a ponytail? Really? Dude, the 60's called - they want their look back.
So....that's the situation currently. CF is actually more like a "real" college than anywhere I've attended before, so I think these two semesters will help me transition better to a four-year college. Now that the financial aid seems to be all squared away, I was able to get my books and have everything I need. As with Rasmussen, I'll post and share what I can as the semester continues. But things are looking up and I'm really feeling much better, more motivated, and more excited about learning again. Yay! That's the latest! Cheers!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Educational Update
So....it has once again been a considerable time since my last posting. There's a lot to go over so....let's get to it.
My meeting with CFCC, which is now CCF (College of Central Florida) went well and I was admitted for the summer semester. I managed to get the Statistics class I wanted and also registered for Elementary Spanish II. The semester was just a six week semester and has just come to a close for me today.
As anyone who follows this blog knows, math is not my strong suit so I was very worried about the Statistics course. However, it turned out to be a great experience. The instructor was fabulous and the material was similar to things I did doing data analysis at various jobs. As such, I managed to complete the course with a B+. Not too shabby at all and I'm proud of myself for that accomplishment.
I wish I could say that things with my Spanish II class went as well. Unfortunately, they did not. I had the sinking feeling that my Conversational Spanish class at Rasmussen had not properly prepared me for anything, but since CCF offers Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Spanish classes, I thought I might be in pretty good standing for Elementary Spanish II considering I got an A in my Conversational Spanish class. I thought wrong. The Conversational Spanish class at Rasmussen was a joke and did not give me anywhere near the foundation I needed for Elementary Spanish II. The class workload was insane and EVERYTHING, the book, the instructions, EVERYTHING was in Spanish. I only took the two classes this semester, but the workload ended up being like the quarter I took six classes at Rasmussen.
Despite constantly working my ass off in the class, I ended up failing it. I did the best work I could and everything I could, but without the proper foundation from the first class, I was always three steps behind. It took forever to translate the instructions, then to do the work. The workload was also rather ridiculous really and the instructor seemed to think that the students had nothing else going on but that class for six weeks. There were four websites with work you had to do on them, and every week covered two chapters. I did well on the discussion posts and the vocabulary quizzes, but the verb tenses and changes, as well as the workbook and audio work, completely threw me and I never got above a 53% on any of it. Add to that the fact that I only got a 52% on the final, and my final overall percentage was 59.61%. So....F. I failed. Which sucks and makes me feel about 2 inches tall.
As such, I'm pretty much screwed. I will still submit the transcript to UCF, but without the second foreign language requirement being satisfactorily completed, I doubt they will allow me admission. :(
My next problem, however, is that I cannot move forward with taking any classes at CCF right now. Though I was fully packaged with financial aid at Rasmussen for summer, and for a great deal more than CCF charges, CCF is still dragging their feet on getting any financial aid awarded, so I still have a balance on my account for this summer semester. That, coupled with no financial aid awarded for fall yet, means that I cannot register for any classes. I have been round and round with them about this, submitted all the transcripts and paperwork they wanted, and now they are telling me that they need all of my transcripts entered into their system before they can award anything, and the girl doing it is 2-3 weeks behind. So....I'm screwed.
I don't know what is going to happen now. Monday I will go back to CCF's financial aid office and try to get someone to get something happening with awards. If that is accomplished, I will then move forward with trying to find some classes to take and hopefully find a place in their Elementary Spanish I class so I can get the proper foundation I should have had. I now completely hate the Spanish language by the way.
As I say, I will continue on with submitting my CCF transcript to UCF, but I don't think they'll let me in without that other foreign language requirement. So....I'll just have to do what I can to get it. If CCF cannot get my aid squared away in time for fall semester, however, I have no idea what I am going to do.
So....things are in limbo right now. UCF is still the goal, but some roadblocks have been thrown in my way. I feel like complete and utter shit right now, a real total loser because of failing that class. But at the same time, what more could I do? I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could. I just didn't have the foundation I needed to understand it. Live and learn I guess.
So that is my current status. I will keep y'all apprised of any forward movement. Any good thoughts or energy that could be sent in my general direction would be greatly appreciated. Cheers all!
My meeting with CFCC, which is now CCF (College of Central Florida) went well and I was admitted for the summer semester. I managed to get the Statistics class I wanted and also registered for Elementary Spanish II. The semester was just a six week semester and has just come to a close for me today.
As anyone who follows this blog knows, math is not my strong suit so I was very worried about the Statistics course. However, it turned out to be a great experience. The instructor was fabulous and the material was similar to things I did doing data analysis at various jobs. As such, I managed to complete the course with a B+. Not too shabby at all and I'm proud of myself for that accomplishment.
I wish I could say that things with my Spanish II class went as well. Unfortunately, they did not. I had the sinking feeling that my Conversational Spanish class at Rasmussen had not properly prepared me for anything, but since CCF offers Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Spanish classes, I thought I might be in pretty good standing for Elementary Spanish II considering I got an A in my Conversational Spanish class. I thought wrong. The Conversational Spanish class at Rasmussen was a joke and did not give me anywhere near the foundation I needed for Elementary Spanish II. The class workload was insane and EVERYTHING, the book, the instructions, EVERYTHING was in Spanish. I only took the two classes this semester, but the workload ended up being like the quarter I took six classes at Rasmussen.
Despite constantly working my ass off in the class, I ended up failing it. I did the best work I could and everything I could, but without the proper foundation from the first class, I was always three steps behind. It took forever to translate the instructions, then to do the work. The workload was also rather ridiculous really and the instructor seemed to think that the students had nothing else going on but that class for six weeks. There were four websites with work you had to do on them, and every week covered two chapters. I did well on the discussion posts and the vocabulary quizzes, but the verb tenses and changes, as well as the workbook and audio work, completely threw me and I never got above a 53% on any of it. Add to that the fact that I only got a 52% on the final, and my final overall percentage was 59.61%. So....F. I failed. Which sucks and makes me feel about 2 inches tall.
As such, I'm pretty much screwed. I will still submit the transcript to UCF, but without the second foreign language requirement being satisfactorily completed, I doubt they will allow me admission. :(
My next problem, however, is that I cannot move forward with taking any classes at CCF right now. Though I was fully packaged with financial aid at Rasmussen for summer, and for a great deal more than CCF charges, CCF is still dragging their feet on getting any financial aid awarded, so I still have a balance on my account for this summer semester. That, coupled with no financial aid awarded for fall yet, means that I cannot register for any classes. I have been round and round with them about this, submitted all the transcripts and paperwork they wanted, and now they are telling me that they need all of my transcripts entered into their system before they can award anything, and the girl doing it is 2-3 weeks behind. So....I'm screwed.
I don't know what is going to happen now. Monday I will go back to CCF's financial aid office and try to get someone to get something happening with awards. If that is accomplished, I will then move forward with trying to find some classes to take and hopefully find a place in their Elementary Spanish I class so I can get the proper foundation I should have had. I now completely hate the Spanish language by the way.
As I say, I will continue on with submitting my CCF transcript to UCF, but I don't think they'll let me in without that other foreign language requirement. So....I'll just have to do what I can to get it. If CCF cannot get my aid squared away in time for fall semester, however, I have no idea what I am going to do.
So....things are in limbo right now. UCF is still the goal, but some roadblocks have been thrown in my way. I feel like complete and utter shit right now, a real total loser because of failing that class. But at the same time, what more could I do? I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could. I just didn't have the foundation I needed to understand it. Live and learn I guess.
So that is my current status. I will keep y'all apprised of any forward movement. Any good thoughts or energy that could be sent in my general direction would be greatly appreciated. Cheers all!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
It's Been A While.....
...hey there y'all. :)
So it has indeed been quite a while since I updated this school blog. Part of it has been that I have been very, very busy. The other part has been because I have been becoming more and more dissatisfied with the educational experience I have been having.
To start off, when I decided to go back to school, it was a decision I thought long and hard about before committing to. Returning to school costs a lot of money and is a very big commitment to make.
I had seen the old Webster College building with it's scrolling marquee sign for a while and watched as it turned into Rasmussen College. Being that it was just a little one-building looking place, and having already been to something considered more a "vocational" college than a real university, I pretty much ignored it.
However, I happened to receive a postcard mailing about an open house they were having about their technology and design programs. Being in the worst county in Florida for unemployment, and having been without steady work for a while, it seemed the time might be right to look into a return to school and into finally completing a Bachelor's degree.
So I went to the open house and while the building wasn't spectacular and the inside not a whole lot better, what was interesting was talking to the people and seeing the presentations. Digital media, and most specifically animation, is something that I have been interested in for a very long time. It was interesting to me to find some place here in dinky old Ocala that had that kind of programming. I jumped right into taking the placement testing, working with an admissions rep, and actually met with the director of the entire Technology and Design program for all of the Rasmussen campuses, and I liked what he had to say. He mentioned wanting Rasmussen to be one of the "go-to" schools for design, and said that he thought it was important to get more women into the design field. So....I signed up, registered, and started classes.
As an older student going back to school, I started this blog to chronicle the journey. To keep a diary if you will of the experience not only for friends and family to read and follow, but for myself to see my own growth. I believe I have grown throughout this process.
But, also as an older student, and someone that has worked at a major university, I know problems when I see them. I've been involved in the business world in one capacity or another since the age of 16. So when I started to see problems with the school, when I started noticing issues in the programming, then I started to lose my faith in the experience. And unlike a lot of the younger students at Rasmussen, I'm not afraid to speak up, voice my concerns, and push back when I'm being told to make due with substandard situations and classes, and I have no problem taking my business elsewhere when it becomes apparent that things are not what they appeared in the beginning to be.
This quarter has been about the worst ever so far in my education at Rasmussen. There have been issues with textbooks, software incompatibility, computer lab issues, online class issues (that if you scroll back you will see I have been having since the very beginning with the online design classes), and one massive issue with an instructor in my Conversational Spanish class. All of this has led me to stop enjoying the educational process.
I've always been a perpetual student. I love to learn new things and get excited at the prospect of challenging myself with new software applications and learning new ways of doing things. I stalked the online classes when I first began, unable to wait to see the new assignments every week and dive into the newness of it all. Over the last two quarters, that shine has definitely come off. Now I must drag myself to the campus, force myself to access the online classroom, and dread opening the books and "dealing" with the work. This feeling, this unhappiness, has caused me a lot of stress this quarter.
I could sit here and laundry list every single issue that Rasmussen has, but I'm not going to. For one thing, it would have no purpose, and for another, I'm tired of thinking about it and dealing with it. What I can say is that it has become apparent to me lately, and over the course of this quarter especially, that I've been rooked. Scammed. Taken for a ride. Pick your metaphor. And this makes me sad, angry, irritated, and tired of the whole damn thing. I hate that I've wasted all this time at a school that does not really care about its students, nor about helping them to succeed in their goals. I'm pissed off at the exorbitant amount of money I have spent to go there when I have now found that one of the premiere digital design programs is only an hour and a half away and $300 less per credit hour. I'm sick of dealing with scheduling issues and nonsense. I'm just over it all.
So....in an attempt to regain that spark, that excitement for learning, I went and met with an admissions representative from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. And it was refreshing! The programming is exciting! And it's a real college, with a real curriculum that includes great elective classes, not just the junk ones that Rasmussen offers. It's a nice campus, friendly people, and a chance for me to have the real college experience I never had.
I will have to go to a local community college for one semester (hopefully this summer) and take another math class and a second Spanish class (oh help!) to get the full requirements for admission to UCF. If all goes well, and I can get into CFCC (or whatever they're calling themselves now) for this summer quarter, and get those two classes done, then I can head to Orlando and UCF in the Fall. I think a lot of my gen ed classes will transfer, but I think I'm going to end up back at square one with the design classes. However, their animation program is much more advanced and I am, once again, excited at the prospect of learning. Already I can feel they have a real commitment to seeing their students succeed, not just in getting people in the door and rooked into whatever lackluster programming they want to provide.
I wish I had done a bit more research about other programs in the area. I did check UF, and Rasmussen's program looked better than that, but I never thought about UCF until a friend mentioned it. Turns out my sister-in-law is an alumni from there and sings its praises. I guess you have to sometimes take the long way to finding the right place to be. Life is weird that way sometimes.
So....I am hoping to start back up with this blog and continue to chronicle the newness and experience of an old bird going back to the books. :) Hopefully these new changes can reignite that spark and snark and make this blog something fun to read again.
As far as the current situation, I am in Week 9 of this current quarter. It feels like it's been going on FOREVER. But, just 2 more weeks to go and then it's done. On Monday I will meet with CFCC to see about summer quarter. Worst case scenario is I can't get into their summer programming because the deadline has passed, but the admissions rep from UCF seemed to indicate that I might be able to make it in under the wire. He also said that as long as I am registered and taking those final two courses, I can apply to UCF and should be good for admittance in the fall. Another great thing about UCF is that the work placement service I use is closer down there and might be able to find me some good work too. So hopefully this is all moving in the right, positive direction.
Thanks for hanging with me y'all and if you would, please keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck! I'm still aiming for nomination for that Animation Short Film Oscar no less then 2 years after graduation. :) Still wanting to intern at Pixar. Those plans are still in motion.
I leave you with this thought - it's never to late to follow your bliss and find that thing that makes you happy and go for it! If you haven't found it yet, what are you waiting for? Life's too short to spend it unhappy - find your spark and shine! :) And also, never let anyone tell you to make due with something less than what you want and deserve. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one has the power to make you feel inferior without your consent." Never, ever, give anyone that. At the end of the day, the best advocate you have for your life is you - DON'T SETTLE! Cheers! :)
So it has indeed been quite a while since I updated this school blog. Part of it has been that I have been very, very busy. The other part has been because I have been becoming more and more dissatisfied with the educational experience I have been having.
To start off, when I decided to go back to school, it was a decision I thought long and hard about before committing to. Returning to school costs a lot of money and is a very big commitment to make.
I had seen the old Webster College building with it's scrolling marquee sign for a while and watched as it turned into Rasmussen College. Being that it was just a little one-building looking place, and having already been to something considered more a "vocational" college than a real university, I pretty much ignored it.
However, I happened to receive a postcard mailing about an open house they were having about their technology and design programs. Being in the worst county in Florida for unemployment, and having been without steady work for a while, it seemed the time might be right to look into a return to school and into finally completing a Bachelor's degree.
So I went to the open house and while the building wasn't spectacular and the inside not a whole lot better, what was interesting was talking to the people and seeing the presentations. Digital media, and most specifically animation, is something that I have been interested in for a very long time. It was interesting to me to find some place here in dinky old Ocala that had that kind of programming. I jumped right into taking the placement testing, working with an admissions rep, and actually met with the director of the entire Technology and Design program for all of the Rasmussen campuses, and I liked what he had to say. He mentioned wanting Rasmussen to be one of the "go-to" schools for design, and said that he thought it was important to get more women into the design field. So....I signed up, registered, and started classes.
As an older student going back to school, I started this blog to chronicle the journey. To keep a diary if you will of the experience not only for friends and family to read and follow, but for myself to see my own growth. I believe I have grown throughout this process.
But, also as an older student, and someone that has worked at a major university, I know problems when I see them. I've been involved in the business world in one capacity or another since the age of 16. So when I started to see problems with the school, when I started noticing issues in the programming, then I started to lose my faith in the experience. And unlike a lot of the younger students at Rasmussen, I'm not afraid to speak up, voice my concerns, and push back when I'm being told to make due with substandard situations and classes, and I have no problem taking my business elsewhere when it becomes apparent that things are not what they appeared in the beginning to be.
This quarter has been about the worst ever so far in my education at Rasmussen. There have been issues with textbooks, software incompatibility, computer lab issues, online class issues (that if you scroll back you will see I have been having since the very beginning with the online design classes), and one massive issue with an instructor in my Conversational Spanish class. All of this has led me to stop enjoying the educational process.
I've always been a perpetual student. I love to learn new things and get excited at the prospect of challenging myself with new software applications and learning new ways of doing things. I stalked the online classes when I first began, unable to wait to see the new assignments every week and dive into the newness of it all. Over the last two quarters, that shine has definitely come off. Now I must drag myself to the campus, force myself to access the online classroom, and dread opening the books and "dealing" with the work. This feeling, this unhappiness, has caused me a lot of stress this quarter.
I could sit here and laundry list every single issue that Rasmussen has, but I'm not going to. For one thing, it would have no purpose, and for another, I'm tired of thinking about it and dealing with it. What I can say is that it has become apparent to me lately, and over the course of this quarter especially, that I've been rooked. Scammed. Taken for a ride. Pick your metaphor. And this makes me sad, angry, irritated, and tired of the whole damn thing. I hate that I've wasted all this time at a school that does not really care about its students, nor about helping them to succeed in their goals. I'm pissed off at the exorbitant amount of money I have spent to go there when I have now found that one of the premiere digital design programs is only an hour and a half away and $300 less per credit hour. I'm sick of dealing with scheduling issues and nonsense. I'm just over it all.
So....in an attempt to regain that spark, that excitement for learning, I went and met with an admissions representative from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. And it was refreshing! The programming is exciting! And it's a real college, with a real curriculum that includes great elective classes, not just the junk ones that Rasmussen offers. It's a nice campus, friendly people, and a chance for me to have the real college experience I never had.
I will have to go to a local community college for one semester (hopefully this summer) and take another math class and a second Spanish class (oh help!) to get the full requirements for admission to UCF. If all goes well, and I can get into CFCC (or whatever they're calling themselves now) for this summer quarter, and get those two classes done, then I can head to Orlando and UCF in the Fall. I think a lot of my gen ed classes will transfer, but I think I'm going to end up back at square one with the design classes. However, their animation program is much more advanced and I am, once again, excited at the prospect of learning. Already I can feel they have a real commitment to seeing their students succeed, not just in getting people in the door and rooked into whatever lackluster programming they want to provide.
I wish I had done a bit more research about other programs in the area. I did check UF, and Rasmussen's program looked better than that, but I never thought about UCF until a friend mentioned it. Turns out my sister-in-law is an alumni from there and sings its praises. I guess you have to sometimes take the long way to finding the right place to be. Life is weird that way sometimes.
So....I am hoping to start back up with this blog and continue to chronicle the newness and experience of an old bird going back to the books. :) Hopefully these new changes can reignite that spark and snark and make this blog something fun to read again.
As far as the current situation, I am in Week 9 of this current quarter. It feels like it's been going on FOREVER. But, just 2 more weeks to go and then it's done. On Monday I will meet with CFCC to see about summer quarter. Worst case scenario is I can't get into their summer programming because the deadline has passed, but the admissions rep from UCF seemed to indicate that I might be able to make it in under the wire. He also said that as long as I am registered and taking those final two courses, I can apply to UCF and should be good for admittance in the fall. Another great thing about UCF is that the work placement service I use is closer down there and might be able to find me some good work too. So hopefully this is all moving in the right, positive direction.
Thanks for hanging with me y'all and if you would, please keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck! I'm still aiming for nomination for that Animation Short Film Oscar no less then 2 years after graduation. :) Still wanting to intern at Pixar. Those plans are still in motion.
I leave you with this thought - it's never to late to follow your bliss and find that thing that makes you happy and go for it! If you haven't found it yet, what are you waiting for? Life's too short to spend it unhappy - find your spark and shine! :) And also, never let anyone tell you to make due with something less than what you want and deserve. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one has the power to make you feel inferior without your consent." Never, ever, give anyone that. At the end of the day, the best advocate you have for your life is you - DON'T SETTLE! Cheers! :)
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