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!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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! :)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I Have a Future in Hands!!!
Hey all.
So....welcome to Week 6 - mid-term week. For the most part, it's been pretty quiet. We're getting our final project assignments so I'm working on trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do for all of those. They should make for interesting posting here when they are all done, however. :)
Intro to Literature is poetry still. I'm enjoying it. Of course, as a writer and poet anything to do with literature is right up my alley.
Visual Communication is learning about Typography and Graphic Design. Learned a lot I didn't know about Gutenberg and his invention of the printing press. Our final project for that class has me scratching my head a bit. Still haven't decided about a topic yet - and it's due Sunday. Eek!
Last night's Digital Media Production class was good. Learning more and more about Flash and now getting into ActionScript. Our final projects in that class should be really cool. I'm going to have to hook up the old external drive though and pull some old assignments to feature in it.
Figure Drawing is...not sucking too bad this quarter. Who'd have thunk? And apparently I have a future in drawing hands! Yes people, we found something I CAN draw! See for yourself.
Our class was supposed to have a free model, but they didn't show so the instructor decided we all needed some work on drawing hands since they were giving everyone trouble. First assignment was just drawing four hand gestures. We were drawing our own hands. So....first set:
It was pretty much agreed upon that I do well with fists, which are supposed to be harder to do. The general consensus is that this was my best drawing of all:
Our next set of drawings were the dreaded contour line drawings where you can't pick up your pencil. The first one really sucks, but once I relaxed into it, I think the others came out okay. The little one in the corner was just something I was trying to draw from a picture.
Our final assignment on hands for the evening was to try to draw the best one we could. We can finish it or redo it and it will be graded next week. I may try to do a better one, but this is what I came up with by the end of the class time:
So....there you have it. Apparently I don't do too bad at the hands. :) We're supposed to get a real model in for next week's class so we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, in addition to our final hand we need to draw a full standing-up figure so...gotta work on that. But this class is not the nightmare my last drawing class was. Maybe cuz it's smaller and I'm not in there with all the freaky talented people. I dunno. But it's going pretty well this quarter.
And that being said, time to get back to work! Until later. Cheers!
So....welcome to Week 6 - mid-term week. For the most part, it's been pretty quiet. We're getting our final project assignments so I'm working on trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do for all of those. They should make for interesting posting here when they are all done, however. :)
Intro to Literature is poetry still. I'm enjoying it. Of course, as a writer and poet anything to do with literature is right up my alley.
Visual Communication is learning about Typography and Graphic Design. Learned a lot I didn't know about Gutenberg and his invention of the printing press. Our final project for that class has me scratching my head a bit. Still haven't decided about a topic yet - and it's due Sunday. Eek!
Last night's Digital Media Production class was good. Learning more and more about Flash and now getting into ActionScript. Our final projects in that class should be really cool. I'm going to have to hook up the old external drive though and pull some old assignments to feature in it.
Figure Drawing is...not sucking too bad this quarter. Who'd have thunk? And apparently I have a future in drawing hands! Yes people, we found something I CAN draw! See for yourself.
Our class was supposed to have a free model, but they didn't show so the instructor decided we all needed some work on drawing hands since they were giving everyone trouble. First assignment was just drawing four hand gestures. We were drawing our own hands. So....first set:
It was pretty much agreed upon that I do well with fists, which are supposed to be harder to do. The general consensus is that this was my best drawing of all:
Our next set of drawings were the dreaded contour line drawings where you can't pick up your pencil. The first one really sucks, but once I relaxed into it, I think the others came out okay. The little one in the corner was just something I was trying to draw from a picture.
Our final assignment on hands for the evening was to try to draw the best one we could. We can finish it or redo it and it will be graded next week. I may try to do a better one, but this is what I came up with by the end of the class time:
So....there you have it. Apparently I don't do too bad at the hands. :) We're supposed to get a real model in for next week's class so we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, in addition to our final hand we need to draw a full standing-up figure so...gotta work on that. But this class is not the nightmare my last drawing class was. Maybe cuz it's smaller and I'm not in there with all the freaky talented people. I dunno. But it's going pretty well this quarter.
And that being said, time to get back to work! Until later. Cheers!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Welcome to 4th Quarter and Sophomore Year!
Hi all.
Yes, I've been very bad and neglectful of the blog here lately, but I hope today will make up for it. :) Honestly, we've just gotten to the point this quarter where there are things for me to share with y'all so....that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :)
To begin, I'll revisit the topic of my last post, student aid. The drama still continues. I've been in touch with all of my congresspeople, state and federal, and even posted on the President's site. I heard back from one state senator and one state congressman, but have not heard anything from them since their original contact. :( I have been given a couple of other options for help with student aid, so I am working those angles. And as always, I am looking for a job. The economy, it sucks. I wish my school worked more actively in helping to attract scholarship funding, especially for women in technology programs, but it seems to be pretty much a "you're on your own there" type deal. Now that I am starting to get some kind of work together for a portfolio to enter for those kinds of awards and scholarships, I am going to start focusing on that. This quarter is taken care of. Now that I have my taxes filed I can submit my new FAFSA and hopefully will be eligible for more aid. Oh how I wish I could win the lottery or be left a lot of dough by some unknown newly dead relative. Ah well...in the meantime, it just requires some work to find assistance. Sallie Mae can pucker up and kiss my lily white ass.
Okay - moving on! :) This quarter has been good so far. I am enjoying my classes for the most part, even my drawing class. Who'd have thought that?! :) So far the grades are all As and things are good. Maybe, just maybe, I might acquire that elusive 4.0 this quarter. Maybe. :)
First up - Introduction to Literature. This is a great class and I really enjoy it. I never had the opportunity to take a real literature class before and it is very different than what I had anticipated - but in a good way. I've always loved literature, but never really read it too critically and certainly never wrote about it critically so this class is very challenging. The instructor is really awesome and involved in the class. She turns around grades really quickly, participates in the discussions, and gives awesome feedback. I'm really enjoying learning from her. There's not really anything to post from this class cuz it's all kinda dry stuff for a reader. I may post my final essay at the end of the quarter. But it is an awesome class and I am getting an A.
Next, Visual Communication in the Media. This class has interesting materials, but the class itself leaves a bit to be desired. The instructor is really slow on turning grades around and doesn't really encourage the kind of discussions and analysis I would expect in a mass media type class. Also, my classmates are not exactly helping matters. There seems to be a lot of mental disconnect going on where the discussions are concerned and no one seems to be reading the book and actually analyzing the content as instructed. The posts are poorly written and no one is giving me much to reply to - - makes the discussions difficult. I'm actually really surprised that so many people are in college but cannot think or write at the college level - - what's up with that? I'll give you an example to show you what I'm dealing with here. Last week we had a discussion on shock advertising. The instructions for the discussion post were to relay a time you'd been shocked by advertising and to discuss whether you think advertisers can go too far in shock advertising. Naturally, my classmates completely ignored the second part of the instructions and focused only on the first. Apparently, it doesn't take much to shock these people. Once classmate in particular posted this little gem from the UK:
http://www.utdallas.edu/~jep044000/vidal/sportka.mpeg
Basically her post and the responses of those who replied to her were "ZOMG! Poor kitty!" ::rolls eyes:: Yeah...this is what I'm dealing with folks. So....very nicely, I posted pointing out that UK consumers are a little more savvy with advertising and can take the ad for the joke that it is, understanding that the cat was not actually harmed in the making of the ad. I pointed out that the target demographic for that ad would be young males who would actually find the ad funny. Well...can you guess the reaction from my classmates to my post? "Funny? That's not funny! Animal cruelty is never funny! I'm a cat lover! How dare you!" Then another classmate posted about how the UK is Sodom and Gomorrah and don't they have laws over there and it's just so shocking and immoral and... *facepalm* *headdesk*. After that, I didn't bother responding. That kind of stupid just really doesn't need any encouragement. If you can't parse an ad that obvious for its point and subtext and meaning after reading the chapters in the textbook and studying the concepts in a college class, I can't help you. *heavy sigh* Most of the things people posted that they found "shocking" were things they went looking on the internet for from the UK and wanted to post to make the point that the UK is just so completely immoral in comparison to the US and shouldn't we have stricter laws in the US to protect us all from things like the UK and ZOMG! UK has NUDITY and... Yeah....I just...wonder about some people, I really do. If you're asked to discuss something in a college course, you need to actually provide more of a critical analysis of what it is you're seeing and what about it is shocking, not just knee-jerk ZOMG! responses. And at least attempt an intelligent discourse. Please?
This week's discussion is about stereotyping. And it's abominable. No one in the class seems to understand the definition of the word. One little gem from a classmate: "TV news is showing stories about high profile people and infidelity - don't they know how immoral and wrong that is?" WTF does that have to do with stereotyping? Apparently she doesn't know either. But my classmates are all chiming in on the bandwagon of "ZOMG! I know! What kind of world are we living in?!" And I.....lose a little faith in the ability of people to think at a college level y'all, I really do. So...that class is a bit of a challenge for me on an intellectual level. I took a mass media class in freaking high school where high school kids had a better grasp on critical analysis of images in the media than these people do. It makes my head hurt y'all, it really does. So that would be my least favorite class this quarter. I'm getting an A in it though. As I say, I like critical analysis classes so I enjoy the book and materials we study, I just wish the instructor was helping to facilitate better discussions rather than joining in with the mob mentality "I know! How awful!" choruses. Ugh.
Onward we travel. Next up - Figure Drawing. Y'all know how I feel about drawing. I have not been subtle in previous quarters about how it is the bane of my existence. This class is my weekly humiliation basically. It is, actually, a very small class - only 5 people - and I am actually not the worst artist in there so....it's not as bad as the last drawing class. I'm still having serious troubles drawing from people IRL, but we did exercises this week drawing from masters in our book and I think they turned out okay. Judge for yourself:
Master drawing: Woman Bending Forward by Suzanna Valadon:
And here's my take on it:
Next master drawing, Reclining Nude by Aristide Maillol:
And my attempt at it:
All in all, I'm pretty proud of those drawings. Unfortunately, that's about the only such exercise we're going to do and the rest of our drawings must be drawn from actual life and not pictures so....that sucks. I'm working at it. This class is the one that I spend the most time outside of class working on. Something in the way I see things just does not translate as well IRL as it does from a picture. I dunno why. But I'm working on it. :)
And lastly, we have Digital Media Production. Again - same instructor as my 3D animation courses and I love having this guy as a teacher. He's pretty awesome. The first weeks were all about learning Flash and we just completed and submitted our first project assignment last night. I'd never touched Flash before this class so....I'm learning. :) Our project was a short cut-out animation project. I had lots of ideas, but couldn't quite figure out how to execute them so....I ended up going with this:
He suggested trying to do something humorous for this assignment so that is what I came up with. It's not the best thing ever produced, but at least I am learning the basics of Flash, which was the point to the exercise. I have high hopes for my next project and final project in that class. Just takes a lot of study, playing with the software, and watching tutorials. I'm excited to get into the ActionScript part of that class as well. I like playing with code. I'm a geeky dork - I admit it happily.
So....there we are. That is the status of things right now. I'm amazed that we're already in Week 5, almost Week 6 of this quarter. It seems to be zooming right past me. Things are going well, aside from my personal frustrations, and the educational process continues. We're moving into studying poetry this week in Intro to Literature and I love poetry so that should be fun. We're starting to come up with ideas for our next and final projects in Digital Media Production. In Figure Drawing I have to do 4 (!) drawings from life this week. Eek! And again, Visual Communication in the Media is focusing on stereotypes.
So there you have it. Hope you enjoy. Any feedback on the projects is appreciated. Be kind on the Flash though - I'm still a newbie at that. Cheers until later! :)
Yes, I've been very bad and neglectful of the blog here lately, but I hope today will make up for it. :) Honestly, we've just gotten to the point this quarter where there are things for me to share with y'all so....that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :)
To begin, I'll revisit the topic of my last post, student aid. The drama still continues. I've been in touch with all of my congresspeople, state and federal, and even posted on the President's site. I heard back from one state senator and one state congressman, but have not heard anything from them since their original contact. :( I have been given a couple of other options for help with student aid, so I am working those angles. And as always, I am looking for a job. The economy, it sucks. I wish my school worked more actively in helping to attract scholarship funding, especially for women in technology programs, but it seems to be pretty much a "you're on your own there" type deal. Now that I am starting to get some kind of work together for a portfolio to enter for those kinds of awards and scholarships, I am going to start focusing on that. This quarter is taken care of. Now that I have my taxes filed I can submit my new FAFSA and hopefully will be eligible for more aid. Oh how I wish I could win the lottery or be left a lot of dough by some unknown newly dead relative. Ah well...in the meantime, it just requires some work to find assistance. Sallie Mae can pucker up and kiss my lily white ass.
Okay - moving on! :) This quarter has been good so far. I am enjoying my classes for the most part, even my drawing class. Who'd have thought that?! :) So far the grades are all As and things are good. Maybe, just maybe, I might acquire that elusive 4.0 this quarter. Maybe. :)
First up - Introduction to Literature. This is a great class and I really enjoy it. I never had the opportunity to take a real literature class before and it is very different than what I had anticipated - but in a good way. I've always loved literature, but never really read it too critically and certainly never wrote about it critically so this class is very challenging. The instructor is really awesome and involved in the class. She turns around grades really quickly, participates in the discussions, and gives awesome feedback. I'm really enjoying learning from her. There's not really anything to post from this class cuz it's all kinda dry stuff for a reader. I may post my final essay at the end of the quarter. But it is an awesome class and I am getting an A.
Next, Visual Communication in the Media. This class has interesting materials, but the class itself leaves a bit to be desired. The instructor is really slow on turning grades around and doesn't really encourage the kind of discussions and analysis I would expect in a mass media type class. Also, my classmates are not exactly helping matters. There seems to be a lot of mental disconnect going on where the discussions are concerned and no one seems to be reading the book and actually analyzing the content as instructed. The posts are poorly written and no one is giving me much to reply to - - makes the discussions difficult. I'm actually really surprised that so many people are in college but cannot think or write at the college level - - what's up with that? I'll give you an example to show you what I'm dealing with here. Last week we had a discussion on shock advertising. The instructions for the discussion post were to relay a time you'd been shocked by advertising and to discuss whether you think advertisers can go too far in shock advertising. Naturally, my classmates completely ignored the second part of the instructions and focused only on the first. Apparently, it doesn't take much to shock these people. Once classmate in particular posted this little gem from the UK:
http://www.utdallas.edu/~jep044000/vidal/sportka.mpeg
Basically her post and the responses of those who replied to her were "ZOMG! Poor kitty!" ::rolls eyes:: Yeah...this is what I'm dealing with folks. So....very nicely, I posted pointing out that UK consumers are a little more savvy with advertising and can take the ad for the joke that it is, understanding that the cat was not actually harmed in the making of the ad. I pointed out that the target demographic for that ad would be young males who would actually find the ad funny. Well...can you guess the reaction from my classmates to my post? "Funny? That's not funny! Animal cruelty is never funny! I'm a cat lover! How dare you!" Then another classmate posted about how the UK is Sodom and Gomorrah and don't they have laws over there and it's just so shocking and immoral and... *facepalm* *headdesk*. After that, I didn't bother responding. That kind of stupid just really doesn't need any encouragement. If you can't parse an ad that obvious for its point and subtext and meaning after reading the chapters in the textbook and studying the concepts in a college class, I can't help you. *heavy sigh* Most of the things people posted that they found "shocking" were things they went looking on the internet for from the UK and wanted to post to make the point that the UK is just so completely immoral in comparison to the US and shouldn't we have stricter laws in the US to protect us all from things like the UK and ZOMG! UK has NUDITY and... Yeah....I just...wonder about some people, I really do. If you're asked to discuss something in a college course, you need to actually provide more of a critical analysis of what it is you're seeing and what about it is shocking, not just knee-jerk ZOMG! responses. And at least attempt an intelligent discourse. Please?
This week's discussion is about stereotyping. And it's abominable. No one in the class seems to understand the definition of the word. One little gem from a classmate: "TV news is showing stories about high profile people and infidelity - don't they know how immoral and wrong that is?" WTF does that have to do with stereotyping? Apparently she doesn't know either. But my classmates are all chiming in on the bandwagon of "ZOMG! I know! What kind of world are we living in?!" And I.....lose a little faith in the ability of people to think at a college level y'all, I really do. So...that class is a bit of a challenge for me on an intellectual level. I took a mass media class in freaking high school where high school kids had a better grasp on critical analysis of images in the media than these people do. It makes my head hurt y'all, it really does. So that would be my least favorite class this quarter. I'm getting an A in it though. As I say, I like critical analysis classes so I enjoy the book and materials we study, I just wish the instructor was helping to facilitate better discussions rather than joining in with the mob mentality "I know! How awful!" choruses. Ugh.
Onward we travel. Next up - Figure Drawing. Y'all know how I feel about drawing. I have not been subtle in previous quarters about how it is the bane of my existence. This class is my weekly humiliation basically. It is, actually, a very small class - only 5 people - and I am actually not the worst artist in there so....it's not as bad as the last drawing class. I'm still having serious troubles drawing from people IRL, but we did exercises this week drawing from masters in our book and I think they turned out okay. Judge for yourself:
Master drawing: Woman Bending Forward by Suzanna Valadon:
And here's my take on it:
Next master drawing, Reclining Nude by Aristide Maillol:
And my attempt at it:
All in all, I'm pretty proud of those drawings. Unfortunately, that's about the only such exercise we're going to do and the rest of our drawings must be drawn from actual life and not pictures so....that sucks. I'm working at it. This class is the one that I spend the most time outside of class working on. Something in the way I see things just does not translate as well IRL as it does from a picture. I dunno why. But I'm working on it. :)
And lastly, we have Digital Media Production. Again - same instructor as my 3D animation courses and I love having this guy as a teacher. He's pretty awesome. The first weeks were all about learning Flash and we just completed and submitted our first project assignment last night. I'd never touched Flash before this class so....I'm learning. :) Our project was a short cut-out animation project. I had lots of ideas, but couldn't quite figure out how to execute them so....I ended up going with this:
He suggested trying to do something humorous for this assignment so that is what I came up with. It's not the best thing ever produced, but at least I am learning the basics of Flash, which was the point to the exercise. I have high hopes for my next project and final project in that class. Just takes a lot of study, playing with the software, and watching tutorials. I'm excited to get into the ActionScript part of that class as well. I like playing with code. I'm a geeky dork - I admit it happily.
So....there we are. That is the status of things right now. I'm amazed that we're already in Week 5, almost Week 6 of this quarter. It seems to be zooming right past me. Things are going well, aside from my personal frustrations, and the educational process continues. We're moving into studying poetry this week in Intro to Literature and I love poetry so that should be fun. We're starting to come up with ideas for our next and final projects in Digital Media Production. In Figure Drawing I have to do 4 (!) drawings from life this week. Eek! And again, Visual Communication in the Media is focusing on stereotypes.
So there you have it. Hope you enjoy. Any feedback on the projects is appreciated. Be kind on the Flash though - I'm still a newbie at that. Cheers until later! :)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
End of Third Quarter Final
Hi all.
So....hope everyone had great holidays. Mine was pretty okay. :) My new books for next quarter have arrived and they look pretty interesting. I am, however, currently wrangling with the Sallie Mae people about loan funding. They have, for some inexplicable reason, done away with the Signature Student Loan that was an alternative loan funding source allowing you to borrow the remainder of what you need for school plus extra for expenses like room and board, etc. With that loan, repayment is made starting 6 months after graduation. The interest rate is ridiculous, but it was a great source of funding, especially being able to borrow extra for living expenses seeing as I am still (grrr!) unemployed. Now, the only loans they are offering require you to make payments on the interest while going to school. Ummm...hello? Are they high? I'm not working, I have no income, how the hell am I supposed to make payments on a loan? So....I called them and they said that I did not qualify for grandfathering for the Signature Loan program and that the interest payment option was the only one left to me. This....pissed me off, so I wrote all my state and federal senators and congresspeople and also the President and basically said "WTF?" I've heard back from one state representative's office, but we're playing phone tag. I dunno. What I do know is that employers are now requiring a freaking Bachelor's degree for a damn secretarial position. Supposedly there are all these displaced worker programs going on to help people become more employable - - well...I'm trying to do that, but without the Signature Loan program, wtf am I supposed to do? If I can't get that, I can't go to school full-time because I can't afford it. If I'm not attending full-time I lose most of the rest of my governmental funding and grants, plus the on-time graduation scholarship from my school. So...not surprisingly, the saga continues....I'll keep you posted.
At any rate, my final progress report is out and my overall GPA remains 3.84. Yay me! My last grades were all A's and I got 100's on my final World Geography paper and my final fiction project for Creative Writing. Pretty damn awesome if I do say so myself. So....for taking 6 classes this last quarter, I received 4 A's, 1 B, and 1 C - I'm thinking I did pretty good all things considered. :)
So....classes resume next Monday. So far, we're still on the fence about funding so while I have looked at my books, I have not removed the shrink wrap or anything until we have some final determination and I know I can afford to stay in school and take all of my classes. But....so far everything looks really interesting. The last time I went through college I never got to take real writing and literature courses and stuff so I'm really, really enjoying those. If everything goes as planned, I will be taking Introduction to Literature and Visual Communication in the Media online and Figure Drawing and Digital Media Production on campus. Visual Communication in the Media reminds me of a Mass Media class I took in the 10th grade that I liked. Anything having to do with literature is right up my alley. Figure Drawing would be this quarter's torture class and Digital Media Production just looks exceptionally cool.
Until I hear more, things are kind of in limbo. Hopefully some resolution can be worked out over the next couple of days. I love school and learning, I always have, and having the opportunity to learn new things that interest and fascinate me (even when some aspects piss me off) is about my idea of bliss on Earth so....we shall see. Keep a good thought if you will folks.
Cheers!
So....hope everyone had great holidays. Mine was pretty okay. :) My new books for next quarter have arrived and they look pretty interesting. I am, however, currently wrangling with the Sallie Mae people about loan funding. They have, for some inexplicable reason, done away with the Signature Student Loan that was an alternative loan funding source allowing you to borrow the remainder of what you need for school plus extra for expenses like room and board, etc. With that loan, repayment is made starting 6 months after graduation. The interest rate is ridiculous, but it was a great source of funding, especially being able to borrow extra for living expenses seeing as I am still (grrr!) unemployed. Now, the only loans they are offering require you to make payments on the interest while going to school. Ummm...hello? Are they high? I'm not working, I have no income, how the hell am I supposed to make payments on a loan? So....I called them and they said that I did not qualify for grandfathering for the Signature Loan program and that the interest payment option was the only one left to me. This....pissed me off, so I wrote all my state and federal senators and congresspeople and also the President and basically said "WTF?" I've heard back from one state representative's office, but we're playing phone tag. I dunno. What I do know is that employers are now requiring a freaking Bachelor's degree for a damn secretarial position. Supposedly there are all these displaced worker programs going on to help people become more employable - - well...I'm trying to do that, but without the Signature Loan program, wtf am I supposed to do? If I can't get that, I can't go to school full-time because I can't afford it. If I'm not attending full-time I lose most of the rest of my governmental funding and grants, plus the on-time graduation scholarship from my school. So...not surprisingly, the saga continues....I'll keep you posted.
At any rate, my final progress report is out and my overall GPA remains 3.84. Yay me! My last grades were all A's and I got 100's on my final World Geography paper and my final fiction project for Creative Writing. Pretty damn awesome if I do say so myself. So....for taking 6 classes this last quarter, I received 4 A's, 1 B, and 1 C - I'm thinking I did pretty good all things considered. :)
So....classes resume next Monday. So far, we're still on the fence about funding so while I have looked at my books, I have not removed the shrink wrap or anything until we have some final determination and I know I can afford to stay in school and take all of my classes. But....so far everything looks really interesting. The last time I went through college I never got to take real writing and literature courses and stuff so I'm really, really enjoying those. If everything goes as planned, I will be taking Introduction to Literature and Visual Communication in the Media online and Figure Drawing and Digital Media Production on campus. Visual Communication in the Media reminds me of a Mass Media class I took in the 10th grade that I liked. Anything having to do with literature is right up my alley. Figure Drawing would be this quarter's torture class and Digital Media Production just looks exceptionally cool.
Until I hear more, things are kind of in limbo. Hopefully some resolution can be worked out over the next couple of days. I love school and learning, I always have, and having the opportunity to learn new things that interest and fascinate me (even when some aspects piss me off) is about my idea of bliss on Earth so....we shall see. Keep a good thought if you will folks.
Cheers!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
End of the Quarter and All That Jazz
Hey again all.
So....this quarter has not been very conducive to the blogging, that's for sure. Six classes is a crazy lot and leaves no time for any kind of life; especially not when College Algebra is part of the schedule. So....sorry I've been so lax here as of late. First and foremost, let me say that I am extremely glad this quarter is over. It was long and hard and fast and crazy, all at the same time. It definitely felt different than my previous two quarters. I did not have nearly enough time to fully concentrate on everything I wanted to, and I had a great deal of frustration this quarter. I also was very sick twice this quarter, plus had a great deal of family and personal life drama going on so....yeah....it's been a wild and weird 11 weeks. But, it is over! Huzzah!! I have determined that I am going back to a regular four class schedule and told all of my nearest and dearest that if they ever hear me mention increasing my courseload again, they have my permission to slap me completely senseless. So....there's that.
Final grades are still coming in, but I have three I can share with you and some projects from all of them. As more come online, I'll be back to update you.
First, let's go ahead and discuss algebra. This class was the bane of my existence this quarter. I am not a math person - at all. I can spell anything you want me to, and I'm a pretty good writer, but math is not my thing. Oddly enough, I can program mathematical calculations in programs like Excel and make wonderful things result, but your basic mathematics is not for me. It took about two weeks of me trying to get through all that nonsense on my own to realize that I couldn't and needed some serious help. Luckily, the tutor center at school had someone on staff who was awesome and got me through the quarter. It was also a very, very difficult class to take online. In a classroom setting, if you have questions you can ask the instructor right then and get the concepts explained to you. Online, you're at the liberty of your instructor's life schedule and ours admitted that we were her third job, and she had a family so....guess where we came in? She did the best she could and was very helpful and understanding, but it was a really difficult class to take online.
Almost as difficult as actually working out the problems was entering them in the Word document using Equation Editor and Graph Editor for submissions. The graphing part was an absolute nightmare and I kept getting things lost in the translation. Another really difficult part for me was all of the online quizzes. It's really hard to work off of the computer screen like that for me. I also had serious problems with the quizzes timing out on me and eating all of my work while I was taking the time to work the problems out on paper. So....about halfway through the quarter I started writing out the quizzes, then going back and entering the answers after I'd worked the problems out. It improved my grade immensely and kept the system from booting me so much. I had similar booting problems with other quizzes in my other classes, no matter which browser I tried to use. Since I've yet to have a quiz that is not open book, I really wish the quizzes came with a print option so you could print them out and work them on paper and then submit the answers. None of them are timed either so....I don't see why that can't be added it. But, whatever. Either way, thanks to writing those out, getting tutoring help from tutor girl and the SmarThinking online tutoring, I managed to get a solid C in that class. I passed and never have to take that again! And there was much rejoicing!!! :)
Second class to discuss - Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design. This class was the class that put the nail in the coffin of me ever taking design classes online ever again. I thought no instructor could be worse than my Typography instructor from my first quarter - I was so wrong. This guy was just....where to begin? Unprofessional does not seem a strong enough word. His version of feedback on something was "ok, looks good". WTH is that??!! He would say "great job!" on a discussion grade, but only give 95% with no explanation of why there were percentage points taken off. When he did post in the forums, which was rare, it was usually some snotty comment. There was a big issue with an assignment that in his mind was a big research paper but read as a regular written assignment and he couldn't understand why us stupid students couldn't figure it out. He asked me for clarification, which I gave (and very politely too tyvm - I want a cookie and a gold star for that) and he still wanted to argue the point and then just said "I don't get it but, whatever." He gave no lecture notes and only linked Adobe tutorials which you can find on your own. Our book was Teach Yourself Dreamweaver in 24 Hours, and that's what we did. We taught ourselves and he dialed it in and did the least amount possible to pull down the paycheck. For less than I paid for this class, I could have bought the damn book myself and gotten the same experience, but without the snotty commentary from the instructor. And when we had a problem with linking our final projects and were told to contact our instructor, what did he say? Pay $4 on our own for some web space cuz he didn't know either. And who was his favorite student? The guy who used sexist female imagery on his final project of course! Is there something I'm missing here about graphic design? Is every guy in graphic design a sexist asshat or am I just getting lucky here with these instructors?
Either way, I have made it very clear I will not pay for anymore classes with this instructor and I will not take anymore design classes online. They are completely ineffectual and the instructors do not do the job when it comes to helping students to understand the concepts; it was just utterly useless. However, I do have a final project to link and for never having done anything in web design and teaching myself, I'm pretty proud of it. Naturally, the instructor hated it. According to him:
"Not bad, Amy. Your navigation works. Your external link works. I'll count your order form as a feedback form, though they aren't the same thing. Your layout and design is weaker than I'd like though. The overall look of your site isn't quite professional yet. Your buttons are HUGE and your layout is just blog style which is all dead giveaways for amateur web design. Work on that and you'll go far."
Huh - maybe if I'd had a decent instructor to, oh, I dunno, EXPLAIN some things, I might have been able to do better. Anyhow....I got a B in that class. Here is my final project: http://sotd.us/amyburns/HomePage.html
And here is the project by the class star pupil: http://www.ocalanightlife.com/
Now, personally, living in this town, I know this Ocala Nightlife thing has been around for years. I'm not sure how much of this he actually did himself and how much he took from what already existed, but....whatever. Don't you love the images? (puke, gag, retch) I'll give him that it looks professional, but it's also incredibly offensive and pedestrian. But he's got an A for sure cuz all those male instructors seem to just love to objectify women. }:(
Last of the three classes I have a final grade for is 3D Animation. My grade is an A. I still love this stuff so much. However, this quarter was really difficult. Unlike last quarter when there was no one in the computer lab and there was plenty of time to get in there and work, including on the weekends, this quarter it seemed like every person in every other major decided the computer lab was an extension of the student lounge where they could come in there and play on MySpace and Facebook and blare music out of headphones and talk and horse around and act like idiots. When that wasn't happening, the computers were glitching. It made working on my project really, really difficult. The weekends unfortunately were not any better as there were continually people bringing their kids in and having loud conversations, letting their kids on the computers (which they aren't supposed to do) and being disruptive. For the amount of money I'm paying for these classes y'all, I think the computer lab should be off limits to anyone not in the Design program so we have a place to go and work. I would have loved to have had the 3DS Max software at home this quarter so I could work in peace and quiet and on my hours. But....didn't happen. So....with all that, I still managed. Yay me. I'm actually pretty proud of my final projects. Or I was until I went and saw Avatar and now they just look really amateur and stupid. But, I just remind myself that this is only my second animation-type class and that I'm only in my third quarter of my first year so....give myself a break. So....first project was our Course Assessment. We had to design a solar system, make the light source come from the sun, apply materials to our planets, make them rotate around the sun, and add in a flythrough camera path. So....here it is:
Our final project was an animation of our own creation. I went through a lot of different ideas and storyboards, but finally came up with this. I call it Snow Shock. See what you think:
We also had a final paper to complete, but it's not worth posting. We simply had to choose a kind of animation to discuss and write a paper about it. I chose claymation. It was just your basic research paper, blah, blah, blah.
So....that's all I have so far for grades. Still waiting for final grades from World Geography, Creative Writing, and Astronomy. As they come online I will be back with more to share with you.
Next quarter should be interesting and quieter, I hope. I'm taking two on campus classes and two online classes. Monday nights on campus is Figure Drawing, which will be with the same instructor who I had Drawing Design and Art Theory with, so I will get a chance to ask him wth happened with my final grade there. Wednesday nights is Digital Media Production which should be with my same instructor from my two 3D Animation classes and a lot of those classmates so....that should be good. A lot of my classmates from 3D Animation should be in Figure Drawing too so it'll be nice to know some people. Online I will be taking Introduction to Literature and Visual Communication in the Media. Those should hopefully be easy classes. We shall see.
Aside from that, I'm just enjoying the downtime from this quarter and the break before next. Next quarter starts my sophomore year so I'm making progress and school seems to be going by pretty quickly. I'm hoping that this next quarter kind of renews my warm fuzzy feeling toward my school. I've had a lot of concerns about things here lately, not the least of which is whether or not they are fully accredited, whether or not potential employers will consider it a "real" degree or an online degree, and whether or not I am getting the best educational experience for my dollar. I went online to the Pixar site to check things out and they use a completely different software called Maya that according to all my reading in the course catalog, my school does not even have or teach so....looks like I'm headed to the Internet for info on that one. As I say, we shall see how this quarter works out. I've been researching other schools and if I don't feel like things are moving in the right direction, I'll transfer what I can somewhere else. But then, there's another concern - will any of these credits even transfer somewhere else? Suffice it to say that in my mind, Rasmussen is on probation with me right now. We'll see how next quarter and the future go.
So....that's it for now. More to come in follow-up as more grades come online. Also - on a non-school note - if you haven't seen Avatar yet - GO SEE IT!!! That is the most visually stunning and amazing film I've seen in a long time. It totally reminded me of why I returned to school and what I want to be able to do when I get out. I'm already working on a couple of screenplays and stories and have so much I want to do. I just need to get the skills and knowledge to do it. So....cheers for now all!
So....this quarter has not been very conducive to the blogging, that's for sure. Six classes is a crazy lot and leaves no time for any kind of life; especially not when College Algebra is part of the schedule. So....sorry I've been so lax here as of late. First and foremost, let me say that I am extremely glad this quarter is over. It was long and hard and fast and crazy, all at the same time. It definitely felt different than my previous two quarters. I did not have nearly enough time to fully concentrate on everything I wanted to, and I had a great deal of frustration this quarter. I also was very sick twice this quarter, plus had a great deal of family and personal life drama going on so....yeah....it's been a wild and weird 11 weeks. But, it is over! Huzzah!! I have determined that I am going back to a regular four class schedule and told all of my nearest and dearest that if they ever hear me mention increasing my courseload again, they have my permission to slap me completely senseless. So....there's that.
Final grades are still coming in, but I have three I can share with you and some projects from all of them. As more come online, I'll be back to update you.
First, let's go ahead and discuss algebra. This class was the bane of my existence this quarter. I am not a math person - at all. I can spell anything you want me to, and I'm a pretty good writer, but math is not my thing. Oddly enough, I can program mathematical calculations in programs like Excel and make wonderful things result, but your basic mathematics is not for me. It took about two weeks of me trying to get through all that nonsense on my own to realize that I couldn't and needed some serious help. Luckily, the tutor center at school had someone on staff who was awesome and got me through the quarter. It was also a very, very difficult class to take online. In a classroom setting, if you have questions you can ask the instructor right then and get the concepts explained to you. Online, you're at the liberty of your instructor's life schedule and ours admitted that we were her third job, and she had a family so....guess where we came in? She did the best she could and was very helpful and understanding, but it was a really difficult class to take online.
Almost as difficult as actually working out the problems was entering them in the Word document using Equation Editor and Graph Editor for submissions. The graphing part was an absolute nightmare and I kept getting things lost in the translation. Another really difficult part for me was all of the online quizzes. It's really hard to work off of the computer screen like that for me. I also had serious problems with the quizzes timing out on me and eating all of my work while I was taking the time to work the problems out on paper. So....about halfway through the quarter I started writing out the quizzes, then going back and entering the answers after I'd worked the problems out. It improved my grade immensely and kept the system from booting me so much. I had similar booting problems with other quizzes in my other classes, no matter which browser I tried to use. Since I've yet to have a quiz that is not open book, I really wish the quizzes came with a print option so you could print them out and work them on paper and then submit the answers. None of them are timed either so....I don't see why that can't be added it. But, whatever. Either way, thanks to writing those out, getting tutoring help from tutor girl and the SmarThinking online tutoring, I managed to get a solid C in that class. I passed and never have to take that again! And there was much rejoicing!!! :)
Second class to discuss - Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design. This class was the class that put the nail in the coffin of me ever taking design classes online ever again. I thought no instructor could be worse than my Typography instructor from my first quarter - I was so wrong. This guy was just....where to begin? Unprofessional does not seem a strong enough word. His version of feedback on something was "ok, looks good". WTH is that??!! He would say "great job!" on a discussion grade, but only give 95% with no explanation of why there were percentage points taken off. When he did post in the forums, which was rare, it was usually some snotty comment. There was a big issue with an assignment that in his mind was a big research paper but read as a regular written assignment and he couldn't understand why us stupid students couldn't figure it out. He asked me for clarification, which I gave (and very politely too tyvm - I want a cookie and a gold star for that) and he still wanted to argue the point and then just said "I don't get it but, whatever." He gave no lecture notes and only linked Adobe tutorials which you can find on your own. Our book was Teach Yourself Dreamweaver in 24 Hours, and that's what we did. We taught ourselves and he dialed it in and did the least amount possible to pull down the paycheck. For less than I paid for this class, I could have bought the damn book myself and gotten the same experience, but without the snotty commentary from the instructor. And when we had a problem with linking our final projects and were told to contact our instructor, what did he say? Pay $4 on our own for some web space cuz he didn't know either. And who was his favorite student? The guy who used sexist female imagery on his final project of course! Is there something I'm missing here about graphic design? Is every guy in graphic design a sexist asshat or am I just getting lucky here with these instructors?
Either way, I have made it very clear I will not pay for anymore classes with this instructor and I will not take anymore design classes online. They are completely ineffectual and the instructors do not do the job when it comes to helping students to understand the concepts; it was just utterly useless. However, I do have a final project to link and for never having done anything in web design and teaching myself, I'm pretty proud of it. Naturally, the instructor hated it. According to him:
"Not bad, Amy. Your navigation works. Your external link works. I'll count your order form as a feedback form, though they aren't the same thing. Your layout and design is weaker than I'd like though. The overall look of your site isn't quite professional yet. Your buttons are HUGE and your layout is just blog style which is all dead giveaways for amateur web design. Work on that and you'll go far."
Huh - maybe if I'd had a decent instructor to, oh, I dunno, EXPLAIN some things, I might have been able to do better. Anyhow....I got a B in that class. Here is my final project: http://sotd.us/amyburns/HomePage.html
And here is the project by the class star pupil: http://www.ocalanightlife.com/
Now, personally, living in this town, I know this Ocala Nightlife thing has been around for years. I'm not sure how much of this he actually did himself and how much he took from what already existed, but....whatever. Don't you love the images? (puke, gag, retch) I'll give him that it looks professional, but it's also incredibly offensive and pedestrian. But he's got an A for sure cuz all those male instructors seem to just love to objectify women. }:(
Last of the three classes I have a final grade for is 3D Animation. My grade is an A. I still love this stuff so much. However, this quarter was really difficult. Unlike last quarter when there was no one in the computer lab and there was plenty of time to get in there and work, including on the weekends, this quarter it seemed like every person in every other major decided the computer lab was an extension of the student lounge where they could come in there and play on MySpace and Facebook and blare music out of headphones and talk and horse around and act like idiots. When that wasn't happening, the computers were glitching. It made working on my project really, really difficult. The weekends unfortunately were not any better as there were continually people bringing their kids in and having loud conversations, letting their kids on the computers (which they aren't supposed to do) and being disruptive. For the amount of money I'm paying for these classes y'all, I think the computer lab should be off limits to anyone not in the Design program so we have a place to go and work. I would have loved to have had the 3DS Max software at home this quarter so I could work in peace and quiet and on my hours. But....didn't happen. So....with all that, I still managed. Yay me. I'm actually pretty proud of my final projects. Or I was until I went and saw Avatar and now they just look really amateur and stupid. But, I just remind myself that this is only my second animation-type class and that I'm only in my third quarter of my first year so....give myself a break. So....first project was our Course Assessment. We had to design a solar system, make the light source come from the sun, apply materials to our planets, make them rotate around the sun, and add in a flythrough camera path. So....here it is:
Our final project was an animation of our own creation. I went through a lot of different ideas and storyboards, but finally came up with this. I call it Snow Shock. See what you think:
We also had a final paper to complete, but it's not worth posting. We simply had to choose a kind of animation to discuss and write a paper about it. I chose claymation. It was just your basic research paper, blah, blah, blah.
So....that's all I have so far for grades. Still waiting for final grades from World Geography, Creative Writing, and Astronomy. As they come online I will be back with more to share with you.
Next quarter should be interesting and quieter, I hope. I'm taking two on campus classes and two online classes. Monday nights on campus is Figure Drawing, which will be with the same instructor who I had Drawing Design and Art Theory with, so I will get a chance to ask him wth happened with my final grade there. Wednesday nights is Digital Media Production which should be with my same instructor from my two 3D Animation classes and a lot of those classmates so....that should be good. A lot of my classmates from 3D Animation should be in Figure Drawing too so it'll be nice to know some people. Online I will be taking Introduction to Literature and Visual Communication in the Media. Those should hopefully be easy classes. We shall see.
Aside from that, I'm just enjoying the downtime from this quarter and the break before next. Next quarter starts my sophomore year so I'm making progress and school seems to be going by pretty quickly. I'm hoping that this next quarter kind of renews my warm fuzzy feeling toward my school. I've had a lot of concerns about things here lately, not the least of which is whether or not they are fully accredited, whether or not potential employers will consider it a "real" degree or an online degree, and whether or not I am getting the best educational experience for my dollar. I went online to the Pixar site to check things out and they use a completely different software called Maya that according to all my reading in the course catalog, my school does not even have or teach so....looks like I'm headed to the Internet for info on that one. As I say, we shall see how this quarter works out. I've been researching other schools and if I don't feel like things are moving in the right direction, I'll transfer what I can somewhere else. But then, there's another concern - will any of these credits even transfer somewhere else? Suffice it to say that in my mind, Rasmussen is on probation with me right now. We'll see how next quarter and the future go.
So....that's it for now. More to come in follow-up as more grades come online. Also - on a non-school note - if you haven't seen Avatar yet - GO SEE IT!!! That is the most visually stunning and amazing film I've seen in a long time. It totally reminded me of why I returned to school and what I want to be able to do when I get out. I'm already working on a couple of screenplays and stories and have so much I want to do. I just need to get the skills and knowledge to do it. So....cheers for now all!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Oops! Bad Me!! Bad!!
So....hi. :) Well....all y'all who read this are probably like "WTH? Did she die? Fall off the planet? WTF?" All I can say is...oops. :)
I'll be really, really honest here that life has been a bit on the complicated side as of late, and if I'm being really, really, REALLY honest, I've kind of been dialing it in a bit this quarter. I kinda lost my mojo there for a while. I don't know why. Just seems like this quarter has been weird for me. I dunno if it's the amount of classes, or the fact that a couple of them annoy me beyond the telling, but I've been having some motivational issues. I do, however, believe that whatever academic funk I fell into I have crawled out of and I will endeavor to do better about updating things. I'm bad, I know, smack my hand, whatever, moving on. :)
So....when last we left things it was the end of Week 2 and I had just posted Week 1's grades. We are now approaching the end of Week 6. Eek! I am so seriously, seriously behind.
So....week 2's grades went like this:
World Geography
Maps Assignment: 90%
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Written Assignment Place Essay: 100%
Overall: 97.5%
Creative Writing
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Week 2 Journal Entry: 100%
Week 2 Story Analysis: 100%
Overall: 100%
College Algebra
Week 2 Algebra Problems: 96%
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Week 2 Test: 90%
Overall: 95%
Astronomy
Week 2 Exploration: 100%
Week 2 Discussion: 90%
Overall: 95.71%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 2 Discussion: 85%
Week 2 Lab: 100%
Overall: 98%
Week 2 was a while ago, but as you can see, things weren't sucking too bad. Yeah, you can tell by the tone that things have changed. Did you doubt it? PLEASE! I have College Algebra this quarter - things suck beyond the telling! So - highlights of Week 2 to post for you: My Place Essay from World Geography (on Seattle) and my Story Analysis from Creative Writing on Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (whose writing I hate with a fiery passion). Enjoy!
*********************************************************************************
World Geography - Place Essay (this was supposed to be an essay suggesting a travel destination of our favorite choice for someone. Naturally, I chose Seattle cuz....well...have you met me? :) )
A wonderful travel destination is the city of Seattle, Washington in the United States of America. Located in the lush evergreen mountains, Seattle is a city surrounded by clear, blue water and rich with culture. Native American and Asian cultural influences abound in Seattle, from the Japanese Gardens and Chinatown areas, to the many Native American tribes located in and around the city including the Sammamish, the Snoqualmie, the Puyallup, and the Tulalip. Seattle is also a wonderful place to visit for outdoor activities like hiking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking. All of your outdoor equipment needs can be met at the large REI shop located in the beautiful downtown area, which features a rock climbing wall and the ability to try out the merchandise in the store before buying it.
Seattle’s rich cultural life includes the Pioneer Square neighborhood, with its underground tour of the city and its informative markers and museums relating to Seattle’s history as a pioneering town. The Seattle Monorail, Seattle Art Museum, the Pike Place Market, the Experience Music Project, the Ballard Locks, the Seattle Aquarium, and the many wonderful performances at Benaroyal Hall by the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Ballet make for wonderful places to visit and soak in some of Seattle’s art and cultural offerings. Favorite tourist destinations include the Seattle Space Needle and the Fremont Troll. The environment in Seattle is rich with the smell of coffee and clean air, and vibrant within the many interconnected neighborhoods and communities from the hippie culture of Fremont to the Victorian houses in Queen Anne, to the museums and edgy shops of the University District. Seattle has many small, independently owned shops, bookstores, and independent marketplaces that are encouraged to thrive by the city’s populace, which vocally opposes any infiltration by the more established larger chain retailers. Seattle works to maintain its independence and culture and makes a wonderful destination for anyone to visit.
**********************************************************************************
Creative Writing - Story Analysis – More Hills Like White Elephants (just to let you know that I keep it real everywhere).
1. In one or two sentences, summarize the plot of the story.
The basic plot of the story revolves around a man and a woman discussing whether or not the woman should have an abortion. Throughout the story, the man is basically rationalizing why getting the abortion is no big deal, and the woman is essentially following his lead.
2. What is the major conflict in the story and how is it resolved?
As stated above, the major conflict is the issue of whether or not the girl should get the abortion. The male character is playing the typical male role of father figure, characterized by Hemingway naming him, yet referring to the female character simply as The Girl. The male character basically browbeats and manipulates the situation into the girl finally agreeing to undergo the procedure.
3. What is the position of the main character at the beginning of the story and at the end? Is there a gain or loss?
Assuming that Robert is considered the main character in the story, his position at the beginning of the story is as a manipulator, trying to talk his girlfriend into aborting a child he doesn’t want. For all intents and purposes, he gains at the end by getting the girl to agree.
4. Explain how plot is entwined with character in this story. In your answer, share whether or not you feel the two characters are acting naturally to what happens. To what extent do their character traits actually determine what happens in the plot?
The plot and character are intertwined in the story by the entire story being about the characters and their discussion of whether or not she should have the abortion. I don’t think the characters act naturally to what happens, but I believe most of that is due to Hemingway’s not really fleshing out the characters very much. There’s nothing about them to make the reader invested in their struggle. Both characters come off as detached and indifferent to the entire situation. The characters traits entirely determine what happens in the plot. Robert plays the role of wheedling manipulator, Hadley plays the role of the weak female willing to do anything do make her man happy.
5. Can you imagine another good ending for the story? Why or why not?
As a hardcore feminist, I can imagine a lot of better endings for this story. Hadley actually growing a spine and a character and standing up for herself would have been lovely. Robert being less pushy and less unwilling to actually discuss the issue at hand rather than push his own agenda would have been nice too. I would have preferred a better interaction and more realistic dialogue in the story for the situation. But as the story is, it’s entirely Hemingway and his version of the male/female dynamic, which I personally despise.
***************************************************************************
Okay so....that was Week 2. Week 3 went like this:
World Geography
Maps Assignment: 93.33%
Exam 1: 80.85% (something went wrong with this assignment online so this grade is null and void but....this is what I got on it anyway)
Overall: 88.98%
Creative Writing
Week 3 Journal Entry Discussion: 100%
Week 3 Written Assignment - Name Character: 100%
The Fiction Project - Outline Plot from Journal: 100%
Overall: 100% (sensing a trend here?)
College Algebra
Week 3 Algebra Problems: 88%
Week 3 Test on Chapter 1: 65%
Week 3 Discussion: 100%
Overall: I didn't get at the time and it's cumulative so....sorry.
Astronomy
Week 3 Exploration - Composition of the Giants: 86%
Week 3 Discussion - Jupiter the Great: 100% (for this discussion assignment we were supposed to hypothesize what would happen if the Earth were the size of Jupiter and how it would effect mankind's evolution. Aside from myself and one other person, everyone in the class claimed Armageddon would be upon us - depressing and scary people there.)
Overall: 93.81%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 3 Discussion: 95%
Week 3 Updating Joe's Deli Lab: 85%
Overall: 95.24% (this instructor is this quarter's Typography guy - he's an absolute asshat).
Nothing majorly interesting to share with y'all from Week 3. Sorry. On to Week 4!
World Geography
Week 4 Research Assignment - Rwandan Genocide: 94%
Maps Assignment: 100%
Discussion - Interpreting Movement: 80% (this was the worst discussion assignment ever. She did not clearly explain what she wanted and it was absolutely ridiculous. We all tanked it. Did she take into account maybe she didn't explain it well? Nah! We're all just too dumb. What. Ever.)
Overall: 90.79%
Creative Writing
Week 4 Journal Entry: 100%
Week 4 Story Analysis: 100%
Fiction Project - Build Characters: 100%
Overall: 100%
College Algebra
Week 4 Chapter Problems: 96%
Test on Chapter 2: 60%
Week 4 Discussion: 100%
Overall: 81.05% (I can do okay getting the problems done, but for some reason the tests just kick my ass)
Astronomy
Week 4 Exploration: 90%
Week 4 Discussion: 100%
Week 4 Quiz: 90%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 4 Design Project - Site Architecture: 100% (his comments? "ok looks fine" Gee - thanks for the feedback)
Week 4 Discussion: 95% (his comments? "good work" No explanation on the discount on my grade)
Week 4 Lab - Joe's Deli: 90%
Overall: 94.75%
So....for Week 4's World Geography class we had to write a research paper on the Rwandan Genocide. I didn't get a 100% on this because I did no in-text citations (which I never do - I think they're tacky) but aside from that, I think I approached the subject well and honestly - judge for yourself:
World Geography - Week 4 Rwandan Genocide Research Paper
In 1994, the two main factions of the Rwandan people declared yet another war on each other, resulting in the deaths of over 800,000 people. The war was the result of decades of ongoing tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Rwanda. As far as laying blame for the conflict, the main blame belongs to the Rwandan people themselves. Rather than attempt to work out differences between one another in a civilized manner, they chose to attempt to exterminate each other. The history of the region basically states that the Belgian government took over Rwanda from the Germans after World War I. They chose to offer benefits such as wealth, cattle and status to the Tutsi minority, and the Hutu majority was left as the lower income working class. This caused tensions that sparked conflicts between tribes well before the 1994 incident.
In answer to the question of whether or not the United States or the United Nations could have done anything to help, my answer would be no. This is a similar situation, in my mind, to that faced with the Palestinian versus Jewish conflict in the Middle East. Both sides are convinced that they are right and that there is no recourse other than wiping out the other. Rather than have United States or United Nations servicemen and women killed, I believe it is best to stay out of these kinds of conflicts and focus more on our own country and dealing with our issues before trying to police the world. It was suggested in my reading that the United States or United Nations could have threatened to impose sanctions to get the Hutu people to fall back into line, but based on this history of this region, I believe that it would only have been a matter of time before all out war was declared.
As to how I would handle living in such an environment, while the United States is not a third-world nation, we do have our own inner conflicts that still exist to this day. Living in a southern state in America, it is not hard to see that ethnic hatred and intolerance exist here. It would be remiss and ridiculous to assume that we are by any means free of the same kinds of hatred and violent predilection that exist in Rwanda. The Ku Klux Klan is still in operation, and more and more people are factioning themselves off and turning on one another based on race, religion, sexual preference, or economic disparity. Living in a country like Rwanda would be a difficult life, with no real options for education or future growth unless you were part of the more privileged minority. It is hard to speculate on what a life in these types of countries is like. If you are part of the majority, without power or education, then you will believe what your leaders tell you and act accordingly. If you are part of the privileged minority, then you will be raised with an “us-versus-them” mentality and a preconceived theory of entitlement over your fellow man.
As to why these kinds of conflicts arise, very simply they are based on ignorance, intolerance, hatred, and the absolute belief of one side that they are right and the other is wrong. Without the tolerance to allow all peoples to exist, regardless of whether or not your beliefs are the same, there will always be conflicts and war. Add to that issue the circumstances present in the Rwandan conflict of a privileged minority discriminating and trying to hold down the lesser majority, and you have the perfect ingredients for conflict and war. Deep-seeded notions of entitlement, hatred, intolerance, ignorance and anger are passed down generation to generation, and without the education and understanding that other conflict resolutions are possible; people become mired in a status quo of destruction and death.
I believe all people have the right to live freely. I believe all people are responsible for their own actions and that the circumstances in which you are raised are simply that, circumstances. It is up to the individual to believe what they are taught, or to try to find a different way. Some of the Hutu people believed differently than their brethren and tried to help the Tutsi people. The United Nations sent peacekeepers to try to show the people of Rwanda that there were other options besides war. Once those people made their determination that extinction was the only answer, I firmly believe the United Nations and the Unites States were right in pulling their people out of Rwanda. In situations like this, as in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, when people are determined no matter what that war is the only solution, it goes beyond anything any outside agency or governing body can control. I for one do not believe there will ever be peace in the Middle East. Both sides are completely certain that they are right and that the other side has no place in their world or their country. These people will continue to fight until they either obliterate the other or themselves. Similarly, the Hutu and Tutsi people in Rwanda have been having altercations and wars since their country’s beginning. The world can look on and say tragedy took place and lament the losses, but the fact is that those people chose to turn on one another, and the odds are, they will choose at some later point to do it again. The United States and United Nations can counsel, they can try to help people to see other options in a situation, but barring that, I believe it to be the height of arrogance and stupidity to interfere in an ethnic war not of our making or understanding.
Resources
Anderson, T. (2009). RWANDEN GENOCIDE. Rwandan Genocide, 1-3. http://search.ebscohost.com
(2009). The difficulty of trying to stop it happening ever again. Economist, 390(8626), 45-46. http://search.ebscohost.com
Baldauf, S. (2009, April 7). Why the US didn’t intervene in the Rwandan genocide. Christian Science Monitor, p. 6. http://search.ebscohost.com
********************************************************************************
So....that was Week 4. For Week 5, it's a good thing I decided to go and update this because I had to go and look for my grades and found that my Web Authoring dick of a teacher did not grade my discussions properly - he gave me a zero for one saying I did no posts - dumbass. So....sent him a little e-mail requesting he remove head from sphincter, then grade (but actually nicely and respectfully asked he re-check - still - same overall sentiment). Ugh. Anyhoo....aside from that, here's how the rest broke down:
World Geography
Week 5 Discussion: 100% (this discussion was over whether environment, culture or both effect how a society prospers. I said environment. Whatever.)
Overall: 95% (this will be my mid-term grade so....solid A there)
Creative Writing
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Week 5 Journal Entry: 100%
Fiction Project - Describe the Setting: 100%
Overall: 100% (again, solid A here. Nothing major to post. I'm not going to post my journal entries here because they're personal and as for the Fiction Project, I'm just going to wait and post the final result.) :)
College Algebra
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Week 5 Test on Chapter 3: 55% (now, this was after I finally scheduled regular tutoring sessions for every week in this class - for some reason, I am having serious disconnect on these quizzes!)
Week 5 Algebra Problems: 95%
Overall: 82.41 (this - I think is actually close to C territory. I will be honest people, I simply want to pass this class, that is all - just pass it and not have to retake it. As long as I'm above 70%, I think I'm okay.)
Astronomy
Week 5 Exploration: 96%
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Overall: About 93% (he graded something of Week 6's already so it's thrown off the cumulative. Still an A- though.)
So - again, nothing really postable this week and I'm going to have to wait for clarification on the Web Authoring grade. Ugh. :( See - here's how I know I've been down in a funk - last couple of quarters, I stalked my grades every week. This quarter - if I hadn't gone to update this and checked them, I would not have caught that discrepancy. It's weird - and totally unlike me. But, as I say, I think I have a handle on things now and the rest of the quarter should be better. Life has been really stressful and crazy and I have been fighting some depressive issues so - overall, I think I'm doing pretty good. And as I say - I have found my way back to the light. :)
I have a load of papers I have to complete for all of my classes and lots of quizzes coming up. As I say, we are nearing the end of Week 6 and Monday starts Week 7. I am going to try to be better about updating this as it's for my own good as well as to keep all you friendlies informed. :) Sorry I've been behind. Guess I did kinda fall off the planet there for a while, but I'm back now. :) Okay so....until Week 6's grades arrive - cheers! ;)
P.S. - It should go without saying, but, again, everything written here belongs to ME and ME alone!!!! Don't be a loser and steal my stuff. You don't have the snark, and you know it.
P.P.S - Almost forgot - things are going well in my 3D Animation class. My grade is an A, but I won't have anything to post really until our final paper and projects are finished - but it's all good! :)
I'll be really, really honest here that life has been a bit on the complicated side as of late, and if I'm being really, really, REALLY honest, I've kind of been dialing it in a bit this quarter. I kinda lost my mojo there for a while. I don't know why. Just seems like this quarter has been weird for me. I dunno if it's the amount of classes, or the fact that a couple of them annoy me beyond the telling, but I've been having some motivational issues. I do, however, believe that whatever academic funk I fell into I have crawled out of and I will endeavor to do better about updating things. I'm bad, I know, smack my hand, whatever, moving on. :)
So....when last we left things it was the end of Week 2 and I had just posted Week 1's grades. We are now approaching the end of Week 6. Eek! I am so seriously, seriously behind.
So....week 2's grades went like this:
World Geography
Maps Assignment: 90%
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Written Assignment Place Essay: 100%
Overall: 97.5%
Creative Writing
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Week 2 Journal Entry: 100%
Week 2 Story Analysis: 100%
Overall: 100%
College Algebra
Week 2 Algebra Problems: 96%
Week 2 Discussion: 100%
Week 2 Test: 90%
Overall: 95%
Astronomy
Week 2 Exploration: 100%
Week 2 Discussion: 90%
Overall: 95.71%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 2 Discussion: 85%
Week 2 Lab: 100%
Overall: 98%
Week 2 was a while ago, but as you can see, things weren't sucking too bad. Yeah, you can tell by the tone that things have changed. Did you doubt it? PLEASE! I have College Algebra this quarter - things suck beyond the telling! So - highlights of Week 2 to post for you: My Place Essay from World Geography (on Seattle) and my Story Analysis from Creative Writing on Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (whose writing I hate with a fiery passion). Enjoy!
*********************************************************************************
World Geography - Place Essay (this was supposed to be an essay suggesting a travel destination of our favorite choice for someone. Naturally, I chose Seattle cuz....well...have you met me? :) )
A wonderful travel destination is the city of Seattle, Washington in the United States of America. Located in the lush evergreen mountains, Seattle is a city surrounded by clear, blue water and rich with culture. Native American and Asian cultural influences abound in Seattle, from the Japanese Gardens and Chinatown areas, to the many Native American tribes located in and around the city including the Sammamish, the Snoqualmie, the Puyallup, and the Tulalip. Seattle is also a wonderful place to visit for outdoor activities like hiking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking. All of your outdoor equipment needs can be met at the large REI shop located in the beautiful downtown area, which features a rock climbing wall and the ability to try out the merchandise in the store before buying it.
Seattle’s rich cultural life includes the Pioneer Square neighborhood, with its underground tour of the city and its informative markers and museums relating to Seattle’s history as a pioneering town. The Seattle Monorail, Seattle Art Museum, the Pike Place Market, the Experience Music Project, the Ballard Locks, the Seattle Aquarium, and the many wonderful performances at Benaroyal Hall by the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Ballet make for wonderful places to visit and soak in some of Seattle’s art and cultural offerings. Favorite tourist destinations include the Seattle Space Needle and the Fremont Troll. The environment in Seattle is rich with the smell of coffee and clean air, and vibrant within the many interconnected neighborhoods and communities from the hippie culture of Fremont to the Victorian houses in Queen Anne, to the museums and edgy shops of the University District. Seattle has many small, independently owned shops, bookstores, and independent marketplaces that are encouraged to thrive by the city’s populace, which vocally opposes any infiltration by the more established larger chain retailers. Seattle works to maintain its independence and culture and makes a wonderful destination for anyone to visit.
**********************************************************************************
Creative Writing - Story Analysis – More Hills Like White Elephants (just to let you know that I keep it real everywhere).
1. In one or two sentences, summarize the plot of the story.
The basic plot of the story revolves around a man and a woman discussing whether or not the woman should have an abortion. Throughout the story, the man is basically rationalizing why getting the abortion is no big deal, and the woman is essentially following his lead.
2. What is the major conflict in the story and how is it resolved?
As stated above, the major conflict is the issue of whether or not the girl should get the abortion. The male character is playing the typical male role of father figure, characterized by Hemingway naming him, yet referring to the female character simply as The Girl. The male character basically browbeats and manipulates the situation into the girl finally agreeing to undergo the procedure.
3. What is the position of the main character at the beginning of the story and at the end? Is there a gain or loss?
Assuming that Robert is considered the main character in the story, his position at the beginning of the story is as a manipulator, trying to talk his girlfriend into aborting a child he doesn’t want. For all intents and purposes, he gains at the end by getting the girl to agree.
4. Explain how plot is entwined with character in this story. In your answer, share whether or not you feel the two characters are acting naturally to what happens. To what extent do their character traits actually determine what happens in the plot?
The plot and character are intertwined in the story by the entire story being about the characters and their discussion of whether or not she should have the abortion. I don’t think the characters act naturally to what happens, but I believe most of that is due to Hemingway’s not really fleshing out the characters very much. There’s nothing about them to make the reader invested in their struggle. Both characters come off as detached and indifferent to the entire situation. The characters traits entirely determine what happens in the plot. Robert plays the role of wheedling manipulator, Hadley plays the role of the weak female willing to do anything do make her man happy.
5. Can you imagine another good ending for the story? Why or why not?
As a hardcore feminist, I can imagine a lot of better endings for this story. Hadley actually growing a spine and a character and standing up for herself would have been lovely. Robert being less pushy and less unwilling to actually discuss the issue at hand rather than push his own agenda would have been nice too. I would have preferred a better interaction and more realistic dialogue in the story for the situation. But as the story is, it’s entirely Hemingway and his version of the male/female dynamic, which I personally despise.
***************************************************************************
Okay so....that was Week 2. Week 3 went like this:
World Geography
Maps Assignment: 93.33%
Exam 1: 80.85% (something went wrong with this assignment online so this grade is null and void but....this is what I got on it anyway)
Overall: 88.98%
Creative Writing
Week 3 Journal Entry Discussion: 100%
Week 3 Written Assignment - Name Character: 100%
The Fiction Project - Outline Plot from Journal: 100%
Overall: 100% (sensing a trend here?)
College Algebra
Week 3 Algebra Problems: 88%
Week 3 Test on Chapter 1: 65%
Week 3 Discussion: 100%
Overall: I didn't get at the time and it's cumulative so....sorry.
Astronomy
Week 3 Exploration - Composition of the Giants: 86%
Week 3 Discussion - Jupiter the Great: 100% (for this discussion assignment we were supposed to hypothesize what would happen if the Earth were the size of Jupiter and how it would effect mankind's evolution. Aside from myself and one other person, everyone in the class claimed Armageddon would be upon us - depressing and scary people there.)
Overall: 93.81%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 3 Discussion: 95%
Week 3 Updating Joe's Deli Lab: 85%
Overall: 95.24% (this instructor is this quarter's Typography guy - he's an absolute asshat).
Nothing majorly interesting to share with y'all from Week 3. Sorry. On to Week 4!
World Geography
Week 4 Research Assignment - Rwandan Genocide: 94%
Maps Assignment: 100%
Discussion - Interpreting Movement: 80% (this was the worst discussion assignment ever. She did not clearly explain what she wanted and it was absolutely ridiculous. We all tanked it. Did she take into account maybe she didn't explain it well? Nah! We're all just too dumb. What. Ever.)
Overall: 90.79%
Creative Writing
Week 4 Journal Entry: 100%
Week 4 Story Analysis: 100%
Fiction Project - Build Characters: 100%
Overall: 100%
College Algebra
Week 4 Chapter Problems: 96%
Test on Chapter 2: 60%
Week 4 Discussion: 100%
Overall: 81.05% (I can do okay getting the problems done, but for some reason the tests just kick my ass)
Astronomy
Week 4 Exploration: 90%
Week 4 Discussion: 100%
Week 4 Quiz: 90%
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design
Week 4 Design Project - Site Architecture: 100% (his comments? "ok looks fine" Gee - thanks for the feedback)
Week 4 Discussion: 95% (his comments? "good work" No explanation on the discount on my grade)
Week 4 Lab - Joe's Deli: 90%
Overall: 94.75%
So....for Week 4's World Geography class we had to write a research paper on the Rwandan Genocide. I didn't get a 100% on this because I did no in-text citations (which I never do - I think they're tacky) but aside from that, I think I approached the subject well and honestly - judge for yourself:
World Geography - Week 4 Rwandan Genocide Research Paper
In 1994, the two main factions of the Rwandan people declared yet another war on each other, resulting in the deaths of over 800,000 people. The war was the result of decades of ongoing tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Rwanda. As far as laying blame for the conflict, the main blame belongs to the Rwandan people themselves. Rather than attempt to work out differences between one another in a civilized manner, they chose to attempt to exterminate each other. The history of the region basically states that the Belgian government took over Rwanda from the Germans after World War I. They chose to offer benefits such as wealth, cattle and status to the Tutsi minority, and the Hutu majority was left as the lower income working class. This caused tensions that sparked conflicts between tribes well before the 1994 incident.
In answer to the question of whether or not the United States or the United Nations could have done anything to help, my answer would be no. This is a similar situation, in my mind, to that faced with the Palestinian versus Jewish conflict in the Middle East. Both sides are convinced that they are right and that there is no recourse other than wiping out the other. Rather than have United States or United Nations servicemen and women killed, I believe it is best to stay out of these kinds of conflicts and focus more on our own country and dealing with our issues before trying to police the world. It was suggested in my reading that the United States or United Nations could have threatened to impose sanctions to get the Hutu people to fall back into line, but based on this history of this region, I believe that it would only have been a matter of time before all out war was declared.
As to how I would handle living in such an environment, while the United States is not a third-world nation, we do have our own inner conflicts that still exist to this day. Living in a southern state in America, it is not hard to see that ethnic hatred and intolerance exist here. It would be remiss and ridiculous to assume that we are by any means free of the same kinds of hatred and violent predilection that exist in Rwanda. The Ku Klux Klan is still in operation, and more and more people are factioning themselves off and turning on one another based on race, religion, sexual preference, or economic disparity. Living in a country like Rwanda would be a difficult life, with no real options for education or future growth unless you were part of the more privileged minority. It is hard to speculate on what a life in these types of countries is like. If you are part of the majority, without power or education, then you will believe what your leaders tell you and act accordingly. If you are part of the privileged minority, then you will be raised with an “us-versus-them” mentality and a preconceived theory of entitlement over your fellow man.
As to why these kinds of conflicts arise, very simply they are based on ignorance, intolerance, hatred, and the absolute belief of one side that they are right and the other is wrong. Without the tolerance to allow all peoples to exist, regardless of whether or not your beliefs are the same, there will always be conflicts and war. Add to that issue the circumstances present in the Rwandan conflict of a privileged minority discriminating and trying to hold down the lesser majority, and you have the perfect ingredients for conflict and war. Deep-seeded notions of entitlement, hatred, intolerance, ignorance and anger are passed down generation to generation, and without the education and understanding that other conflict resolutions are possible; people become mired in a status quo of destruction and death.
I believe all people have the right to live freely. I believe all people are responsible for their own actions and that the circumstances in which you are raised are simply that, circumstances. It is up to the individual to believe what they are taught, or to try to find a different way. Some of the Hutu people believed differently than their brethren and tried to help the Tutsi people. The United Nations sent peacekeepers to try to show the people of Rwanda that there were other options besides war. Once those people made their determination that extinction was the only answer, I firmly believe the United Nations and the Unites States were right in pulling their people out of Rwanda. In situations like this, as in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, when people are determined no matter what that war is the only solution, it goes beyond anything any outside agency or governing body can control. I for one do not believe there will ever be peace in the Middle East. Both sides are completely certain that they are right and that the other side has no place in their world or their country. These people will continue to fight until they either obliterate the other or themselves. Similarly, the Hutu and Tutsi people in Rwanda have been having altercations and wars since their country’s beginning. The world can look on and say tragedy took place and lament the losses, but the fact is that those people chose to turn on one another, and the odds are, they will choose at some later point to do it again. The United States and United Nations can counsel, they can try to help people to see other options in a situation, but barring that, I believe it to be the height of arrogance and stupidity to interfere in an ethnic war not of our making or understanding.
Resources
Anderson, T. (2009). RWANDEN GENOCIDE. Rwandan Genocide, 1-3. http://search.ebscohost.com
(2009). The difficulty of trying to stop it happening ever again. Economist, 390(8626), 45-46. http://search.ebscohost.com
Baldauf, S. (2009, April 7). Why the US didn’t intervene in the Rwandan genocide. Christian Science Monitor, p. 6. http://search.ebscohost.com
********************************************************************************
So....that was Week 4. For Week 5, it's a good thing I decided to go and update this because I had to go and look for my grades and found that my Web Authoring dick of a teacher did not grade my discussions properly - he gave me a zero for one saying I did no posts - dumbass. So....sent him a little e-mail requesting he remove head from sphincter, then grade (but actually nicely and respectfully asked he re-check - still - same overall sentiment). Ugh. Anyhoo....aside from that, here's how the rest broke down:
World Geography
Week 5 Discussion: 100% (this discussion was over whether environment, culture or both effect how a society prospers. I said environment. Whatever.)
Overall: 95% (this will be my mid-term grade so....solid A there)
Creative Writing
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Week 5 Journal Entry: 100%
Fiction Project - Describe the Setting: 100%
Overall: 100% (again, solid A here. Nothing major to post. I'm not going to post my journal entries here because they're personal and as for the Fiction Project, I'm just going to wait and post the final result.) :)
College Algebra
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Week 5 Test on Chapter 3: 55% (now, this was after I finally scheduled regular tutoring sessions for every week in this class - for some reason, I am having serious disconnect on these quizzes!)
Week 5 Algebra Problems: 95%
Overall: 82.41 (this - I think is actually close to C territory. I will be honest people, I simply want to pass this class, that is all - just pass it and not have to retake it. As long as I'm above 70%, I think I'm okay.)
Astronomy
Week 5 Exploration: 96%
Week 5 Discussion: 100%
Overall: About 93% (he graded something of Week 6's already so it's thrown off the cumulative. Still an A- though.)
So - again, nothing really postable this week and I'm going to have to wait for clarification on the Web Authoring grade. Ugh. :( See - here's how I know I've been down in a funk - last couple of quarters, I stalked my grades every week. This quarter - if I hadn't gone to update this and checked them, I would not have caught that discrepancy. It's weird - and totally unlike me. But, as I say, I think I have a handle on things now and the rest of the quarter should be better. Life has been really stressful and crazy and I have been fighting some depressive issues so - overall, I think I'm doing pretty good. And as I say - I have found my way back to the light. :)
I have a load of papers I have to complete for all of my classes and lots of quizzes coming up. As I say, we are nearing the end of Week 6 and Monday starts Week 7. I am going to try to be better about updating this as it's for my own good as well as to keep all you friendlies informed. :) Sorry I've been behind. Guess I did kinda fall off the planet there for a while, but I'm back now. :) Okay so....until Week 6's grades arrive - cheers! ;)
P.S. - It should go without saying, but, again, everything written here belongs to ME and ME alone!!!! Don't be a loser and steal my stuff. You don't have the snark, and you know it.
P.P.S - Almost forgot - things are going well in my 3D Animation class. My grade is an A, but I won't have anything to post really until our final paper and projects are finished - but it's all good! :)
Friday, October 16, 2009
End of Week 2/Week 1 Grades
Hi all.
So far it's been a pretty good week. I've gotten a better handle on my time organization now that I have a week under my belt with all six classes. It's a juggle, but I'm doing alright. :) Yay.
Assignments this week are going well, aside from the reading in my Creative Writing book. Y'all, I don't know if there's something in the paper or ink of that book or what, but I kid you not, when I open it to read it, I can't read past the second paragraph without my eyes immediately closing. I close that book and I wake right up. It is seriously, seriously weird. :)
With the end of Week 2, Week 1's grades have finally been posted and so....without further ado, here are my grades for Week 1 of classes:
World Geography - we only had a discussion posting assigned for Week 1 so....that was kind of easy. I got 100%.
Creative Writing - we had a discussion post, two journal entries, and a quiz on our reading. I got 100% on all of them.
College Algebra - we had two tutorials we had to do to learn how to correctly put together and submit our homework. One in MS Equation Editor and one in MS Graph Chart - I got 100% on both. Then we had a discussion posting which was us answering and submitting our answer to one problem for the initial post, and then checking the work of a classmate for our reply post. I got 100% on this as well. Then we had our assigned problems we had to work out and submit on our chapter. I got 92%! I was so freaking happy with that I cannot even fully express it! So far, so good!
Astronomy - we had a discussion in this class that I referenced in previous posts. Seems that asking the follow-up question got me some more points on that. My discussion grade was 90%. We also had a written assignment and my grade on that was 96%. So....this class is kind of a struggle for me but I'm doing the best I can.
Web Authoring & Design - we had a discussion post on HTML vs. Dreamweaver that I referenced earlier here. I managed to not sound like a complete idiot apparently and I got 100% on that. I also got my project idea approved and 100% on the proposal. Lastly we had our hand-coded HTML webpage that I was really, really worried about, but it turned out I got 100% on it. Yay. :)
So....my class percentages are currently as follows:
World Geography: 100%
Creative Writing: 100%
College Algebra: 97.33%
Astronomy: 94.29%
Web Authoring & Design: 100%
I'm going to have to work on and watch that Astronomy grade because the cutoff for an A is 93%. I so want to get my 4.0 this quarter, y'all! Please, please, please!! The six classes are a LOT of work, as I anticipated, but also like I anticipated, I can handle it just fine. I'm learning lots of new things and it's all getting very interesting. There are no grades currently for 3D Animation because the way class is structured, we're working on pieces of our final projects to submit. Our first piece is our completed storyboards and they are due to be presented this coming Wednesday night, along with preliminary modeling and texturing. I'll keep you apprised as to the results.
As far as assignments to share with you, this first week really didn't have anything shareable, but the assignments I'm working on this week show a little more promise. As always, watch this space! :) Cheers all.
So far it's been a pretty good week. I've gotten a better handle on my time organization now that I have a week under my belt with all six classes. It's a juggle, but I'm doing alright. :) Yay.
Assignments this week are going well, aside from the reading in my Creative Writing book. Y'all, I don't know if there's something in the paper or ink of that book or what, but I kid you not, when I open it to read it, I can't read past the second paragraph without my eyes immediately closing. I close that book and I wake right up. It is seriously, seriously weird. :)
With the end of Week 2, Week 1's grades have finally been posted and so....without further ado, here are my grades for Week 1 of classes:
World Geography - we only had a discussion posting assigned for Week 1 so....that was kind of easy. I got 100%.
Creative Writing - we had a discussion post, two journal entries, and a quiz on our reading. I got 100% on all of them.
College Algebra - we had two tutorials we had to do to learn how to correctly put together and submit our homework. One in MS Equation Editor and one in MS Graph Chart - I got 100% on both. Then we had a discussion posting which was us answering and submitting our answer to one problem for the initial post, and then checking the work of a classmate for our reply post. I got 100% on this as well. Then we had our assigned problems we had to work out and submit on our chapter. I got 92%! I was so freaking happy with that I cannot even fully express it! So far, so good!
Astronomy - we had a discussion in this class that I referenced in previous posts. Seems that asking the follow-up question got me some more points on that. My discussion grade was 90%. We also had a written assignment and my grade on that was 96%. So....this class is kind of a struggle for me but I'm doing the best I can.
Web Authoring & Design - we had a discussion post on HTML vs. Dreamweaver that I referenced earlier here. I managed to not sound like a complete idiot apparently and I got 100% on that. I also got my project idea approved and 100% on the proposal. Lastly we had our hand-coded HTML webpage that I was really, really worried about, but it turned out I got 100% on it. Yay. :)
So....my class percentages are currently as follows:
World Geography: 100%
Creative Writing: 100%
College Algebra: 97.33%
Astronomy: 94.29%
Web Authoring & Design: 100%
I'm going to have to work on and watch that Astronomy grade because the cutoff for an A is 93%. I so want to get my 4.0 this quarter, y'all! Please, please, please!! The six classes are a LOT of work, as I anticipated, but also like I anticipated, I can handle it just fine. I'm learning lots of new things and it's all getting very interesting. There are no grades currently for 3D Animation because the way class is structured, we're working on pieces of our final projects to submit. Our first piece is our completed storyboards and they are due to be presented this coming Wednesday night, along with preliminary modeling and texturing. I'll keep you apprised as to the results.
As far as assignments to share with you, this first week really didn't have anything shareable, but the assignments I'm working on this week show a little more promise. As always, watch this space! :) Cheers all.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
End of Week 1 - WOW! o.O
Hey y'all.
So it's definitely been an interesting week. I didn't figure I'd be bored with six classes this quarter and I figured right! Wow! :)
So....the rundown:
Creative Writing is so far okay. I'm not entirely thrilled yet but it's the first week so....whaddya want, right? I am a little peeved that week 2 is starting and we're reading Hemingway. I reiterate my earlier complaint that there are fantastic female writers that can be featured too. But....looks like we're sticking with the "classic" males - yuck. For the record - I hate Hemingway with a fiery passion. What.ever. We also have to keep a journal in this class. That....kinda bugs. Not a favorite thing for me to do and not a way I like to write but....c'est la vie. First assignments were pretty mellow, we'll see how it goes.
World Geography - this is definitely going to be a class that irritates me this quarter. The instructor already has my back up based on the first discussion post. She put together a slideshow about quotes by famous people (all incredibly dated, by the way), stating how important the study of geography is and how stupid Americans are for not knowing it or studying it anymore. Then the discussion was to post which you liked best and why and explain. And everyone jumped on the anti-American bandwagon so fast it made my head spin. Now, I'll grant you, I haven't actually taken a "geography" class since junior high, but the concepts we're learning I have been exposed to through other courses and that other thing called....ummmm....what is it?.....oh yeah - LIFE! Hello??!! My argument on the boards was that with the world getting smaller due to technology and the Internet, you have to work really, really hard to be ignorant of other cultures and the issues around the world. Doesn't mean people aren't, just that you have to work at it. I did not receive any replies. Everyone else was just "oh yeah, we Americans are so stupid and I don't know anything about geography and ZOMG! how did I ever live without this class??!!" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. 10th generation American here people. America, she has her issues, but don't dog my country. Seriously - that's a road straight to an ass kicking. So....it's just the overall highbrow tone of it all that just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm keeping an open mind going into week 2. We shall see what occurs from there.
College Algebra is exactly the problem I anticipated. I haven't had a math class in 22 years y'all and we're doing this pre-algebra review thing this week and all I can tell you is we aren't reviewing anything I ever learned! Also? Remember when you were forced to take algebra in school and you asked the teacher why you had to and he/she said that some day it would come in really handy in later life? Well....I'm in later life y'all and that shit is pure D bull crap. I've never used it once! But....I don't make the rules. Luckily, there is a SmarThinking tutoring service online that helped me with one problem and I'm getting through okay. Honestly, I think it's more I psych myself out about the whole thing and that makes it difficult. That and I have zero, no, patience at all. It's just not a virtue I was gifted with so when I try to do things that I consider chores and they frustrate me, it makes me want to rip my own face off. But, I'm handling it and I am doing okay. It's just....frustrating.
Astronomy.....astronomy has some s'plaining to do, let me tell you. I apparently got the answers to our first discussion posting wrong and have posted a reply/question to the instructor asking why. As of yet, two days later, no answer. Grrr! Anyway, the questions were 1. to rank by size the following: planet, star, solar system, galaxy, galaxy cluster. Then 2) to determine which were within one light-year of Earth and which within 100 light-years. So....I looked on the NASA site suggested and that is a hot mess, let me tell you. I tried the Hubble site - made by the same people. I even turned to Google - no joy. I dunno if it was my search parameters or what, but I did not find the answers. So....went to the book and all I could find was a picture that I went off of and apparently that was wrong. Apparently stars are bigger than planets. Did you know that? Well, if not, congratulations! - you learned something new today. My question for the instructor is what the deal is, then, with all the pictures I've ever seen showing planets as bigger than stars and if size is relative like some planets are bigger than others - are maybe some stars bigger than others and thereby possibly smaller than planets? We'll see if he replies. At this point, I'm about out of give a damn on this one.
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design....y'all, I love my school, I really do, but if I have one beef with it it is this - classes like this tend to cater to those who know the most and leave behind the newbies. The problem with that? - this is a FUNDAMENTALS CLASS - c'mon already! We've got one absolute asshat who is already annoying the crap out of me bitching and complaining that he hates-Dreamweaver-and-ZOMG!-HTML-rocks-y'all!-and-why-the-hell-do-we-have-to-use-this-book-and-why-haven't-we-made-up-our-profiles-with-our-pictures and seriously? I want him to shut up and go far, far away - I really, really do. For our first assignment we had to use HTML to hand-code a web page about our hometown. There were some tutorials linked on the course's resource page and a couple paragraphs lecture and that was it. Y'all, I've never seen or touched HTML in my life! So....I'm struggling through and put together a site that probably sucks beyond the telling, while the rest of the class is on the forum all complaining/defending HTML vs. Dreamweaver vs. other tools and it all just makes me tired. ::le sigh:: We'll see how it all shakes out. We also have a final project that we'll work on all quarter, similar to Typography, building a website for a service business. It could be real or fictional and I chose a fictional bakery. We'll see if he approves it.
And finally, my favorite class (you knew it would be) 3D Animation. How do I love this stuff? Let me count the ways!! :) Pretty much the same people as last class, same instructor, and just a good vibe overall. That said, helluva lot of work this quarter! W.O.W.! o.O We're doing individual projects this quarter, which I prefer to last quarter. I would be pissed if we had to rely on people who don't show up again! Our final project consists of a movie of 12 storyboarded scenes. In addition, we have a research paper and a solar system project due. So....needless to say, I'm gonna be spending a LOT of time on campus working on that. I am still so extremely irritated that we do not get this software with this class, but I'm hopeful maybe sometime that might change. Until then, as I do not trust sites like Bit Torrent, I'll commute to the school and keep it all safe and above-board to get my work done.
So....that's the first week in a nutshell. I'm a bit tired and really kinda cranky cuz I've been trying to get through the last of the algebra due tomorrow. Might be part of the crank factor here. The rest is just legitimate irritation with some issues/situations. All that being said, I am actually enjoying the learning and looking forward to seeing how the rest of the quarter plays out. And on that note, I think it's time to call it a night. Catch you next week for another exciting episode of Going Back To School When You're Ancient. Peace!
So it's definitely been an interesting week. I didn't figure I'd be bored with six classes this quarter and I figured right! Wow! :)
So....the rundown:
Creative Writing is so far okay. I'm not entirely thrilled yet but it's the first week so....whaddya want, right? I am a little peeved that week 2 is starting and we're reading Hemingway. I reiterate my earlier complaint that there are fantastic female writers that can be featured too. But....looks like we're sticking with the "classic" males - yuck. For the record - I hate Hemingway with a fiery passion. What.ever. We also have to keep a journal in this class. That....kinda bugs. Not a favorite thing for me to do and not a way I like to write but....c'est la vie. First assignments were pretty mellow, we'll see how it goes.
World Geography - this is definitely going to be a class that irritates me this quarter. The instructor already has my back up based on the first discussion post. She put together a slideshow about quotes by famous people (all incredibly dated, by the way), stating how important the study of geography is and how stupid Americans are for not knowing it or studying it anymore. Then the discussion was to post which you liked best and why and explain. And everyone jumped on the anti-American bandwagon so fast it made my head spin. Now, I'll grant you, I haven't actually taken a "geography" class since junior high, but the concepts we're learning I have been exposed to through other courses and that other thing called....ummmm....what is it?.....oh yeah - LIFE! Hello??!! My argument on the boards was that with the world getting smaller due to technology and the Internet, you have to work really, really hard to be ignorant of other cultures and the issues around the world. Doesn't mean people aren't, just that you have to work at it. I did not receive any replies. Everyone else was just "oh yeah, we Americans are so stupid and I don't know anything about geography and ZOMG! how did I ever live without this class??!!" and I....threw up a little in my mouth. 10th generation American here people. America, she has her issues, but don't dog my country. Seriously - that's a road straight to an ass kicking. So....it's just the overall highbrow tone of it all that just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm keeping an open mind going into week 2. We shall see what occurs from there.
College Algebra is exactly the problem I anticipated. I haven't had a math class in 22 years y'all and we're doing this pre-algebra review thing this week and all I can tell you is we aren't reviewing anything I ever learned! Also? Remember when you were forced to take algebra in school and you asked the teacher why you had to and he/she said that some day it would come in really handy in later life? Well....I'm in later life y'all and that shit is pure D bull crap. I've never used it once! But....I don't make the rules. Luckily, there is a SmarThinking tutoring service online that helped me with one problem and I'm getting through okay. Honestly, I think it's more I psych myself out about the whole thing and that makes it difficult. That and I have zero, no, patience at all. It's just not a virtue I was gifted with so when I try to do things that I consider chores and they frustrate me, it makes me want to rip my own face off. But, I'm handling it and I am doing okay. It's just....frustrating.
Astronomy.....astronomy has some s'plaining to do, let me tell you. I apparently got the answers to our first discussion posting wrong and have posted a reply/question to the instructor asking why. As of yet, two days later, no answer. Grrr! Anyway, the questions were 1. to rank by size the following: planet, star, solar system, galaxy, galaxy cluster. Then 2) to determine which were within one light-year of Earth and which within 100 light-years. So....I looked on the NASA site suggested and that is a hot mess, let me tell you. I tried the Hubble site - made by the same people. I even turned to Google - no joy. I dunno if it was my search parameters or what, but I did not find the answers. So....went to the book and all I could find was a picture that I went off of and apparently that was wrong. Apparently stars are bigger than planets. Did you know that? Well, if not, congratulations! - you learned something new today. My question for the instructor is what the deal is, then, with all the pictures I've ever seen showing planets as bigger than stars and if size is relative like some planets are bigger than others - are maybe some stars bigger than others and thereby possibly smaller than planets? We'll see if he replies. At this point, I'm about out of give a damn on this one.
Fundamentals of Web Authoring and Design....y'all, I love my school, I really do, but if I have one beef with it it is this - classes like this tend to cater to those who know the most and leave behind the newbies. The problem with that? - this is a FUNDAMENTALS CLASS - c'mon already! We've got one absolute asshat who is already annoying the crap out of me bitching and complaining that he hates-Dreamweaver-and-ZOMG!-HTML-rocks-y'all!-and-why-the-hell-do-we-have-to-use-this-book-and-why-haven't-we-made-up-our-profiles-with-our-pictures and seriously? I want him to shut up and go far, far away - I really, really do. For our first assignment we had to use HTML to hand-code a web page about our hometown. There were some tutorials linked on the course's resource page and a couple paragraphs lecture and that was it. Y'all, I've never seen or touched HTML in my life! So....I'm struggling through and put together a site that probably sucks beyond the telling, while the rest of the class is on the forum all complaining/defending HTML vs. Dreamweaver vs. other tools and it all just makes me tired. ::le sigh:: We'll see how it all shakes out. We also have a final project that we'll work on all quarter, similar to Typography, building a website for a service business. It could be real or fictional and I chose a fictional bakery. We'll see if he approves it.
And finally, my favorite class (you knew it would be) 3D Animation. How do I love this stuff? Let me count the ways!! :) Pretty much the same people as last class, same instructor, and just a good vibe overall. That said, helluva lot of work this quarter! W.O.W.! o.O We're doing individual projects this quarter, which I prefer to last quarter. I would be pissed if we had to rely on people who don't show up again! Our final project consists of a movie of 12 storyboarded scenes. In addition, we have a research paper and a solar system project due. So....needless to say, I'm gonna be spending a LOT of time on campus working on that. I am still so extremely irritated that we do not get this software with this class, but I'm hopeful maybe sometime that might change. Until then, as I do not trust sites like Bit Torrent, I'll commute to the school and keep it all safe and above-board to get my work done.
So....that's the first week in a nutshell. I'm a bit tired and really kinda cranky cuz I've been trying to get through the last of the algebra due tomorrow. Might be part of the crank factor here. The rest is just legitimate irritation with some issues/situations. All that being said, I am actually enjoying the learning and looking forward to seeing how the rest of the quarter plays out. And on that note, I think it's time to call it a night. Catch you next week for another exciting episode of Going Back To School When You're Ancient. Peace!
Friday, October 2, 2009
This Makes Me Feel a Little Better
Hey everybody!
Well....Fall Quarter starts on Monday! Actually, the online classes will be available at 12:01 a.m. Sunday/Monday so....I'll be up to get online and check it all out! :)
I have good news! Despite the issue with my Drawing Design grade, I still managed to make the Dean's List and also made the Perfect Attendance List - two quarters in a row! Didn't make the Director's List (again) but there's always Fall Quarter, right? :) This makes me feel a bit better. My overall GPA for two quarters is 3.84, which really isn't that bad. Right? Sure. Okay. Moving on....
I have been reading ahead in all of my course books. I'm going to have some problems with the Astronomy one, I can tell you right now. Partly because I keep confusing the word Astronomy with Astrology, and partly because I'm not sure I buy some of the stuff they are selling. How do they know all this stuff about billions of light years from us and all that jazz? I will be interested in seeing some PROOF!! :)
My World Geography book and atlas are MASSIVE! And very detailed. Pretty much this quarter's Intro to Business reading. Large pages, small print, very small margins so there's lots to read on a page, and interminably long chapters. Oy! But, it is kind of interesting. I think I'll learn a lot.
The Creative Writing book I mentioned in a previous post. I'm not really impressed with it. I hope the lecture and assignments in that class make up for how much the book sucks. We shall see.
My new 3DS Max book is chock full of lots of cool stuff, but the best part of that class has never been the book, it's the class. I really enjoy it and am looking forward to diving back in again. The only downside? It's on Wednesday nights which means I miss Glee. :( Sad. But, luckily there's Hulu so...moving on! :)
College Algebra is going to be a hot mess no matter what. I watched the first couple of tutorials and it makes sense, which worries me. Math and I, we've never been close. We'll see what kind of relationship builds over this quarter. Again, I think that's a class that's going to be made or broken by the lectures, assignments, and instructor.
Web Design book is all about Dreamweaver. It's the one I'm trying to work my way through now. So far, it's interesting. I'm trying to read as far ahead as I can in case I'm in a class with people who already know the program. The one downfall I have found in some of my classes it that the instructors skew to those who know the most, not those who know the least. Makes for a lot of outside-of-class work if you're on the lower end of the scale.
So....that's the latest. I am somewhat pacified by making both lists again for Summer Quarter. I'm still ticked about that grade, but I'm trying to get it go. It's a process. :) Anyhoo....that's the latest. I'll be back after classes start with all the latest news! Cheers until then!
Well....Fall Quarter starts on Monday! Actually, the online classes will be available at 12:01 a.m. Sunday/Monday so....I'll be up to get online and check it all out! :)
I have good news! Despite the issue with my Drawing Design grade, I still managed to make the Dean's List and also made the Perfect Attendance List - two quarters in a row! Didn't make the Director's List (again) but there's always Fall Quarter, right? :) This makes me feel a bit better. My overall GPA for two quarters is 3.84, which really isn't that bad. Right? Sure. Okay. Moving on....
I have been reading ahead in all of my course books. I'm going to have some problems with the Astronomy one, I can tell you right now. Partly because I keep confusing the word Astronomy with Astrology, and partly because I'm not sure I buy some of the stuff they are selling. How do they know all this stuff about billions of light years from us and all that jazz? I will be interested in seeing some PROOF!! :)
My World Geography book and atlas are MASSIVE! And very detailed. Pretty much this quarter's Intro to Business reading. Large pages, small print, very small margins so there's lots to read on a page, and interminably long chapters. Oy! But, it is kind of interesting. I think I'll learn a lot.
The Creative Writing book I mentioned in a previous post. I'm not really impressed with it. I hope the lecture and assignments in that class make up for how much the book sucks. We shall see.
My new 3DS Max book is chock full of lots of cool stuff, but the best part of that class has never been the book, it's the class. I really enjoy it and am looking forward to diving back in again. The only downside? It's on Wednesday nights which means I miss Glee. :( Sad. But, luckily there's Hulu so...moving on! :)
College Algebra is going to be a hot mess no matter what. I watched the first couple of tutorials and it makes sense, which worries me. Math and I, we've never been close. We'll see what kind of relationship builds over this quarter. Again, I think that's a class that's going to be made or broken by the lectures, assignments, and instructor.
Web Design book is all about Dreamweaver. It's the one I'm trying to work my way through now. So far, it's interesting. I'm trying to read as far ahead as I can in case I'm in a class with people who already know the program. The one downfall I have found in some of my classes it that the instructors skew to those who know the most, not those who know the least. Makes for a lot of outside-of-class work if you're on the lower end of the scale.
So....that's the latest. I am somewhat pacified by making both lists again for Summer Quarter. I'm still ticked about that grade, but I'm trying to get it go. It's a process. :) Anyhoo....that's the latest. I'll be back after classes start with all the latest news! Cheers until then!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)