Friday, August 24, 2012

UPDATE! 2012

As I write this, the date is August 24, 2012, 2:18pm, Central Daylight Time.  I'm posting this from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Much has happened since my last blog entries.  I attended an online business school called Jones International University, and was doing okay for a while.  I had problems with time management, and after much thought, decided to drop the program.  I also decided that I wanted a school with more focus on computer science and information technology.

I stopped attending Jones in March, 2012.  I decided to take the summer off, reconnoiter the various options available to me--both online *and* local--and decide on something by October, 2012 at the latest.

Some of the online schools I have been considering are:

1)  Colorado Technical University (offices in Colorado, online offices in Chicago [go figure on that one]).  This school has the advantage of having all their classes recorded on video or audio, so it works well with people who are 'truly working daily', and need that format.

[Insert Others Here]


Local offerings are Lincoln University and Columbia College, which has a branch campus in town.  Columbia's main campus is in Columbia, Missouri, 30 miles north of here.  I'm wanting to keep any commute local, and do not wish another 50 mile drive (25 both ways) as happened when I attended Linn State Technical College.

I'm going to face a slew of problems if I don't have the full belief that I will ultimately succeed.  I'm just on the edge of pulling myself up from below a recently explored "cliff of the dangers of despondency, depression, and despair", and I do not wish to go back down, Thank You Very Much! :-)

I'm not percolating any pipe dreams of completing my education.  I figure I can attain that goal if I choose the proper area of interest, one that will make me employable, and that will enhance my self-esteem during the process.  Emotionally, I consider myself, at this time, "Reasonably Stable".  It's been an up-and-down kind of summer, and the heat hasn't helped this former Northern Michigan Boy, either.  (Man, I wish it was about 60!)

 

Career Path To Date

July 4th was my last entry.

I've been attending Linn State Technical College in Linn, Missouri.

My emotions on this college are mixed. I wouldn't recommend the networking program (CCNA Track) to anyone, as the instructor is not very accommodating to working people; ergo, the instructor wouldn't let me make up a test.

As I do contract computer work, and sometimes have to work overnight, I may or may not be able to get to my morning classes, depending on the distance; my particular class was at 8am. I withdrew from the class after multiple negotiations failed to get anything better than a terse, short-tempered response to me in front of the entire class. The networking instructor also does not like to be confronted when it is evident that 'they' believe 'they' are correct.

I made it clear at the start of the program, as well, that as my wife works from 6pm to 6am at a factory, and that as I need to pick her up, that I might also be late for class. This didn't sit well with the instructor from the first day.

Long-Story-Short Summary: I Require Night Classes

Other instructors have been more accommodating, so an individual's mileage may vary at this college. However, they have no night classes, and some classes begin at 6am, depending on the course. Linn State Technical College in Linn, Missouri is reasonably priced, but lacks a staff that could be a bit more caring and flexible with its student body.

End Result: I am not going back for a second semester. Instead, I am pursuing the option of online classes or night classes at another local college.