Ongoing Goals

Here is a list of my Goals for the rest of the year.

Academics:

Work up to level 14 on KhanAcademy
Bring all my Grades up to an A in school.
Complete with a 90% or above my Pre-Algebra and Algebra workbooks
Retake the CPT and get a minimum score of 100 in Arithmatic AND Algebra

Electives:

French
Esperanto
Conversational Spanish
ASL dialog phrases + vocab
Mental Math
Calculus
Computer Programming

Health:

Lose 60 lbs
More Energy
More Water
Colon Cleanse
Fast 40 days

Hobbies:

Complete 6 chapters for a Fiction novel
Read 10 books minimum
Drawing/Cartooning
Design 3 Websites
From the Pupils Mouth

Whats Next?

What, now that I'm all but done with Web Design Services, will I do?

Exactly what I've been planning to do all along. I'm going to work through my college text books to try and get ahead of myself before the classes start. I've read some of the History book already but starting tomorrow, Monday June 1, 2009. I will work in each book for atleast 45 minutes a day.

I would also like to keep in mind where I am going in the future. My aim is to have the A.A. Degree by the end of Spring 2010. I can begin working on either a certificate or my 2nd Associate degree that summer, depending on which classes are available.

I also dont want to forget 2 vocational certifications: Real Estate and Nursing Assistant. I'll probably take Real Estate as a night class for 2 weeks in the Fall, but when will I squeeze in the Nursing Assistant program is the big question. It takes 6-8 weeks, I suppose I could take some combination of SPI and evening classes at the college in the beginning of the Fall, so I could attend the Nursing class, but I dont know if thats doable yet. I will have to crunch some numbers, gloss over some textbooks and think about it for a little bit.

Final Phase of Web Design Services

Okay so I did it. With the exception of 2 or 3 very minor edits, I have completed my Final Exam project and, in essence, my Web Design program. It took me a 2 days longer than I'd anticipated (more like 1.5) but I'm happy and satisfied with what I've done, but I think I am beginning to care about that 'piece of paper' known as a completion certificate a little more than I initially thought. It would've still been nice to finish on Thursday or sooner, as I'd planned but it just wasn't written for me to pull it off exactly as I planned and I know that in truth the only one to blame is me.

I did ALOT of slacking off from mid- March to late April. Its a miracle that I finished at all and to tell you the truth readers, I didn't commit myself to PHP the way I did the other standards and technologies. I read the pages and did all the steps but I decided the completion was a lot more important than just that one thing so I'm willing to admit that I sacrificed an 'A' in comprehension for the chance to finish on schedule. If I had to grade my comprehension of PHP then I'd give myself a 'C'. I dont think I will ever do that again. From now on, if I dont commit myself to the task 100% I will not cut corners on my education, I will simply suffer the bitter consequence but I am not really happy with the fact that I wound up trading quantity for quality.

Anyway I spent part of Friday, all of Saturday and the morning of Sunday on my web project. I kept messing up on simple tasks and forcing myself into a deeper and deeper hole until I created 3 NEW websites to just replace it, then I woke up this morning with a sense of clarity. I dug out the root files I'd made in the beginning and I set to work editing and updating frantically to repair my ruined project which I started the mornign with scraps of the original. I regret having not simply fixed it Friday and turning it all in that same day, but I wasn't able to work much Friday.

On a related yet slightly less linear note, I beleive I've developed carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist. I'm going to work on getting a brace for it, a new mouse and also I plan to investigate the dvorak typing system because I dont know how I will get through college working like this.

My wrists been hurting for the past 3 weeks I think, mainly in my right hand. I'm going to look into getting a better chair and computer set up.

Having gone through Web Design the way that I did I learned a good deal about time management, goal setting, clarity, procrastination, self motivation, etc. I'd like to write some articles about it over the next few weeks. Well, see.

Latest Developments in Web Design

Okay well, long story short. I didn't finish on time. Today did NOT go at all as I planned or imagined that it could, though I guess I was sort of hoping for this to happen. I did complete my web portfolio. My teacher thought that it looked good, she was pleased and I was pleased.

I showed her what I had on the final exam project and she liked it, but she had some suggestions that I make to the over all layout to make it look more...I dont know, I guess catchier. It wasn't fancy smancy but I like the way that it looks now and I think that the client will too, but the Teacher made some good points and just now I had another idea. I'm going to go get my memory card when I'm done with this post and get to work on the revised layout.

Anyway, Teacher told me this morning, after she checked my portfolio and the website that I had 2 more options to consider. I could have an extension/grace period. I have until 4pm on June 2, Tuesday, to turn in the completed assignment and recieve my final benchmark certificate AND get my diploma for the class. IF for some reason that doesn't work out, then I can enroll again in the Fall and get my certificate. She says that if you complete a program within 2 weeks, you get a full refund, so I wouldn't lose any money. Which was a big concern for me.

I'm a bit upset that I didn't finish, but I am pleased with what I accomplished, it just wasn't written for me to complete the course as I wanted to but I'm grateful for this grace period. It gives me a chance to tie up all the lose ends and leave this phase behind me in one smooth motion.

Besides I took about 45 minutes off because we had a presentation/party in class today and I didn't want to be rude to all my classmates and Teacher after they'd all put in something to make it happen. I left campus around 1:30 to go to the pet shop but I missed C. by some minutes. She was due back soon but after about 20 minutes I couldn't wait anymore. So I went back to class and pecked away at my source code for a bit.

To make the Teacher happy I have to:
   1--Get rid of white space at the bottom of the page
   2--Edit the banner to make it more "distinct" {furry edge}
   3--Add a background image to the content section.

After that is done then I will:

   1--Go to the Customer store and verify content, layout, color scheme etc. with her.
   2--Go to the Teacher, get her approval
   3--Host the site online

With a little good luck, alot of work and some discipline I will be done by 4pm Friday.

Lets hope so.

(Also, I had to leave 2.5 hours early)

One more day!

Okay I'm at a critical point in my Web Design program. All the text book work and hands on assignments have been completed, turned in and graded.
I've done all the reviews and taken every test.

The only thing left for me to do on Monday May 25th was a professional portfolio and a Final Exam Project. The portfolio was kind of easy, it was just a matter of forcing myself to sit down and do it. I took the weekend off to whittle away at my portfolio and to gather my wits and prepare for a meeting with my prospective customer.


For the past 3 days I've worked diligently to put together a website for a local pet-shop. Heres what I did:

By sunday I'd gone over the contract, done some basic layout design comps and knew that my customer wanted it to be simple, yet effective.

The 25th (Monday) was memorial day but instead of sitting home all day like a bump on pickle, I went to meet with my Website Customer, a nice woman named C. who runs a pet shop and supply store. We went over the contract together, brainstormed some ideas, agreed on a color scheme and drafted a layout. She's a great woman to work with, very laid back yet professional and accomodating. I was looking forward to getting started on her site and I played around with several ideas and concepts between getting home and going to sleep. I drafted a few layouts before I went to sleep but none of them had the smooth, easy going look we decided upon. They were to...rigid.

The 26th (Tuesday) I went to class as usual and briefly talked to my teacher about my meeting. (I thought she was coming back but she didn't) I told her we'd done the design comp and I would just get the layout up to be approved and go back to take some pictures of her business and her dog (its a petshop after all). I did several layouts that Tuesday but really it just worked to eliminate all the formulas that wouldn't work. Which in essence, is very similar to finding the most perfect way to make something that will work. Around 2:30 I was running out of steam. I browsed some websites and then looked up some templates and mapped out features and ideas that I could include. With some new direction and a refreshing sense of clarity I worked on some more design comps and fleshed out more web templates.

The 27th (Wednesday) I took the morning off from the classroom, because I could work from home at this point and it was more sound for me to go to class late but stop off and get the pictures needed for the website from the Customer. I got to class around 1.30pm, pictures in hand and template completed. I fleshed out content and adjusted the page. I was extra careful about incorporating the clean easy navigation she specified and used blue and off-white like she asked. (actually, she didn't care much but I offered her some common color combo's and she picked 'blue and whitish') and I was very satisfied with the way the site turned out. I had to fight with CSS all afternoon to make everything behave, but I was very pleased with it in the end. Actually, to be honest, the site lay out was simple enough, I've the got the content drafted, a couple of pictures and I bought the domain name (more on that in an upcoming "Web Finals Recap" post). I tested the service out and everything seems to be working.

I was very pleased.
My teacher was not.

She doesn't like that I'm completing the whole course in just 4 months. She say's she's not going to give me my certificate because I'm in too much of a hurry to get it all done and she thinks that I've actually taken the site public but I haven't, though it is hosted on the web now, that was for conveniences sake. I'm going to talk with her tomorrow morning ASAP to get matters sorted out.

Anyway, I finally assembled the portfolio completely and I turn it in tomorrow morning. I need to add the final touches (i.e. links, a header graphic and some grammar) to my portfolio within the 1st 45 minutes of class so I can spend the last 6.25 hours of the school year acting like a chicken with my head cut off.


My dad will chaperon me back and forth between school and the Customer throughout the afternoon to help me get everything in order. Hopefully my teacher will accept my work. If she doesn't I dont think that I will feel too disappointed. I've enjoyed this class, partly because I picked it and partly because I really like web design. I didn't go into this looking for anyone elses approval or to please or "keep up" with anything. I went to keep myself interested in learning while waiting to start jr. college. I decided I wanted to finish it all in 75 school days and, god willing, I will do just that. I dont care if I dont get another big, fancy certificate or not. I've got three "little certificates" but I know, and maybe everyone else does too, that I have earned the 4th little certificate and the big, fancy certificate that comes with completing all the work required for the web design services program.

I set my mind to something, I worked hard, I acheived it.
"Aim for the moon. Even if you fall short, you will be among the stars." was the motto I used to guide my attempt and I'm appreciative and proud of what I've done. I'm thankful to God for giving me strong reading and reasoning comprehension, for allowing me to accomplish as much as I have, for giving me everything I needed to come this far. I love my family and friends for supporting and encouraging me (and for staying out of my way when they were doubtful so as not to infect me with their occassional cynicism).

Hopefully I will update again AFTER school is over and no matter what news I have to announce, I am grateful, happy, satisfied and proud.

Till 5:00pm or later Thursday, May 28th.

OCP C!

I got it this morning,when the Teacher came in.

I got Occupational Completion Point C of the Web Design Services Program.

Its a little certificate that says I'm qualified to be a: Web Designer.

I suppose that OCP D will say that I'm qualified to be a: Web Master?

I dont know. But what this means is that I'm 3/4 of the way through with my program.

Think I can get the last quarter of the program done in just 7.5 days?

Adding a 4th Summer Class

Well, I had wanted to add a 4th class to my summer schedule. I had hoped to take a science class this summer but the class filled up :(...

If I'd gotten 4 classes out of the way this summer that would've left me with an even 16 classes to take for my AA. I like even numbers so I'm a little bummed about that. But its probably a blessing in disguise as I have already started reading and studying the 3 textbooks that I have.

I want to use my 3 weeks of break to get a real start on my college work, but I also have a few personal projects that I want to take on and I think that a 4th class might've gotten to be too much right now, especially since my time management and work ethic are still kind of poor. I have alot to do this summer to improve myself. I'm not particularly proud of the way that I handled myself in this Web Design course that I was in.

I lost my focus several times and wasted alot of time. If I'd worked diligently and purposefully everyday I probably could've finished at the beginning of this month. Now here I am with only 7 days left before the deadline. I've gotta pull together a Portfolio (that'll be easy) and I still need to do my Final Exam Project, which is going to be ALOT harder, because I need to meet with people outside of class, do a presentation to some classmates, get the clients approval, light a fire under the client to get them to pay for webhosting and I then I need to get my teacher to sign off on it. I think I can do it in 7 days, though I'd much prefer to NOT be sitting in class to day. I could accomplish alot more outside of class today.

Vocational Skills

Ya know, I'd also like to get two more vocational certificates they're much shorter than any of those I've done before but I'd like to take the classes offered at Tech School for

Real Estate Sales Agent (63), and
Nursing Assistant {Long Term Care} (210) OR Patient Care Assistant (300)

The only reason that I haven't been able to take either of these classes is scheduling. They have a real estate class starting in about a week that I would like to sign up for, but it costs though and I don't have the cash, so we shall see what happens.

As for the Health class, it will have to wait until a later time. NA would take about 28 days full time, while PCA would take 40 days. Part time is not an option for either of those programs so when I go, it'd have to be all day/full time. Hopefully something will come up that will allow me to get one of those certifications.

What am I studying for 180+ credit hours?

College Certificate

Small Business Management.................24

Personal Training....................................15

Web Technologies...................................33

Associate Degrees

Electronic Engineering Technology..........68

Associate in Arts, Gen Ed..........................60

Total Credit Hours = 200

Now, just going by the school catalog, I'd be taking 200 credit hours BUT, some (not alot, but some) of the classes that I take will apply to more than one degree/certificate that I want to obtain while a couple of places I am given the choise which classes to take pertaining to a certain area. (i.e. SBM, Cert allows me to pick between Human Resource Management and Intro. to Customer Service, I can pick two of several classes for Web Tech to fill in for my electives) where such a option is afforded to me, then I will definetely be looking to classes that will serve a double purpose.

Some might say that it'd' be dumb of me NOT to take the electives an AA degree affords you and use them, but those credit hours are spent. My hearts set on my AA electives. The classes that I plan to take as my A.A. electives are things that I am both passionate about and feel that I will enjoy. In case your wondering what my Electives will be they're French I & II (8), Spanish I & II, (8) Drawing I & II (6) and Judo I & II (2) = 24 hr. worth of electives..

The classes I only have to take once, that apply to more than one degree/certificate are:

College Composition (AA/AS)
Concepts for Positive Living (AA/AS)
Computer Literacy (AS/SMB but I'm just going to test out of this class)
Intro to Networks and Telecommunications (WT/AS)
Intro to Business (PT, SBM)
Microcomputer Applications for Business (PT/SBM)

I haven't yet sorted out the different options for my electives, but if there are any classes that I can take to serve more than one degree/certification, then I will, but my AA electives are hopefully, set in stone.

So, if you subtract those 6 classes which I wont have to retake then that is 18 hours that I dont have to take, so I suppose that is about 182 credit hours that I'm hoping to take in a span of 2.5 years.

What I want to do with my self.

I'm 19. I've been planning to be 19 since I was 12. In fact, I've been planning alot of things since I was 12, for example I had planned to begin buying my first house this year.

Thats clearly not going to happen.

According to 12 year old me, at 15 I was going to get a full time job at a WalMart and save every penny I earned, while going to Vocational School full time. I'd take my GED (and pass) at 16, I figured that by the time I was almost done being 17 I would be the proud owner of two (very interesting) Vocational certificates and go to College at 18. I'd finish jr. college at 20 with an Associate in Science degree and go on to be a world traveling, multi-millionaire toy designer and small business entreprenuer. I'd get married between 23 and 27. I'd also go finish a 4 year degree somewhere and then put an end to world hunger before retiring at 50 to live on a farm with chickens, sheep, and dogs in Canada.

Over the years I've managed to cope with the reality that is my life. Its boring but not horrific.

I'm grateful that between the ages of 15 and 18 I did manage two vocational degrees, I got my GED and even though I have never had a job I had managed to save as much as $250 once. I dont have a bank account. I'll be 19 when I start college. I still share a room with my older sister.
Yay me.

Needless to say I wake up most mornings feeling like a loser, but I have something many dont. Optimisim. Hope. I'm not dead yet and everyday is a new day. I figure that if I prioritize, work smart, and be as resourceful as humanly possible I can make an alright living and enjoy my life.

Over the past few weeks I've began to loose the clarity of what I want to do after junior college so I'm focusing on that. I know I want to go to university. I want to study Electronic Engineering and as many foriegn langauges as possible. I know that much, but exactly how to go about it is no longer clear. I'll have to work on that, I dont like to not have an absolute picture of what I want to do, or what should happen if I do exactly as I hope to.

What Do I Hope to Get Out of All This Work?

Well, thats a good question. Theres alot that I hope to get out of these next 2.5 years of junior college. I hope to utilize this time to maximize the quality and scope of my education while pushing myself and shape ethical and work habits that will continue to benefit me for the rest of my life.

My time managaement has always been sub-par, to put it nicely. My social skilsl are...blah. Oh, I can play along to get along, infact thats what I've been doing 95% of the time I'm interacting with other people for as long as I can remember. I dont particularly like many of the people in my limited social circle and I've been looking for ways and reasons to expand it for years now. I think that college will be just the way.

To the point, some of the things that I hope to take away from a maximized college experience is laid out as follows:

Academically:
(1) Vocational Certification --Paitient Care Assistant/ Practical Nursing Assistant
(2) Associate Degrees --Associate of Arts, Associate of Science in Electronic Technology

(3) Work Skills Certificates --Small Business Management, Personal Trainer, Web Technology

Recreationally:
Found a Club for something I'm passionate about. --(i.e. Esperanto, Games, Books)

Participate in 2 clubs. --Black Student Union (BSU) & International Student Organization (ISO) Try out and participate in one Team --BrainBowl or something similarly academic.

Financially:

Avoid Debt-- Like its the bloody plague, utiling as many resources for financial aid as possible.

Earn a Scholarship--For University

Make some money --How? Thats a good question.

But mostly, I just hope that I can

Improve upon Myself -- This is such a wide and varied topic that I cant include a little info on the matter. The one thing I hope to learn during my jr. college years, and take with me throughout the rest of my life, is self discipline. The rest, I feel, will fall into place with relative ease after I master my self.

Why am I going to College?

If there is one thing that my previous experience in education and schooling has taught me its that I will quickly grow frustrated, bored and even depressed with a subject if it is forced down my throat or if I really dont want to learn it. This has manifested itself over as many years as I can remember throughout a myriad of subjects. I learn best when left alone with something that I care about or can reasonably manage.

I promised myself (and my parents) that I'd go to college and get a degree.
The catch? I will only go if I can learn what I really want to and only if I have some control and say over what I study. (Since I'm such a submissive-softy where my parents are concerned, they often exercise more control of what I do, than I do.)

If I am presented with the unpleasant situation where I must do something, like it or not, then in order for me to do that necessary thing, I mean, really do it, then I have to know and understand that there is a point to it.

If I cant see the point, or dont agree with the point, then I will resent that task/subject/process every single second that I'm doing and when the ordeal is over and done with, then I will then do my very best to avoid it as much as possible for the rest of my life. (Case in point: Accounting.)

It is very easy for me to lose interest in a thing, and until my interest is renewed in that area, I cant stand to be near it or have anything to do with it. I also hate to not finish what I started.

So from Day One of planning my college experience I knew that I'd have to be able to get in and out as quickly as possible with as much education and knowledge as possible. I couldn't see myself getting just one degree in 2 years. That seemed like such a waste of time, too frustrating.

Especially since I want to learn so many different things. It just wasn't cohesive with my "Life Plan"

I figured I'd go to College for two years straight and get out with as much as possible.

Even though I start in Summer taking 3 classes, I'm not counting this time. As it is a "trial" period. They recommend that you take 2 classes during the summer since the sessions are "express" but I'm determined to take no less than 3. I had wanted to take a 4th class but couldn't afford to.

So, excluding this first Summer Session, I'll be doing my best to divide approx. 66 classes and 194 credit/units into 2-2.5 years worth of school.

Now, my school has two fifteen week semesters (Fall and Spring). It also has 3 shorter sessions during the summer, and it offers 3 distance learning programs; Tele-courses, Several classes are offered in the SPI (Self-Paced Instruction) format and of course, there are web-based classes.

If I play my cards right, utilizing all my resources and with careful time management then I should be able to divide my 60+ classes into 4 and 2 summer sessions and graduate with 2 degrees, 3 Work Skill Certificates and maybe even snag that Vocational certification that I've been wanting.

Fall 09, Spring 10, Summer 10, Fall 10, Spring 11, Summer 11.

Fortunately there is a couple of classes that I can take once and not to take again, even though the degree/certificate calls for it. I'm still working out the particulars. But only about 3 class.

Unlike some people, my interests dont cross so I'm going to have to take the 95+% of the classes for all the things that I want.

The General Idea

OR
What I want to learn and Do During College

I want to get a college education. I want to go on to university and study Electronic Engineering because I want to learn not just how things such as toasters, cell phones and remote controls work and how to make them, but I want to learn more about the art that is Engineering and electronics have always fascinated me. I'm planning to only study things in College that interest me:

So I know that I will try to learn as much "interesting" stuff as possible while in school, then spend the time I save doing some real-world learning.

So, I want to take class that will help me develop a fuller knowledge in:

Web Design and Development -- While in college I'm going to get a Work Skills Certificate in this field as its a bit more "all inclusive" than the simple Tech School Certificate I'm getting now.
Martial Arts -- Judo I and II are offered at my school and I plan to take them both. I think it'll be fun.
Athletics/ Physical Ed -- I want to get a Work Skills certificate in Personal Training also from college.
Small Business Management -- I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur and since college has a Work Skills Certificate program then why not?
Art -- I'm going to take a couple of drawing classes. I've always liked drawing but have never been any good at it.
Foreign Languages -- I plan to take a year of both Spanish and French (i.e. French I & II and Spanish I & II)
Electronic Technology -- I plan to get an A.S. Degree in it.
Paitient Care Assistant -- Okay, so you have to go to Technical School for this, so what? I've wanted to take this class since I was 16, but you had to be atleast 18 and have graduated. Its only 6-8 weeks long but I think it's a great "minor" certification to have so I want it.

I've been saying since last October or so that I would like to take a language class every year that I'm in College and University, in this manner I figured that I'd learn the crude basics in about 7 languages. I planned to start ASAP by taking I and II of French and Spanish while at community college. When I transferred to University I had hoped to study, Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese and then I'd try something like Italian while self learning ASL and Esperanto since no courses for those two languages are offered in my area.

If I play by all the rules, and take 2 years in junior college and 2.5-4 years in University then I'd be 27-28 when I finish my Bachelors in Electronic Engineering. The good thing is that I could learn as many as 6 langauges while in schoole. The bad news is that I dont when I'll die and would much prefer to actively participate in the "real world" as soon as possible.

Going by the "norm" I'd be a little too close to age 30 when I finish school. No thanks.

I think I'd rather try for the same education, working at my own pace and save myself a few (read: at least 4) years, then do something constructive with my time. I've been in self paced, secondary education classes for the past 4 years now and I think I have learned a good deal of what I am capable of.

There are many things I want to learn about, or expand my limited knowledge of, this is my reason for going to college. It is also my reason for not wanting to stay in too long. I dont want to "burn out" or risk losing my drive to go there or learn anything.

I'm in the middle of developing a mock schedule, outline and game plan to tackle the feat.
I'll be updating again soon to share my 1st drafts.

My Brief History with School.

I was a homeschooled student K-12 with the exception of the 8 months I spent in a public high school program and not including the fact that for my junior and senior year I attended my local Vocational School and became a certified Book Keeper and a Legal Administrative Assistant. I finished my second vocational course (accounting) on the last day of school, May 2008 and enjoyed a nice summer break away from schoool.

Because of my procrastination, I'd neglected to take my GED between May and September 08 so in the fall, I enrolled in an GED readiness and College prep class at my community college. I sat for my GED October of 2008, and stopped attending the program so that I could better lounge around the house, (joking) but because of the painfully slow DOE workers and post office I did not receive my HS Diploma until January, when the enrollment date for College was past.

Determined to make the most of the years that I have as a young adult and pressured by my parents to stay in school as long as possible, I returned to my local Vocational School, this time picking my course myself and determined to learn about something I was truly interested in. I picked Web Design Services.

The course normally takes 9-12 months to finish. I'm trying my best to do it all in 4.5. I have two texts books left. I'm learning one on JavaScript and then I read and do a book "AdobeDreamWeaver CS3: ASP.net, Cold Fusion, and PHP."

I started out in class working very well at my own pace. I had some knowledge of HTML and had tried to approach CSS before so the very first module was good and easy, as I progressed I was pleased to find that I understand and grasp the knowledge and concepts fairly quickly and I enjoy the class immensely. It feels great to study something you like.

But I slowed down some in March and I completely fell off my work groove in April. Now I have to do some major damage control this month if I'm to complete these two text books and all their required assignment before May 29, 2009. Lets not talk about the "Final Exam Project" just yet, alright?

Wish me luck,
She the Founder