Archive for June, 2009
Finally, after a week of waiting and dreading, my grades for the first block of courses are in, and I have to say I did better then I expected. As you know, we take two courses at a time and each block lasts nine weeks. My first block consisted of GEN105, Skills for Learning in an Information Age, and ENG101, Effective Essay Writing.
The GEN105 class was basically a “how do you use the computer for online classes” type of course. Basically we read online materials in Word document or PDF form, then use a discussion forum to submit assignments and answer questions. We also use this system to discuss topics with other students. Imagine that, me having to take a class to learn how to use a computer. Of course, I aced that class!
The ENG101 course was a bit more complicated, and basically taught us how to write essays, not a skill everyone has. This course required us to write what is known as an expository essay, where you simply write about the facts and use no opinion and do not try to influence the reader in any way. Those who know me KNOW that I am an oppinionated ass and always ready to argue about any topic you can think of. Writing this essay was a lot harder then I thought, and I was certain that I would receive a poor grade. I had already missed an assignment and turned one in late because I just did not plan well. Since the final essay was one quarter of the grade, I tried my best to do well. I was surprised to see my grade was an 82%, which helped my final grade, even if it was only a B-.
With the possiblity of moving I had taken a week off from school so I did not start again until today. My next classes include CIS105, Survey of Computer Systems, and ENG102, Research Writing. So one more bird course and one more tough course. Once I get through these I start on courses geared towards education, including history and social studies, my two worst subjects. I will try to keep you updated on my progress, but just know that I am dedicated to earning my degree in Elementary Education, so will likely be here in Kansas City for the next four years.
OK, everyone can ignore the last post, because after a week of thinking abou it, and packing, I decided that I want to earn my degree in Elementary Education. Since it is not possible to earn this degree in Minnesota with online courses, we will be staying here in Kansas City. But all is not lost, I will still be working for a company in Minnesota, but will work remote rather then be in the office.
I am so grateful to Charles for working with me on this. I know that I can provide some quality work for him even if I am not in the office. I will be working part time so I still have time for school and quality time with Allyssa and Laura. It will be some long days now and I know I will get pretty tired, but I have worked out a schedule that allows me to try and keep the weekends open for anything I want to do. Let’s see how long I can stick to that schedule – starting on Thursday.
While I am on the subject of school, I finished my first block of classes on Sunday and submitted my final assignments. I should know by the end of the week what my grades will be but I think I did well in both. With the hassle of moving and planning, and a possible degree change, I was not schedule to start my next classes right away so I have the week off. I will be back to it on Monday the 29th with a computer course and another English course. The fun continues…
People used to tell me that I move too often, and they would be very correct. I have lived in more places then I can remember, and this year is turning out to be the worst for moves. We have already moved twice, once to Chicago and then to Kansas City where we are as I type this message. However, at the end of this month the Lambert clan will pack up and move again. It’s comforting to know that we will be moving back to familiar territory, closer to home. I have accepted a job in Minneapolis and will begin on June 29th up there. This comes at a good time since the previous position wasn’t working out for us.
I am going to try and make this the second to last move we make for a while. I am tired of moving and always wondering where my next paycheck is going to come from. So this time I am planning to make this job work long term. I will be working part time while I continue going to school. This will be the second to last move only because we decided to put all of our stuff in storage in Minneapolis and rent a room for a couple of months while we look for a place we can call home for a few years. The timing is perfect, with college students all gone for the summer there are lot’s of cheap rooms available. We’ll be able to save a lot of money this way with no ulitilies and cheap rent.
We originally planned to get a large enough truck to pack all the stuff here in Kansas City, then stop in Wisconsin to get the rest of our stuff in storage there and take it all with us. However, I really don’t want to have to move the stuff in Trempealeau twice, and it’s only two hours away from where we will be so we will likely wait until after Labor Day to deal with that stuff. Besides, our camping gear is there and we will be camping at Autumn Rose in Galesville, WI this September, so it will be near by. It will be nice to get all of our stuff together again, and to have a nice paying, albeit part-time, job that will likely become a full time position, if and when I want it to.
Changes at School
This move will effect the degree path I am following in school. Unfortunately, Minnesota does not allow the Elementary Education degree that the University of Phoenix offers. Though I still think it might be fun to be a teacher, reality has made this decision a lot easier. The highest paid elementary school teachers barely make $40K, and if I am already capable of making near $55K in the IT industry without a degree, think if what I could make with one! I will take a week off of school so we can move and get settled, and start back up on May 29th, with an emphasis on Information Technology, hopefully leading into a Bachelor’s Degree for System Analysis. I will keep you updated as I continue my education.
