Back in September (waaaay back) I made a decision. There have been a few times since then that I have questioned my sanity; asked myself what the heck I was thinking. What did I do? I enrolled in online college classes. I am pursuing an Associates Degree in Web Design and Interactive Media at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After that, maybe a Bachelors in Graphic Design? Lol, we'll see.
School has kept me busy and I've been trying to find time to do everything, and the blog has suffered. I was told by more than one person that things around here were looking pretty dusty. So, I am dusting things off around here. I was also told that school will act like a sponge and suck all of my available time into it if I don't learn how to manage my time effectively. I have already seen some evidence of that, so I'm trying to be more organized. Not easy as it doesn't come naturally to me, except for those areas that I am OCD in,of course :)
So far I'm really enjoying my online school experience. Most of my instructors are helpful and encouraging and really care about the students' understanding of the material. Instead of just saying "Good job, now here's what's wrong..." they tell you why it's good, what needs to be fixed and why, and then give you suggestions on how to fix it. I've had several classes since October, and so far I have experienced good instructors, mediocre instructors, and a couple of excellent instructors - not necessarily in that order. Overall it's a positive experience. I'm just noticing how things don't change just because it's college. Some teachers are indifferent as to how well you do or if you pass or not. And then there are the teachers who want you to do well and excel and they are willing to get in there and fight with you. School was always easy for me; the only subject I had to really work at was math. My problem with school was that I was seriously bored. And, so, I didn't take it seriously.
Another thing that hasn't changed are the classroom dynamics. Just because it's online, does not mean that you don't deal with personalities. All of those people that you rolled your eyes at in high school are still there, they just have different names. Remember "teacher's pet", and "wannabe-teacher's pet"? How about the "class clown" and "class narcissist" - ("everything is all about me")? Yeah, names and faces have changed but that's about it. I find myself renaming them all with names I am more familiar with. Makes it more fun :)
Okay, so I'm taking college classes towards a degree - check! I'm getting the blog operational again-check! I'm on a roll, so what's next? Oh yeah...there's still that 20 lbs I'd like to lose...*sigh*
