It’s been a bit busy for me. I mean, not really, I don’t work. But you know, busier than it’s been for me. I’ve got a minute now, so I want to get my check-in… in.
Fitness remains relatively static, which is quite nice. I was really expecting to gain a bunch of weight and lose a bunch of my gains over the winter and, well, I guess the winter ain’t over. I have been dragging on workouts, to be honest, so jury’s still out. I skipped all of last week and have only gotten in one so far this week. I am pretty sure I’ll miss tomorrow as well, so maybe I’ll make a point of it for Friday and the weekend. Speaking of which, I have a pasta themed birthday party to attend this weekend, so I really should be getting in some steps. Gotta stave it off, one, two, three. And now you can count to three.
Health wise, it’s basically same-same, though I continue to lose access to my preferred doctors because of insurance and because we live in hell.
Academically, I do in fact have something good to report – I have finished my Intro to Stats class. I got a 95%. I’m feelin’ pretty good about that, though any moment I start feeling cocky about it, I remember that it was open book. But you know… still counts.
Okay, so up next. I’m still working on the CS50x, currently on Week 9. Two problems in this set and I’m basically done with the first. There was a server error when I was cleaning it up, so I haven’t been able to submit it just yet. I’m pretty sure I have something wrong with it, but it should be easy enough to fix once I actually sit down and work on it. I haven’t started on the second problem, and I’m hoping it’s not too involved. But I do have a plan for the final project, and I’m pretty excited to jump into that. If I can keep my plan together, then I should be done with this intro to Computer Science class in a couple of weeks.
I’m revisiting my ongoing Algebra efforts, this time with an actual plan for credit and a whole lot more help. I’m throwing everything I can at it, because I am goddamned determined to come out of this class not just passing it, but being fluent in the language of Algebra. And if I can’t, then we reevaluate what I can do, but I will. And when I do, I’ll reevaluate to get more specific which path to follow. It’s feeling more and more Engineeringly, but… that Math really scares me. And I’m in my dang 40s, should I really be pursuing an Engineering degree at this age? All of my smart friends who returned as adult students were practical about it, and went for like, IT and Computer Security degrees. Those are doable with very tangible outcomes. My plan seems like a real dumb gamble, but you know, I’m always just doin’ me. And this could give me a chance to develop the skills I’ve been craving, stuff that gives me the ability to finish the projects that I get most excited for. One positive in this corner is I keep getting confirmation on the work from people whom have done it, that it’s just a skill like any other, it’s just harder to fake it. Talent or no, there is no substitute for doing the work. I had lunch with my Dad today and he gave me some advice that I think is pretty good, which I’ll summarize as, “Math is every day.” So maybe that’s what I need right now.
As I move forward, I’ve decided to treat the next few months like a sort of “simulated semester”, where I’m going to try and work these classes like school is my full time job, which it kind of is. And I’m going to take a heavier course load, and start incorporating more and more of the habits of highly successful learners. Some of them match up with habits I had to develop in work, so that’s nice. The current plan is to sign up for in person classes at my local community college come August, with a possibility of signing up as early as May, depending on how things are going by mid-April. I think I’m getting pretty eager to actually do some in person classes, though my anxieties and apprehensions are still rather strong.
Let’s talk other classes on the block. I’ve previously studied Economics, a couple of times actually, but none for credit. I think it’s time I revisited that, this time for credit. I think study.com has the best program for self-paced, for-credit online, but I’m still thinking about it. I really wish there was an easier path through stuff like OCWs, which I am already familiar with, but I don’t see one. They’re great if I don’t care about the credits, but now I do. Either way, I don’t want to make that move until I’ve finally wrapped CS50. I guess that’s true for everything on the block accept for the other math stuff, which is the only clear path I have right now. The math stuff goes about like this – finish Algebra, do some Pre-Calc, then it’s Calc I – III. I am told that I’ll want to take II & III in person, which seems reasonable to me. I’m considering Chemistry I, though I get the feeling that I’ll want to have Algebra finished for it, so maybe that should wait. Python is the obvious follow-up to CS50, and that might be the top choice. I have so many reasons to take it, and given my hobbies, sooner seems smart.
I need to get a look at a few typical syllabus…syllabi? That can’t be right. I need to see what classes I need to take for the various programs that I’m considering, to make sure I hit what I need without causing myself problems. For instance, I have an Intro to Nutrition course that I’ve started and looks easy enough, so I plan to finish that in my lighter hours. I think I’ll need the credits, and it may be that I can’t handle a full load of tough classes. I would have to guess that food science gets pretty tough, but an intro to nutrition just can’t be from the windows to the walls. But if it’s more difficult than I expect and if it’s not a useful credit for my area of study, then I shouldn’t be wasting the time or money.
I feel like some of my other interests and hobbies should also be able to integrate, like some art classes so I can get better at sketching (if ME is the path), pottery could give me insights into manufacturing, I’m sure I’ll have to take some kind of CAD course, right? I should get a better idea of what differentiates the specialties, shouldn’t I?
Alright, it’s late. I’m hungry. I need to wrap up and watch that Fallout finale. Have a good one and keep it easy.