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Trouble Ahead: bhjazz Back to School


bhjazz

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Shades of Rodney Dangerfield.

I have an opportunity to get Java programming certification starting this fall. I haven't been in a classroom for I dunno how many years. Of course, I'm less worried about the time away from yardwork and housework, and more concerned about being away from inhaling solder. I'm just finishing the never ending parts list for my Bijou. Gah!

Oh well, I guess pc boards don't spoil in the back of the fridge.

Actually might be fun, though. I'm in QA, so now the devs here will be less likely to try to sneak shit past me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I hope I pass. The classes, I mean. I understand the first quarter is close to gravy, so I'll be ok until the end of the year as I was actually a programmer years back. The place I work at encourages people in their IS dept to take this on, and there are rumors of "opportunities" once completed. Oooo, so mysterious.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Second Quarter complete. Grade: A. More difficult and more time-consuming.

58 days left from today.

I've started the third and final quarter and it's insane. Each week this quater we take in a major concept and a couple of smaller subconcepts. For instance, this week we're working on DTO, JNDI, Datasources. Those use contexts, namespacing, and message context. I spent the first part of Saturday just trying to find a way in to make a dent. My wife has been a trooper, keeping the bills paid, the fridge filled, and my sanity intact. I'll have to book a flight somewhere to reward her once it's over.

Thanks for tuning in. I'm heading back under.

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Good Job! I really respect people who go back for more education, to better themselves and open up new opportunities. And it's great that you have a supportive spouse as well.

My wife just got her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy last August, right before turning 52 years old. After being on the same job for almost 30 years, she's been in a management position for over half of that time. When she originally trained as an OT back in the "old days" people didn't need an MS for that. But in the past few years she was in charge of more and more people who had a higher degree than she had, so she decided to spend the last 2 years getting her own graduate degree. It was hard work, but she finished with all A's and even landed a part-time job as a teaching assistant in her graduate program. The degree also allowed her to get another promotion and right now she earns 20% more than she did 6 months ago! We're all so proud of her. And proud of you too!

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It's definitely wearing me down. I see other students in the same program just struggling with the continued push. Getting my life back will be sweet.

Good Job! I really respect people who go back for more education, to better themselves and open up new opportunities. And it's great that you have a supportive spouse as well.

Yes, my little gem really helps me along.

My wife just got her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy last August, right before turning 52 years old.

Outstanding!!!!!!! Send her my congratulations! A Masters earns high respect from me (well, everybody, really)

There is definitely something to taking on more education in your 40s. I have so much more focus and can put together far more complex situations than I would have expected. Sure I curse and swear and flail my arms around sometimes. But I get away and re-approach and things fall into place. It's weird. Tyll, try it. Go take a class. You're a smart guy. You'll like it!

I also say a thanks to you all out here. It's nice to swing by and find friends pulling for ya, electronics discussions, and an occasional hilarious newbie ban. You help my sanity as well.

Edited by bhjazz
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Cool man, keep at it!

I made a decent living for 6 years right out of college, writing business software in Java (plus the usual web-app ancillaries: Javascript, CSS, etc). Just started picking it up again for handling various tasks that neither my current dev environment nor shell scripting are cut out for (I guess I could look at Python too; I like what I've seen there so far). Still a bit verbose syntactically, but overall it's come along nicely in the last few/several years. There is so...damn...much in there, which is nice once you get past the many basics and just need to use the tools to get your work done.

For the engineers at GA Tech, the frosh level Java class (even though introductory, quite basic, and only a semester long) was quite dreaded - hell, some of the Comp Sci students dreaded it.

Edited by mulveling
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  • 1 month later...

I AM DONE!

Third Quarter complete. Grade: A.

Unless I get a zero on my last assignment and my instructor suddenly croaks, I have successfully completed coursework for the UW Java Certificate Program. It was frustrating, time consuming, mind bending, educational, job boosting fun. Now I can be a real ass in code reviews at work and have the background to say why.

I feel quite liberated. And must drink some more!

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Thanks, all!

When I was studying, I really didn't listen to a lot of music. Music seems to hit a part of my brain that disallows me concentration on much else. Consequently, when I was really trying to build logical code, no music was the best option, unfortunately.

Now, however, whatever I am listening to sounds better . Less stress, maybe. With really good jazz, it's almost as if I'm just gulping down the tunes, like a man left hungry for weeks when he finally emerges from the desert to see he is in Vegas. gulp, grin, gulp. The human brain is pretty amszing.

More music, please! Damn this feels good!

Edited by bhjazz
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