Back to School

[viscousmemories]

I enrolled in the Axia College (University of Phoenix) online program today. To begin with I'll be working toward an associates degree in IT, and if that works out then I'll probably go on from there. My employer gives me around 2k a year for edumacation so I figured I'd use it. :study:

[Naru]

Congrats, vm :party:

[Legs]

:cool:

[Ymir's blood]

:thumbup:

[fragment]

Sweet!

[curses]

Cool vm! I want to go back to school too. Can I go with you? :giggle:

[Shelli]

Go, vm! :cheer:

[Master Taran]

I enrolled in the Axia College (University of Phoenix) online program today.
Hey VM, I know some people at U of Pee. Let Me know if'n I can help you. ;)

[Watser?]

Good on yer, vm! :super:

[viscousmemories]

I want to go back to school too. Can I go with you? :giggle:
C'mon in! The more the merrier. :D

[Crumb]

Cool, vm! :joecool:

[Garnet]

2K? A year???

:envy:

Does your company need a slightly jaded yet highly skilled business analyst?

[Ensign Steve]

Excellent work, vm. I'm proud of you.

[Pinecone]

Cyber Uni = no gas to get to class! Cool! :cool:

Good luck with it and may your homework be minimal.

[curses]

Hey vm. Keep us updated on how you find the classes and the workload for UP. I always wondered about the online college thing.

And wish I could go with you, I'm still paying off my last round of student loans.

[cappuccino]

You're so nerdy.





Congratulations! May your degree bring you many beers.

[inland wave]

I have not tried the on-line classes, but I do enjoy the interaction of the ground classes. Curses it is no picnic. I will be on week 5 of my current class on Tuesday and have spent at least 12 hours a day sometimes longer at work this month due to this implementation I am working on. I am trying to unwind and taking Monday off from work so I can get caught up. I have been able to make it to the last two classes, but I have been late due to work load. I now have to play catch up, which means I have to finish my readings and write three papers, plus complete slides for a presentation due Tuesday. Yeah, it sucks to be me right now. While the work load from the classes can be overwhelming at times, I really like it. The people who teach at the Tulsa school are cool. Congrats for continuing your education VM.

[Julie]

Woot! WTG VM.

[viscousmemories]

Hey vm. Keep us updated on how you find the classes and the workload for UP.
I will indeed.

[Dingfod]

I enrolled in the Axia College (University of Phoenix) online program today. To begin with I'll be working toward an associates degree in IT, and if that works out then I'll probably go on from there. My employer gives me around 2k a year for edumacation so I figured I'd use it. :study:

2K? A year???Two thousand dollars a year would be a mere pittance compared to the annual cost of a University of Phoenix full-time program. UoP isn't cheap, not by a long shot. It rivals University of Tulsa, a relatively expensive private college, in tuition cost.

[viscousmemories]

The enrollment counselor said it should cover about half my costs for the associates program.

[Garnet]

I enrolled in the Axia College (University of Phoenix) online program today. To begin with I'll be working toward an associates degree in IT, and if that works out then I'll probably go on from there. My employer gives me around 2k a year for edumacation so I figured I'd use it. :study:

2K? A year???Two thousand dollars a year would be a mere pittance compared to the annual cost of a University of Phoenix full-time program. UoP isn't cheap, not by a long shot. It rivals University of Tulsa, a relatively expensive private college, in tuition cost.


Sure. But it's at least something and quite a bit more than any offering by any company I've worked for.

I think it's neat that vm's employer is offering that much.

[Garnet]

...

[viscousmemories]

Yeah I'm pretty happy about it.

[Chatter]

Good for you, vm.

Are you not dreading the thought of sitting exams again? Or with IT, do you get away mostly with timed practicals and assignments? I take it your professional IT qualifications were mostly assessed by practical?

[viscousmemories]

I'm not dreading it, oddly. I had to take exams (of a sort) to get the GED, join the Army and earn various IT certifications over the years, but those were all multiple choice exams. Since I dropped out of school in jr. high I haven't really sat a proper exam.

[ChuckF]

:cheer: vm

[Garnet]

What direction are you going in IT, vm? I've been toying with the idea of getting some project management credentials under my belt, but I honestly don't know if I want the hassle. I'm very content doing BA work. But there's a part of me that says I should "step up."

[Smilin]

Good on you!

I've tried relentlessly to get my current employer to pay for me to take classes online to get a certification in power electronics from the Universit of Colorado.

They didn't buy it...

Their "budget" has always been used on all the others in the department. I'm unfortunately the "noob" in the company. You'd think that at age 42, I'd be happy to be considered a "noob". Well, I don't. I've taken it personally and consider it an insult. They've never seen fit even to allow me time off to go to a vendor sponsored conference which wouldn't have cost them one dime!

I can totally understand why a person can get so frustrated they come in one day with an oozie and shoot up the place!

:blah:

So, have you applied and been accepted to the college yet?

[Lauri D]

Neato bandito! :yup: I strongly envy your determination. can i borrow some?

[viscousmemories]

What direction are you going in IT, vm?
I'm hoping upward! :D

I don't know, actually. The particular associates degree I'm going for is a generic IT degree. I don't think it'll have much to do with what I'm actually doing on the job right now.

So, have you applied and been accepted to the college yet?
I'm not sure that's even necessary. As far as I know I just have to pay and "show up" (ie. log in).

[Dingfod]

I just checked my own company education benefits:

Full-time employees in a graduate degree program: $7500 per year
Full-time employees in an undergraduate program: $5000 per year
Part-time employees in either graduate or undergraduate programs: $2500

[viscousmemories]

Wow, nice!

I found out I actually get 3k annually, not 2k.

[Dingfod]

Cool.

[Garnet]

My company bought me a book about Access.

Oh, wait, I paid for that myself.

Well, they bought me a book about writing use cases.

Uh, no...I paid for that one too.

But if I pay for and take a class and pass it with at least a B, I can put in a requisition for reimbursement and it might get approved...

:sadcheer:

[Dingfod]

Well, we do have to pass the class to get the money.

[viscousmemories]

Yeah, I get 100% reimbursed for A-B, 75% for C, and 0% for < C, incomplete or withdrawal.

[inland wave]

Yeah, I get 100% reimbursed for A-B, 75% for C, and 0% for < C, incomplete or withdrawal.

That is way cool, vm.

[viscousmemories]

I got an 'A' in my first two classes and I'm in the third week of my second block. So far, so good.

[Ensign Steve]

Excellent work! :cheer:

Nerd! :P

[JoeP]

Well done!
Mom and I will buy you a milkshake.
:P

[viscousmemories]

I got A's in my first four classes, but dropped the ball in the last two.

I put off the final projects until the weekend they were due, then found them too overwhelming. Besides that I just didn't really keep up during the entire class. I ended up turning in half-assed final papers and getting a C+ in one class and probably a crappy (but hopefully passing) grade in the other - it hasn't posted yet.

Anyway, I'm just finishing the 1st week of the fourth block of classes and I'm committed to doing better this time.

The classes I'm in now are Environmental Science and Cultural Diversity.

[Clutch Munny]

Oh, well -- lesson learned on the last two classes, but A Big Gold Star on those four As. Well done, scholar!

:goldstar:

[inland wave]

I got A's in my first four classes, but dropped the ball in the last two.

I put off the final projects until the weekend they were due, then found them too overwhelming. Besides that I just didn't really keep up during the entire class. I ended up turning in half-assed final papers and getting a C+ in one class and probably a crappy (but hopefully passing) grade in the other - it hasn't posted yet.

Anyway, I'm just finishing the 1st week of the fourth block of classes and I'm committed to doing better this time.

The classes I'm in now are Environmental Science and Cultural Diversity.

Congrats vm!
It is very easy to let time slip away on those projects. My grades fell to c's when I was traveling because the time wasn't there to get everything done.
I would sacrifice individual work in order to save face on team work. Time management is a big factor. Really though, between school and work there is not much time for a life. Sometimes it sucks hard........
Current class Organizational Behavior and Ethical Responsibility.:wave:
After this class I am at the halfway mark on my degree.

[biochemgirl]

iw is right on with the time management. It's difficult to juggle all that and about the time I was graduating I had finally figured it all out. :giggle:

Good job on your other classes though!

[JoeP]

Four starfish for you!
:goldstar::goldstar::goldstar::goldstar:

[Shake]

Nice job, vm! I know (sort of) what you're going through. I finished my associate's degree back in May and have now moved onto a 4-year university as a 3rd year student in electrical engineering. I'm trying to finish up before my GI Bill runs out (Sep 2011), not that those benefits are even touching the costs of a major private school, but I'm really getting my (pre-tax) $1200 worth. It completely paid for my AS degree at the community college.

Anyway, good luck to you in your pursuit.

[viscousmemories]

I ended up getting a B- in the other class, so not too bad.

So far so good with Environmental Science and Cultural Diversity classes, but I've got math and programming on the horizon. :shudder:

[Crumb]

Wow that's like a 180:degree: difference from how I would have written that. What's not to like about math and programming? :chin:

[inland wave]

I ended up getting a B- in the other class, so not too bad.

So far so good with Environmental Science and Cultural Diversity classes, but I've got math and programming on the horizon. :shudder:

algebra or statistics?

[viscousmemories]

It's been so long since I've had a math class (and I sucked to begin with) that I'm taking "basic math". Algebra (which I've never had) comes in the next block.

Crumb: I don't hate math or programming, just don't have any natural aptitude for either.

[Crumb]

Ah well, hopefully things will be easier this time around. :yup:

[viscousmemories]

Thanks, I hope so! Math intimidates and programming fascinates me, so I'm looking forward to the classes as an opportunity to confront my fear and explore my fancy as much as I'm dreading sucking at both.

[Shake]

algebra or statistics?
In college? Algebra is a junior high or high school level course.

Right now I'm taking part 1 of a course in linear systems (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_system), which assumes a working knowledge of basic calculus.

[inland wave]

Interesting. I have never taken calculus, but will be starting a variety of accounting classes in May.

[Dingfod]

I've never heard of a college that didn't offer algebra classes.

[Shake]

Hmm, well after checking, apparently my current school (http://www.rit.edu) actually does offer algebra, and a couple of other sub-calculus classes. However, the only "algebra" my earlier alma mater (http://www.rpi.edu) has, found in this list (http://catalog.rpi.edu/content.php?catoid=5&navoid=111) using the MATH filter, were Linear Algebra and Abstract Algebra.

Linear algebra description:
The theory underlying vector spaces, algebra of subspaces, bases; linear transformations, dual spaces; eigenvectors, eigenvalues, minimal polynomials, canonical forms of linear transformations; inner products, adjoints, orthogonal projections and complements.
Abstract algebra description:
Groups, rings, polynomial rings, fields, integral domains, with emphasis on group theory; homomorphisms and isomorphisms; normal subgroups, cosets, ideals, modules; quotient groups and quotient rings; other topics chosen from number theory, polynomials and Galois Theory.
I took both of those, but didn't take any English classes. Score!

[JoeP]

Linear algebra description:
The theory underlying vector spaces, algebra of subspaces, bases; linear transformations, dual spaces; eigenvectors, eigenvalues, minimal polynomials, canonical forms of linear transformations; inner products, adjoints, orthogonal projections and complements.
Abstract algebra description:
Groups, rings, polynomial rings, fields, integral domains, with emphasis on group theory; homomorphisms and isomorphisms; normal subgroups, cosets, ideals, modules; quotient groups and quotient rings; other topics chosen from number theory, polynomials and Galois Theory.

That takes me back 25 years ... :cune: :oldman:

[Shake]

In the fall, I completed a course on complex variables. All sorts of neat things to do with complex numbers.

For those who don't know, complex numbers are of the form: a + bi where i = sqrt(-1)

Although, now in my EE classes, we use j instead of i because the latter is often used to denote current.