I'm old enough to know what I want! (And it ain't buttsex (anymore))

[SharonDee]

So I mentioned I'm taking a Java class. Did I mention I'm taking it at a local community college? And that there are actual college age people taking it with me?

That really sucks.

There are the guys who're taking the class because they haven't decided what it is they want to be yet. "We trying different stuff to see what takes." Nothing wrong with that; that's how I accidentally fell into an IT career years ago. But it's frustrating when the instructor has to go over concepts, that I live and breathe, over and over with these people.

And then you have the two girls in there who I am totally going to strangle with my support hose if they don't stop giggling. Giggling is okay, even this old dame has been known to do it from time to time. But their giggles are meant to mask their "oh dear, I'm not sure I'm smart enough to do this programming thing" self-doubts, fucking setting the women's movement back two decades!

So the instructor is half-assing it, the college kids are half-assing it, only the dinosaurs in the room (four of us, I think) are truly interested in learning anything. But we're not because Mr. Instructor Man is used to having low expectations of his stoodents, going on and on and ON about attendance being so important and a part of your grade and when you can cancel the class without an "incomplete" on your record.

GAH!!!

This is my career, fuckers! Why are you doing this to me??!

________

But enough about me. I know there are at least two more of you around here who are taking a programming class. Are you having a better time of it than me? Or are you lucky enough to have a private tutor?

[Wonderbread Leotard]

I'm about to eat dinner and only skimmed the post, but props for the awesome title.

[The Lone Ranger]

I'm teaching a Summer School course right now. Sometimes I'm simply astonished at the things that it's necessary to explain to people.

"The course lasts four weeks. No, it is not alright if you take a week off to go on vacation. Of course, I can't stop you (and wouldn't if I could), but if you think you can miss a full 1/4 of the course and still pass it, I'm afraid that you're almost-certainly going to discover that you're sadly mistaken. You really should have thought of that before signing up."

"By the way, you may have noted that it says right on the syllabus that I will not give review sessions and make-up exams without a valid excuse. Also, I mentioned this on the first day of class. I'm sure your Grandma is a wonderful person, but that isn't a 'valid excuse.' I am not going to put in an entire week's worth of effort in order to give you private one-on-one tutoring, just so that you can go visit her at a time of your choosing."

Cheers,

Michael

[viscousmemories]

I have been taking classes online through the University of Phoenix for the past 1.5 yrs. There are pros and cons to it being online, but it does seem that everyone in my "class" is there because they want to be there. Granted most of them are not very smart and I am required to participate in threaded discussions with them, so I either try to come up with responses to their painfully stupid comments or I take a hit in points. Since I'm not overly concerned with getting A's I usually opt to take the hit in points.

The substance of the courses is probably pretty weak as well, but it's challenging enough for me. That said, I'm thinking I'd get more from taking classes in a building and since I'll be finished with my Associates degree program in November I'm looking for just such a place to pursue a BS or BA this winter. I'm not sure it'll be in IT, though. Like many people I am doing pretty well in the IT industry without a degree - I'd rather study something that satisfies more than my technolust.

[SharonDee]

Duh, well I'm the idiot after all. It makes sense that you wouldn't get the serious learners in a summer class.

Even so, TLR, my admiration for you goes up another notch now that I see first hand the kinds of mouth-breathers you deal with day to day. How do you keep your sanity, man?

[The Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by SharonDee

Duh, well I'm the idiot after all. It makes sense that you wouldn't get the serious learners in a summer class.

Even so, TLR, my admiration for you goes up another notch now that I see first hand the kinds of mouth-breathers you deal with day to day. How do you keep your sanity, man?

Believe me, that question crosses my mind from time to time ...


Cheers,

Michael

[SharonDee]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I have been taking classes online through the University of Phoenix for the past 1.5 yrs.

Ah, I wondered whether you were taking courses online. My coworker in New Jersey looked into UoP but the expense kept her out. Plus, she believes (as I did) that she would do better in a classroom environment. The trouble for her is that her local community college won't dream of waiving the prerequisites for her just because she has decades of IT work experience. The college's department head said to her, "That's great. You should ace the Logic & Design course, then."

There are pros and cons to it being online, but it does seem that everyone in my "class" is there because they want to be there.

That would be a definite plus.

Granted most of them are not very smart ...

Yeah, to you!

The substance of the courses is probably pretty weak as well, but it's challenging enough for me. That said, I'm thinking I'd get more from taking classes in a building and since I'll be finished with my Associates degree program in November I'm looking for just such a place to pursue a BS or BA this winter. I'm not sure it'll be in IT, though. Like many people I am doing pretty well in the IT industry without a degree - I'd rather study something that satisfies more than my technolust.

Wow, it must be nice to have a choice like that. I am up against it right now. I either learn this Java thing--never mind all the other skills I should have before the Oracle comes to town--or start looking for another job. In this economy? Right!

[MonCapitan2002]

Maybe you're insane and haven't noticed yet?

[SharonDee]

I know you ain't talkin' to me!

[The Lone Ranger]

Nah, I'm pretty sure it was me he was insulting ...

[MonCapitan2002]

I was trying to be funny. Looks like it didn't work.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by SharonDee

Wow, it must be nice to have a choice like that. I am up against it right now. I either learn this Java thing--never mind all the other skills I should have before the Oracle comes to town--or start looking for another job. In this economy? Right!

Yeah that sucks. I have to learn a lot for my job, but because I work in the training department it's relatively easy to get that training while I work. I've learned enough about servers, SANs, virtualization and IT training in the past couple of years that I could probably make a decent salary in any number of places, but unless my entire department gets cut that breadth of knowledge and experience I've acquired in my niche means I'm in very little danger of losing the job I have.

[Dingfod]

inland wave has been doing the UoP thing for about 3 years now, but attends one evening class once a week. Otherwise, the interaction between instructor and students and students and other students is much the same as it is with the online courses, they have to work together as a team for the grades. And, yes, many of them are not very motivated or smart or both. And, if it weren't for the company subsidy, she would be going to Tulsa Community College and OSU-Tulsa instead, UoP is expensive.

[godfry n. glad]

*GASP!*

TLR is a granny-hater.

I knew...I just knew...he couldn't be as all-fired self-controlled as that.

And SharonDee...Can you please tell me what it is about constricted nasal passages that has ANYTHING to do with intelligence?

[JamesBannon]

Wow, it must be nice to have a choice like that. I am up against it right now. I either learn this Java thing--never mind all the other skills I should have before the Oracle comes to town--or start looking for another job. In this economy? Right!

This is the thing that is causing you trouble, I guess: fear. It is a killer. You are a good programmer, Sharon, and have been for years. There are new concepts to learn, of course, but your background should stand you in good stead. I don't think you will have any difficulty once you grasp a few of the idioms.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

UoP is expensive.

You can say that again. I had to take about 15k in loans for my two year stint. Fortunately my employer has kicked me 6k in reimbursements over that same time period... if only I had used the money to pay back some of the loans.

[Ymir's blood]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Granted most of them are not very smart and I am required to participate in ... discussions with them, so I either try to come up with responses to their painfully stupid comments...

And that is different from how?

[Qingdai]

How?

[MonCapitan2002]

Originally Posted by Ymir's blood

And that is different from how?

We're fun and engaging?

[LadyShea]

I took a couple community college classes when I was 28 or so...just for the fuck of it. I never really "got" algebra as a kid, even taking it twice (took it in 8th grade, got a C, had to take it gain in 9th), so I took Algebra, and just out of interest a criminal justice course. I hadn't seen the inside of a school for 10 years, yet I kicked all those whiny little recent grads asses...getting top scores in both classes.

Both instructors asked me to enroll in their other classes, and made a big point of letting me know how refreshing it was to have someone there who wanted to be there.

I think that's the main difference between adults taking classes and kids...most of those kids are there because it's expected or even required by their parents.

Anyway, chin up, it's frustrating I am sure, but hopefully you are learning something

[Plant Woman]

I was surprised how easy it was to get all A's. Just study, show up, do the work, listen during lecture, take notes and ask questions if you aren't getting it.

4.0 last quarter, and I hadn't been to school for over 25 years. Someone said it wasn't fair, us old farts made the grade curve go up. Too bad, so sad, I'm there to learn and it doesn't do me any good to spend a lot of money and then not learn something. Keep up if you can.

I'm taking java during winter quarter, should I be afraid?

[SharonDee]

Originally Posted by Plant Woman

I was surprised how easy it was to get all A's. Just study, show up, do the work, listen during lecture, take notes and ask questions if you aren't getting it.

And attendance! Don't forget about attendance!!!11 Oh wait, you said that. How about pay attention? Oh yeah, you said that, too ...

4.0 last quarter, and I hadn't been to school for over 25 years. Someone said it wasn't fair, us old farts made the grade curve go up. Too bad, so sad, I'm there to learn and it doesn't do me any good to spend a lot of money and then not learn something. Keep up if you can.

Yeah it's not fair that, for us, going to school isn't such a boring old habit that we forget to learn while we're there.

I'm taking java during winter quarter, should I be afraid?

That depends. How much programming experience have you had to date?

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

I never really "got" algebra as a kid, even taking it twice (took it in 8th grade, got a C, had to take it gain in 9th), so I took Algebra [...]

I never even took algebra as a kid, much less got it, and I'm taking it now. I'm a little more than halfway through the class and barely managing a 'B', but I think I'll pass it. I gotta say, though, it is easily the most challenging and time consuming class I've taken so far, and I'm not doing half the amount of studying and practice I should be doing.

[The Lone Ranger]

Well, my students are taking their first exam right now, so I have a few free moments.

<Checking e-mail>

Oh look! I have 3 e-mails from students. One is informing me that she'll be late to class. The other two are informing me that they won't be coming in at all, and informing me that they'll take the exam later. Both of them are implying that it'll be at a time of their convenience. I do hope that both of them read that "No make-up exams without a valid excuse" policy. If I go to the considerable trouble of giving them make-up exams, it will be at a time of my convenience.

Oh, and a young woman who, for some reason wasn't here for the last class [no excuse of any kind was offered, "valid" or not] and therefore missed the quiz, has just arrived. She informs me that she's ready to take the quiz. I politely and patiently inform her that there's an exam in 5 minutes' time. "Oh, I'll take that tomorow or sometime," she casually informs me.

No, you'll take it now, or you won't take it at all.

***

Oh, gods. I hate being put into such situations!

It's bad enough during the regular school year, but a shockingly-high percentage of Summer School students seem to believe that they can show up when they feel like, and if they feel like, and that I'll just completely rearrange my schedule to accomodate them.

Once, after I pointed out that this sort of thing was not acceptable, one of them made the mistake of saying something to the effect of: "I don't see why not; after all, we pay your salary."

"No you don't," I pointed out. "You pay for the priviledge of attending my lectures and labs. If you can't abide by the conditions attached, then you can get out right now and save us all a lot of time and trouble."



Cheers,

Michael

[livius drusus]

Damn. I would never talk to a professor of mine (or anyone else's, for that matter) like that. I can't even wrap my mind around that attitude.