IS 101

IS 101 has come to an end. I didn't know what to expect when I first started the class, but I thought I am going to get it done and over with. Which in the end was not really the correct attitude to have, I learned a lot and meet some very interesting people. The most interesting of which was the teacher Mr. Wu. I can admit I was not the best student that I could have been in his class, but he would not let me fail. First he stayed after class many times for me to catch up and get work done. One thing that I did like was that fact that he has an if I'm going to stay for you to get this done I'm going to make sure it's right attitude. I went to school in North Carolina, where they had a "No Student Left Behind" mentality when it comes to school and Mr. Wu has this same mentality, however instead of grading on a curve or just letting you turn anything to get he work done, He made sure you were utilizing your full potential and doing the work right. I must say there were times I was like I should just drop the glass and take it again later, but when Mr. Wu stated he wouldn't be teaching the class again and how he motivated me to do my best I didn't want to let him down and wanted to make him proud, by not only passing his class but doing well and being a student that he could brag about in the future, not quite ass well as his top performers (y'all know who y'all are), but good enough so that other teachers could see why he was proud of his students.

LabSim 6.2.6 Copying and Pasting Slides

Reusing slides from another PowerPoint presentations is very helpful and an amazing time saving feature to utilize while trying to create your own presentation, to be able to reuse slides that are already formatted and stylized the way you like to add to your presentation so that you don't have to go back and do all that work all over again and can ensure that it is the way you want it to be and you won't miss any features that were utilized in creating the slide. 

LabSim 5.9.2 Excel Tables

One thing that I found to be quite fascinating is turning excel spreadsheets into tables and the amount of customization options and features that are available. It's crazy to me that when you get done that your spreadsheet can look and function like a completely different beast than a simple spreadsheet and it can become way more useful and helpful in getting work done. I've used excel to do a simple monthly budgets in the past, but now and in the future my budgets are going to be more user friendly, efficient, and more effective in helping me reach my financial goals. They will also look a whole lot better than a simple black and white spreadsheet.

Sunshine

The feeling of clarity and resolution after going through a tough time to me can only be equated to sunshine, not just any sunny day, but that first sunny day after a heavy storm or what feels like a hurricane of opposition and problems that life has brought your way. To make it through, it feels that much easier to breathe and enjoy the day. You feel stronger, better, and like there is nothing you can't do. In the words of Jimmy Cliff " I can see clearly now the rain is gone..."  Life may get tough, but if you can weather the storm. There will be sunny days on the other side.

LabSim 4.4 Paragraph Formatting

One of the worst things to me to have to do when I was in school was to have to write a paper. One of my issues with having to write a paper was the format of that paper. It seemed that depending on what grade I was in there was a different format to follow and it could get very confusing and frustrating, so it was very comforting to know that Word has preset formats for any and every style and layout you may need for what ever presentation you may have to do. I know had these resources been around when I was in middle school and even high school, writing paper would have been a much more pleasant experience.

LabSim. 2.6.7 Big Data Facts

It's said that knowledge is power, and information is the key. Who determines what information is public and what information is private, especially when certain information might be considered private to some but not to others. Then there are those that simply want the information because it is out there even if they have no real business possessing it or those that want the information because someone has deemed that they don't need it. It seems like as the convenience of the world increases the need to give up more information about oneself also increases, for example I have 98 applications (apps) on my phone that have requested access to my contacts list; Why does the Foot Locker app, which I use to buy shoes, need to know who is in my contacts? Or why is the Credit Karma app asking permission to access my physical activity, what does that have to do with credit monitoring? Yet I have given up some of my privacy for the conveniences of ordering shoes from my phone, sitting on the couch, instead of having to go to a brick-and-mortar store. Do I question some of the needs of these permissions when I download an app, of course, but I have put myself in this position for the convenience of what that app can do. The terms and conditions and privacy policies of these conveniences are meant to give us peace of mind (and to release the provider of any possible liability of our using their app), but they are usually very long and filled with a lot of legal ese that can be very confusing leading to what is said the be the biggest lies ever  and continually told in the information age "I have read, understand, and agree to the terms and conditions" and the boxed is checked, but hey it's all for the conveniences right?

LabSim 1.2.14 Online Streaming

Online streaming is mind blowing to me, all the different types of content that can be put out there for the world to see, weather it be a live stream or a video uploaded to be watched at the viewers convenience is amazing. Sometimes I wish I had gotten into streaming earlier, cause I can remember an internet before YouTube and other streaming services, and having to figure things out by trial and error instead of just looking up a how to video. I used to question kids watching videos of kids playing games when they had the game in the other room that they could be playing, but as a gamer myself it is a whole lot easier to watch a walk through video than it is to go out and buy a gamer guide (it's a lot cheaper too). Online streaming has become such an integral part of life, especially with the recent pandemic, that I don't think there will ever be a time that online streaming isn't going to be around and readily available at a moments notice.

Getting Ahead, Keeping Up, and Falling Behind

I'm only just starting my third week of this semester (Fall 2022) and I can already see how easy it is to fall behind in your school work. Especially with online classes, where you have to be self motivated and focused to get assignments done.  Ideally when you think about starting school you just want to keep up and be able to follow along with the class, and there are those classes that you have the option to get ahead and hopefully stay ahead to give yourself some breathing room for whatever unexpected situation may come. As the weeks go by you look at when things are due and you are like I have time I'll get to it, till next thing you know you are trying to finish 3 maybe four chapters of work in one night all the while thinking to yourself I should have done this earlier, when the lessons were fresh on the table or you weren't feeling the weight of multiple assignments needing your upmost attention and effort all at one time. So I say if you find yourself falling behind push a little harder to catch up, and when you're caught up don't slow down to keep up, keeping pushing to get ahead and in the end when it's all said and done you can look back take a deep breath and smile knowing that you did that to the absolute best of your ability.

School, Going as an adult.

I know when I got to a certain age, I thought I would have to never think about school again. As a person that didn't really care for school while I was in high school, life has a way of playing cruel jokes on you. First when I joined the military, I chose the Air Force, which is all about schooling, you have to take a test for each and every promotion. Then after the military I had to go back to school in order to get the job that I have currently. Now, after 10 years at my current place of employment and more than 15 years, almost 20 to be exact, of electronic experience I am choosing to journey into the world of I.T. information technology - cyber security to be more specific. Which for a third time means that I am back in school, and this time it seems like there just isn't enough time in the day. It makes me think what was I complaining about as kid when I said I didn't have enough time when that was all I had to focus on, unlike now where I have a job, a wife, bills, among other things that come up as an adult navigating life, but hey I can't complain. One thing my mother used to tell me is "you do what you have to, so you can do what you want to.", so I'm going to buckle down and get it done cause in the end all this hard work and dedication is for my benefit and well being.