KshGoddess's Journal: Class starts *WHEN*?

I just got finished with my summer course (CSIS 220 at Palomar College, Programming for Computer Science) last week, and my new classes start next week.

First, about the class that just ended. I was *so* bored for the first half, then interested for some of the second half. (Pointers are cool.) But I just learned that I came out of it with a 'B', so I guess it's not that bad. Now I can tell people "I got a B in C".

As for the upcoming classes, I'm taking "Video Game Programming" and "Intro to Oracle" because (a) I think they're both interesting, and (2) I'm looking for a new hat. I'm in the midst of what could be called a mid-life crisis, except that I'm only 26, and it's more of a curiosity than a crisis.

I'm a pretty kickass sysadmin, if I do say so myself. I'm fluent in HP-UX and Solaris, I speak a little SCO. I script in perl, in ksh (of course, that's where I got the name), in expect. I can deal with NT/2000, but I'd rather not. I document. Those are just the highlights, mind you. The parts where I believe I excel.

But it's time for a change. I want to be able to afford a house one of these days, and where I live, my salary won't do it. Plus, I'm stuck in a job where I do mostly NT. So, I picked up a brochure for the local UC Extension, and almost choked on the prices. $500-$1k per class? I guess if I saved my pennies, I could afford it, but add in books, and I'm screwed.

So I'm going to a community college, at a reasonable $11/CU. [Thank you, California!] And they have certificate programs so that I can feel like I'm actually doing something. I don't want a degree right now, not an AS, not an AA, not a BS/BA/BSomethingElse. I don't want it because I don't want to put up with the BS that comes with it. I've tried before, twice, and gotten tired of dealing with American History, Psychology, Calculus, and Art Appreciation being forced upon me. I don't want to go through algebra again; I took up until Calculus II in college once, and don't use most of what I learned, so it's mostly gone now.

This doesn't mean that at some point later, I can't decide that I want a piece of paper. Perhaps when I'm old and grey and need a new job because the industry is crowded with young geeks who won't hire me, I'll decide to get a piece of paper so I can either manage or teach. Those who can't do, and all of that rub.

I'm a pretty flexible person, with a lot of computer savvy and a lot of creativity. I've thought of many hats that I could wear, from graphic artist and webmaster to programmer and DBA. I just don't know if I'm interested enough in any of these subjects to actually want to have a job in them. And with my work schedule, the only way to actually find out is to take classes. So... here I go again.

Let the whining begin!