It seems as if I only update this blog once every six months. It is not because I forget about it but it is because I am so busy. The fall semester is finally coming to a close. Only a week and a half left. I'll be jumping with joy next Friday. My classes were easy, yet, hard.
Semester Review
I took five online classes. The first class, Computer as a Creative Media, was horrible. The professor dropped out after the first week and we got a new professor who was awful. The syllabus didn't list any of the assignments, she randomly assigned discussions without sending out a notice or putting a note on the homepage, grading was slow at best and she never told us how we were going to be graded. We got a pass/fail for the discussions and an A,B,C,D or F for the assignments. I have no idea how she is going to calculate the final grade. She wouldn't tell us why we got those grades either. I got A's on the first five assignments then I started to randomly get B's and C's with no explanation as to why. The professor doesn't respond to her email either. I mentioned this to her in one of the discussions and got a fail for that discussion. It wasn't off topic because the discussion question was "What did you think of this assignment?" and I stated that I was confused about the assignment and never got a response to my email. This is the class I hate the most. When signing up for classes, I'll be sure to avoid this professor at all costs.
The second class was Computer Design I. I have mixed feelings about this class. The assignments seem hard at first but once I start them, I find out that they are pretty easy. The professor is nice. He grades assignments right away and the syllabus outlines clear expectations. I have to take the follow up class in the spring with the same professor. I'm not sure what to think. The assignments for this class are getting pretty complex and time consuming. I'm kind of nervous at what the next class will entail.
The third class I took was Graphic Design I. Luckily, I don't have to take the follow up class to get my degree. The professor is okay. I don't like his opinions as he thinks his opinions are always right (some people do find symmetry pleasing to the eye) but he grades fairly and he seems like a nice guy. He's always willing to help and he gives us tips to help us get better. The assignments were kind of boring but sometimes design is boring. I wouldn't feel too bad if I had to take a class taught by this professor again.
The fourth class I took was Interactive Web Design I. I love this class. I should since I'm getting a degree in it. The assignments were easy. He let us learn on our own time. The deadlines he set for us are not set in stone and he has moved them when he found that we were struggling. He even told us to not worry about the deadlines and to do the best work that we could. As long as we do the work, we will get a good grade. He just wants us to show him that we are actually learning what is being taught even if we can't do it very well ourselves. He's very helpful and will answer any questions immediately - even on weekends. The other students in the class are also very helpful. I can't wait to take the follow up class in the spring (even though HTML and CSS are still confusing).
The last class I have is Intro to E-Business. I hate this class but it is pretty easy. The assignments are difficult but she gives us plenty of time to get them done. We have one assignment every two weeks and usually a small discussion or exam in between. The exams are hard, even if I read the book. I don't worry about them too much though. I've gotten A's on all the other assignments. The exams will probably push me down to a B which sucks but at least I'm not failing. In the end, the grades don't really matter much. Employers never look at grades. They might see that you were in an honor society but they never look at grades. I'm glad that this is my only business class.
Winter Break
I have many things lined up for winter break. I should get all my finals done by Wednesday of next week at the latest. The first thing I have planned is to finish my office. I still don't have it done. It has actually gotten worse. Whenever someone has mail that they want to keep but don't know where to put it, they throw it in the office. My dad started working on the floor but never finished. There also isn't any heat ducts going into the office so it is freezing. My first plan of attack is spending two hours a day organizing the paperwork and filing it away or shredding it. Then I am going to tackle the floor by sanding it and applying varnish. Finally, I will make it comfortable to work in by adding a space heater and maybe a rug and a comfortable chair.
The second thing I will be doing during winter break is writing Infobarrel articles. I started a separate blog for Infobarrel called My Infobarrel Experiment. I have around 70 Infobarrel articles - most of them are less than a month old. I earned $30 last month and I'm hoping to earn double that this month. It is looking good so far as I have already made $25 and it is only the 8th. I'm expecting the earnings to drop off after the holidays. I want to write more articles to try and counteract that dropoff. My goal is to write 50 articles in December. I made a plan to write 3 articles a day starting next Thursday.
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The third and final thing I will be accomplishing during winter break is making a lot of up-front money from Demand Studios. I am, unfortunately, behind on bills again and need to get caught back up. I'll be able to completely pay off my credit card with my student loan in January but they want their money now. I also need to make enough for a car payment and for Christmas gifts. I should be able to pay all my bills and buy gifts with $1,100 so that's my goal. I'll be doing mostly DS Title Selecting and Dupe Checking but, if I have to, I may write articles. I have spread out the amount I need to make each day so I'm not overwhelmed. If I schedule an $80 day, I will not schedule any Infobarrel articles or office work. If I have 3 Infobarrel articles scheduled, I will only make $20 with DS. I want to set realistic goals. I think adding variety to my schedule will work out great and I'll still be able to reach all my goals.
I'll try to post again before June;) I hope everyone has a great holiday season!
