On my mind

I realize that this may not be the place to discuss this topic. However, this subject has been a major part of my life last week (and weeks prior). I have been closely following the story of the Jena 6 and everything that has been taking place in Jena, La. I have been very active in letting my peers and pretty much anyone I come in contact with know what's going on in Jena, La. For those of you who are interested in learning more about the Jena 6 or who don't know anything about them, follow this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six. There is alot of information out there, but this is a start.

Okay, now, on to my reflections on week two. I will have to say that my "creative bug" is in the process of being re-awakened. Let's just say that a military life does not allow for much creativity. You are pretty much directed to carry out someone else's thoughts and ideas. I enjoy the freedom of thought in this class. I forgot how good that can feel! LOL! When I sit at my computer, I don't feel like I'm doing "work". I simply feel like I'm making a contribution to the class. I have decided that this will be the last time I will be turning in all of my classwork at the last minute! I am struggling right now trying to keep up with a demanding work schedule and working around my husband being in school while I'm home with the baby. It's all a learning process... and what a process!

I enjoy seeing how creative my fellow classmates are! Wow! Once again, I really look forward to working through this semester with everyone.

Reflections on Week 1

Wow, I'm not sure where to begin. Last week marked a few beginnings for me. Aside from becoming a full-fledged graduate student, I began working my first civilian job (since separating from the Navy in May '07) on Monday (9/10). My 8 month old son also started attending daycare (9/10), which was actually more painful for me than it was for him. Also, my husband just began working on his undergraduate degree (9/4) and I have been helping him adapt to life as a first time college student. So, I've been dealing with trying to manage the household schedules as well as balancing school work, work training, and motherhood. I must say that I am proud of myself and my family. We seem to be coasting along right now.

This past week of classes has helped me reset myself to "student mode". It has also helped me somewhat adjust to the online learning environment. I am learning more how things run and operate. I feel fortunate to have the professors and classmates that I have. There seems to be a great deal of comradery among us. I feel that everyone is extremely supportive and motivated. Let's keep it up!

This is only the beginning...

So far, in this course, I have learned that I am surrounded by many talented and intelligent individuals. I actually feel like the "baby" of the class because I don't have much experience in the IT field. My background is mainly mathematics (although I took more than a few Computer Science/Computer Engineering courses along the way). My interest in computers/electronics goes back to my younger days. I was always taking things apart to see if I could put them back together (in working order, of course). I thought I wanted to be an electronics engineer, but somewhere along the way, my focus shifted solely on computers. I wanted to know how and why computers worked. Now, my interest lies in the inner-workings and security of networks. I know I have a long road ahead of me, but I will be successful at the end.