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Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Whoa..sorry for the delay

I just realized I haven't written in here for over a month!! I guess I got busy with work and finals and stuff. Last week was particularly busy at work.

I guess I don't really have anybody to apologize to...I mean, who actually reads this thing? I haven't put up the link in too many places, just the 2 forums I belong to, and I guess on the Blogger listing. I have mostly gotten comments that are just stupid ads as of recently.

Let's see...what has happened?

Well I have to back up to November, I guess.

We went up to Lone Pine to visit my grandpa and his wife Barbara (not my grandmother...she died, and then my grandpa remarried) for Thanksgiving, but just for overnight since both my brother and I had to work on that Saturday and couldn't get out of it. I bought a cool picture of a fairy named Celadine and a cute fairy key chain at this little store for Amy's Christmas present, plus a windmill magnet at this art guild place for myself.

The first two weeks of December are hell incarnate for a college student. As finals loom ahead, all the big projects are assigned or are due. I had things for three different classes due on Thursday of the second week, plus I got scheduled to work that day for some strange reason (I'm usually off on Thursday). It was hectic. I had my Piaget Assignment due for Human Development, a final lab to do and a Lab Final due for Chemistry, and stuff to finish for Microsoft Access, plus a "capstone project" involving Excel and Powerpoint and extra credit all due. The worst of it was having to rush down to Albertson's to develop my stupid film in order to get one measly picture for my Piaget assignment, and then having to walk back cause the girl who gave me a ride there had to leave to pick up her kids. It was around 2:30, and it's nearly a half-hour's walk back to school, added to waiting for the bus to take me up the hill to school, and I had to be at class at 3:00. Let's just say it was around 3:20 when I arrived, exhausted and very stressed out.

Somehow I got everything turned in, albeit some of the Access stuff was a little late. But pretty much just the stuff that had to be turned in via this online program thing called SAM. Which meant I didn't actually need to use Access, which is good cause Microsoft Office 2003 Student and Teacher's Edition (the version of Office installed on my laptop) does not include Access.

Somehow I got through that fiasco of an ordeal, then had to take finals. Monday of finals week, my history final was due. But it wasn't too hard, since it was an online class, which basically implies open book, open note, etc. There were 3 essay questions. That stuff didn't take so long. In the end, I got a B in the class, not half bad.

Tuesday morning I had my chemistry final. I studied as well as one can when one crams for a 10-chapter cumulative chemistry final. Which isn't quite as well as one ought to study for such a final, obviously. I did get a B in that class though in the end, which is good.

Thursday afternoon I had my human development final. Fortunately most of the test was on the last 4 chapters, with a small cumulative section. I studied long and hard for this one, spreading lots of reading and video-making (using Windows Movie Maker) and skimming the study guide over the course of at least 2 days. I got an A in this class.

My computer grades were good (basically all the grades come from the SAM stuff, and either you pass and get full points, or you don't pass and don't get any points, though except for tests, you are able to do the thing again and again until you pass). I got an A after all that struggle with getting Access done. Yay.

I would've tried to take the certification exams for Office that you can take after finishing that class, but I am still undecided as to whether or not to take them. I will get a Microsoft Office User Proficient Level certificate from the school though, cause I applied for it. I hope that means the classes I put towards it (this class and the one before it) still count for credit, cause I still need transfer units. I just checked my transcript online and I have 64.50 transferable units, if I read the thing right. That means I have more than enough to transfer to a Cal State (which requires 56). I just need to finish the IGETC stuff (I'm almost done, but I still have to take "Oral Communications" and Bio) and basic Cal State transfer stuff (Speech, Bio, and Health, plus the American Institutions requirement). I don't know if stuff from the IGETC counts for both...I'd have to ask. If not, I need to take some more G.E. classes.

Well I gotta go in a few minutes to go to work. It's casual week, so I get to wear slacks! Yay!

Just one more thing: I registered for spring! I am taking Health, Beginning Keyboard/Piano I, History of the Americas, and some more computer classes (typing and office skills...you never know when you'll need them).