It is official. As of May 1st (technically May 8th when my classes are completed) I am a graduate!!
Woot! Woot!
It’s been a long time coming. Feels like an eternity coming actually but I’ve done it, and I’m quite proud.
Yay me!
Now comes the Bachelor’s in Web Development and yet more nerdery!!
Inevitably the closer a semester draws to a close the more stress my life seems to bring to it. It’s likely all unnecessary or blown somewhat out of proportion by my own wormy brain but so it is. There’s something about the mix of work, homework, life, daily bullshit that never blends pure this time of year. Everything wants it’s own portion of the plate and that plate gets smaller and smaller by the minute.
The added aggravations are nearing chaotic points. 3 more weeks. Just 3 more weeks.
I can do this, I’ve worked hard for this. I’m ready. Let’s do it!
Despite that I read my design blogs every morning amidst e-mail at work, I’ve been a bad bad little blogger.
I’m reaching the end of my time at LCC, which is both exciting and terrifying all at once. I have a good plan in mind for my remaining education (getting a bachelors in web development), but it still seems a bit frightening to be ending this now.
Part of my second to last ssmester is taking the portfolio course which is requiring me to do that which I’ve been telling myself to do for about 5 years – get a portfolio and portfolio website put together.
The unfortunate side effect is that extra time is not built into taking this course. It seems the closer I get to completed school the less time I actually have for school.
So it goes, so it goes.
On to more important ventures, there seems to be a trend on all the design blogs I read right now regarding going back to the basics – starting fresh and designing correctly straight out of the gate. Considering all of the important factors often overlooked at that first moment of aha! I’ve got the perfect design.
Usability, Accessibility, Color, Validation, these are the things everyone is writing about…and the things I’m always thinking about while trying to make something ‘cool’.
It’s good to see that shift from Web 2.0 thinking a bit.
Alas, that will have to do for today – work to be done in all realms of the world and not eneough hours in a day to do it.
The semester is over!!
*dance of glee*
However, work is pure insanity and I see no end in the workload anytime soon. So I will be doing the work thing then doing the at home accomplish nothing thing for the entirety of my break I think.
After I re-wrote my resume it hit me that I actually have some decent accomplishments under my belt for someone who techincally isn’t ‘degreed’ yet.
Considering that a huge number of people see some of the graphic work I have done on a daily basis through my state’s vacancy posting system (government jobs). Not too shabby. Being 2 out of 3 finalists for a departments logo contest. That’s pretty good too.
Building web applications several departments use, dealing with those people day to day. I guess I’m not doing too bad after all.
However that does not take away any of the frustration I feel here from time to time regarding the lack of a real ‘full-time’ job and benefits and what not. It’s a good thing I like my customers and my co-workers most of the time or I would go crazy.
Though I can’t think of anyone’s job that isn’t the same in that respect.
Classes are in full swing again, I’m working on a full blown site for a portfolio piece and feeling beneath myself re-taking a programming course I took when I first started this and didn’t do so well in. Now it seems like child’s play in a sad sad way. I do more complicated things at work than I am being asked to do for homework. That’s ok, it’s giving me a chance to learn a new language, new ways of doing things so I shouldn’t complain.
Ah, the daily contradiction that is me. 
That’s enough for now, until next time I actually get around to posting, ta!
I’m seriously considering a lobotomy. I think the braindead feeling would be a welcome change from the information overload I seem to be experiencing lately.
In actual design world news not a lot has been going on. My blogs all seems to be feeling less awe-inspiring lately. No articles being e-mailed to myself for later enjoyment. My time has been all too taken up with final projects and trying to remain some sort of sane.
My final project for my Web Dev class is not design wise up to my usual standards, but it fits the mold and will likely change several more times before I’m actually happy with it. Here’s a quick shot of it as it stands today, in all it’s boring unfinished glory.
That’s sadly all there is for me at moment. I’ve got a pretty hefty list of books I plan to purchase for this summer’s learning. I won’t be taking any classes so I plan on filling my few months off with that. If I feel up to it I’ll post a list of the books I intend to get, $ providing.
Well it’s official. I’m not taking any classes this Summer. Mostly because the offerings are pathetic. Not a single thing that will either take care of a needed credit, or just anything I want to take in general. So this summer shall be my own way of learning. Woot!!
I’m working out a mental list of everything I want to accomplish by summer’s end. Some are personal, some educational, but all things to keep my busy and the brain working. I give this until June 1st, then I’ll just be playing video games and catching up on my sleep.
In no particular order I give you:
Things to Accomplish Summer 2008
I’ll likely add to and subtract from this but at the moment that’s a little window into the things I want to accomplish with my ’semester off’.
Oh yeah, and I’ll be working full time as always. I just can’t get enough of doing something all the time. I am a sick, sick puppy.
Mid Semester and I haven’t written a word since it began, sad isn’t it.
I just finished my very first full Flash game, which I’ll post (maybe) after I do some finalization type things to it.
My website is up for my advanced web development class, but it’s nothing spectacular do to the constraints given in general for the assignments.
If there is anyone interested in seeing that it is located here.
That’s about all this girl’s got right now. Too busy with work and life in general to really have been into anything else. Haven’t really even had time to poke around my usual Design blog haunts…depressing really.
It has been entirely unintentional that I’ve already faltered on my plan to write in here at a relatively consistent rate.
Classes have begun and are entering the full swing of taking away what little free time I have to begin with. Work is trucking along at a steady pace of too quick, and so it all goes.
I have been getting into some more interesting ActionScript facets in my Flash Game Design class. I unfortunately don’t have any examples to really post at this point.
My Advanced Web Development class website is up but at this point it is nothing worth screaming about. I will be re-designing it for our next assignment using pure CSS. I’m looking forward to it. I would have preferred to have done this from day one. If anyone of my very tiny reader’s base is at all interested it is located at http://rebel.lcc.edu/mearst/
As far as my surfing and new article finds I don’t have much of anything new and exciting.
I have gotten thoroughly addicted to teamsugar.com’s my sugar feature which now let’s me have all their sister sites in one place. It’s a very chick based little community but, hell I am after all a chick…so that’s that.
Until I have something of actual import…I’m out!
Next Tuesday marks my first official day back to classes. This won’t be my first semester since starting towards my web design degree by any means but the course load has certainly become more interesting to me over the past few semesters. At first it was difficult for me to motivate myself to attend courses when I was learning things that I had been doing on my own, taught myself at age 14. I’m getting to the ‘new shit’ now and it’s wonderful.
Here’s what I’m taking this time around:
ARTS237 Computer Graphics/Flash Game Design
This course introduces students to the fundamental programming concepts used to create 2D games. Students will learn what makes a good game, how to design it, and how to program it for web delivery using ActionScript, the object-oriented scripting language in Flash.
CITW165 Advanced Web Development
This course explores innovative techniques of web page construction using newer, more flexible technologies for added web site functionality. Students create several industry-compliant web pages that respond to user input given through the browser and manage an interactive web site using these technologies.
Judging purely on the book titles for the term (and the fact that I have had classes with both professors before), this is looking to be a good term for me. Here’s hoping what we work on are things I can post here while ‘in process’.
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