Jana < Algebra

So one of my biggest (and most legitimate) fears of doing this is that I have to pass COLLEGE ALGEBRA. Not only do I have to pass it, I have to get a B or higher.

I still have nightmares about math classes growing up.

It just doesn't click for me. I made it to trig in high school and dropped the class after being lost on day 1. I didn't need it... not really sure why I signed up for it in the first place. But the point is, I've never done well in a math class before. Hand me the guidelines to a massive research paper, and BAM! Done. And with an easy A. But math? This shiz is for the birds.

As sad as it is, I started with Elementary Algebra this semester. I could've taken Intermediate because once upon a time I took a "Business Math" at the same college and it qualified me for it. But lezzbereal here.....
I would've been shooting myself in the foot.

I needed to start FROM THE BEGINNING, square one, where stuff is spelled out and familiar. I got through some Algebra classes in high school, but that was like, um... a bajillion years ago. Furreal. So Elementary it was, and I'm not regretting it one bit!!

This was my unit 2 test. Granted, you can see that the first couple problems weren't hard, but I STILL GOT AN A!! That's really all that matters. Oh, and out of the 100 points, 2 that I missed were a very stupid addition error. Der. So I'm proud of this, despite how simple it is to others.

I'm currently holding onto an A in this class, and our unit 3 test is this week. After that, we'll have a comprehensive final (yes, this makes me nervous). There aren't any requirements for this class... if I get a C, I'll still move on to the Intermediate. But I want to try REALLY hard to understand every little thing, hoping that it will spill over into the next semester, and the next.

So I just wanted to take a minute to brag. I know, for a fact, that there will be tears at some point next semester. I know that I won't always pull As from tests, but I had to celebrate the moment.

I'm actually doing okay in a math class. For once.

It's Official.

Moving day has been decided upon.
 
It was one of those things where I didn't wanna think about it, and the parents were too busy with their house being remodeled. But one day it occurred to me that It's APRIL and time to start thinking about it.
 
After much deliberation.... June 1st is the big day.
 
This day is more convenient for me than it is for them, but I don't think they realize how little they will be involved. I'm an insanely organized person, and have full intentions of documenting what goes into which box, and where each box is going (this is going to require a storage unit-- sigh).
 
All I can think about is how much I'll miss my stuff. I know that sounds materialistic, but you get used to having access to all of it, whenever you want it, and that's suddenly taken away. My kitchen stuff, in particular, will be missed.
And yeah, I can go dig out whatever I want when I need it, but that's not as convenient. In fact, it sucks.
 
So until then, I get to decide what HAS to stay with me (scrapbook stuff, my tv-- duh, skates, etc.) and what can go away for a few years. *sniffle*


Oh, and a moving plan for Cottonelle. She's such a high-stress traveler, even if it IS only 3 miles away. Lots. Of. Meds. Poor kitty.

....this time?

The question, "What are you going to school for THIS TIME?" drums up some feelings for me.

I'm not mad, let's make that clear.

But I feel like people think I'm turning into one of those "professional students"-- you know, the people who just keep going back for more because they don't really wanna work or pay off student loans.

And that's simply NOT the case.

I AM A CHILD (PRODUCT?) OF THE RECESSION: Times are hard and life hasn't gone as planned. It also doesn't help that I'm single

Some of us are forced to do things based on necessity. Do you think I really WANT to be in this lengthy process of a situation? If  things were different back in the day, I might be settled into a career that wasn't threatened by the economy. Or, maybe I'd be right where I am because of unforeseen happenings. Who knows.

The point is, I hope this is the last time I have to "go back" to school. I'd love to be comfortable in a job, and heck, even have some benefits! When you've had to figure financial things out on your own since the beginning, like me, you may have made some decisions based on what was best at that time rather than what would be best forever. That's another blog for another time.
Here's to hoping this is what's best forever (or a long, long time!).

All too familiar, yet so unwelcome.

I don't think I can begin to tell you how much I loathe snow. This is the third BIG snow we've had in a month. It's gotten to the point that no one even posts about it on facebook anymore because we're all sick of talking about it!!

Days like today (my only day off) would normally be good for errands. Today is good for.... Planning my shoveling adventure and maybe eating some food. It's spring, right?!?! Go home, Mother Nature. You're drunk!!!

My all-too familiar view. I'm sick of it!!

Third Time's a Charm (and BETTER be the last!)

You know, some people go through life never finding out what they want to be. Some people, like myself, flounder around and do different things forever. Or until they're old enough to retire. I feel like I'm one of these people for a simple reason:

I live by the rule "Work to LIVE, never LIVE to work."

So maybe to me, a job is just a job. When I was younger, ALL I wanted to be was a court reporter. For years I talked about it. I researched til there was nothing left to find. When that dream was yanked from me, I really didn't know what to do next. And that... is why I'm here.

The first time I went to college, it was to fulfill an A+ scholarship that I was originally intending to use for court reporting. I was forced to pick a major, so I picked something I knew would be easy. Behold the AAS in Office Administration! Perhaps the most worthless degree known to man. Why? Because you don't need no stinkin' degree to do office work! The longer I had been out of school, the harder it was to find a job MAINLY because of the recession (and everyone was holding onto their jobs for dear life) but also because the jobs I was applying for were being given to people with more experience in the field.  That's why I'm massaging full time right now...

The second venture into school was purely for something I wanted to do. I had taken a liking to massage and thought (once again) I had my life figured out. I was going to get through school and be licensed, then work in the medical field with it. You know, with a PT or chiropractor. I wanted to HELP people, not just relax them. And, to make things more promising, I was promised a job with a local chiro. Little did I know that he would be a crook and completely screw me over at the last minute. So, I landed at the spa. And here I am, 6 years later still working in the service industry where I never wanted to be. Don't get me wrong... it has been good to me. It just wasn't my dream. And really, in this part of the country the medical thing just doesn't happen much. Maybe in a bigger city, but even then the insurance companies won't pay unless it's prescribed for a work or car accident. I just didn't realize how difficult it would be to work somewhere other than a spa doing massage.

So needless to say, I'm tired of going to school and even MORE tired of it getting me nowhere. Some people would just make the best of what they've got and work jobs they hate to get them by. But as much as I work to live, I can't be miserable doing it. Here's to hoping this will be the LAST TIME I owe anyone student loans. G'grief.

Crisis Averted.

So...
Since the last time I blogged, some things have been settled and I can think a little more clearly. Basically, I was told by a rather reputable source (my mother, who works in the financial aid office) that since the program I'm aiming for was to be funded by grants, I wasn't going to be "eligible" because I work... and don't mooch off the government.
I FINALLY got a meeting with the director, and lucky for me they have already thought of these things and have found a way to bypass them. Basically, they can classify a student however they want to make sure they can receive the grant. So that's the good news. The bad news is, by the time I'm ready to start, the grant will probably be gone. She said, "Well you know, the government is a mess. So I don't expect to have it for more than a year."

*sigh*

Whatever. One of the things that really drew me in was the fact that my tuition would be covered, but now that I'm here... and doing things... I'm just ready to move to the next chapter in my life, even if it means paying tuition and having student loans. Again. I really don't have a choice since everything is in the works.

So now that I know I'm not wasting my time with these prerequisites, it's back to the original plan. More details to come. It's Spring Break (which means 2 days off this week for me!-- don't tell work.), so I'll have some extra time on my hands. Might as well blog.

My Absence

Y'all... I haven't written in a while. A long while. Plain and simple, I've been busy.
And stressed out.

Stressed to the point that I've shut down. I still function, but it's on fumes. And I haven't been a pleasant person lately.

We'll just say that I have a very important meeting coming up that pertains to school (the whole reason I sit here and write) that may or may not change EVERYTHING I thought I was doing. More on that after it unfolds, but until then.... I'll stay shut down. It's just too much to think about and have to write about something else.

Trust me though, I've got all KINDS of blogs planned.

See ya later this week. Maybe. If I'm not in jail for killing someone.