For months now, there really hasn’t been a lot going on but the mundane life tasks – work, eating and sleeping. If you’ve read this blog long enough, you may know I have a passion for programming. Whether it’s web page design, gaming or other. After deeming my AAS in Computer Science Information Systems completely useless, my goal was to obtain my Bachelors. The time has come.

I am fortunate enough to have an employer who offers such a program. Have you heard of the College Degree for $1 per day at Walmart? At first I was hesitant believing it was “certifications” in various fields. However, after further research it is much more. For instance, I have enrolled in Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). My cost is $30 per month with one requirement – staying employed at Walmart.

Unlike traditional semesters at a typical college, SNHU offers eight week terms. Such programs are not for everyone. You must have good organization and management skills. For instance, you have your “module”, a discussion, an assignment and a possible exam at the end of each week. The discussion is broken down into three individual tasks: your initial post and two follow-up posts to other students which all need to meet a certain criteria of an acceptable discussion post. This format is very familiar to me since it was used where I received my Associates in Computer Science at a local community college when “online study” was just in its infancy.

The plan this semester is three classes: FYE 101 – First Year Experience, MATH 136 – Intro to Quantitative Analysis and ENG 123 – English Composition II. All classes begin on October 26th.

Am I nervous? You’re only lying to yourself if you aren’t. It’s overwhelming at first. You have each class with a module, assignment and discussion. But I’ve learned you focus on one class, one task, complete it and move on to next class and task philosophy. (**scratches head** Hmm – where did I get that from?)

Early access to classes started today. I’ve synchronized both Outlook and Google calendars to ensure I don’t miss anything. Honestly, it’s a nifty feature. There is a lot going on and it’s easy to get sidetracked. If you miss something, you can’t go back; an automatic zero on the discussion, assignment or exam if you happen to miss something.

Part of me is excited and wants to do it NOW. I want to start NOW! But I have to remind myself, “Breathe. Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Classes don’t start until October 26th.

Facebook tends to remind me during this time of year of my first college experience. “Three assignments, three discussions with 9 responses required and an exam. And don’t forget about working on your final project? UGH!” – an old post. I’m thinking of printing it up and posting it on my computer. It makes me chuckle every time.

I am going to try to enjoy my two days off for the next two weeks. Afterward, it’s going to get ridiculously busy and lack of sleep is going to be an issue. Or is it? I’ve been reading The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood #3) by Jeff Wheeler in which there is a line I love to remind myself:

It begins with a thought . . .