A new challenge

College level learning is very stimulating and good for the ego and morale.  The challenge of getting your brain working again is the stimulating part; realizing that you can learn, remember and the spit it out for a test is sooo  ego-boosting; discovering that nobody cares how old you are, that recent high school graduates don’t think it’s odd that an older person is in classes with them and that all the teachers assume you have a good reason for being there and are just another student is the part that raises your morale higher than it’s probably been for a long time.  College is definitely worth the time and effort for someone who hasn’t done any studying for a long time.  It has given me a  confidence I forget I had and a satisfaction that has only come from various home projects I have done.  I recommend it to anyone who has a thirst for knowledge and is in a deep rut.  I can almost guarantee that college courses will pull you right out of it.

I remember the first test I had to take in PhotoShop.  I was prepared, but scared to death that I would fail and get kicked out of the class.  I passed that first one and went on to pass all of the others, even though the anxiety level was always high before one.  The instructor in most of my other computer classes prefers to assign final projects instead of giving final exams – bless his heart!  The projects are always time consuming and involve using everything you’ve learned that semester, but the anxiety of taking a final exam is gone – something I do not miss at all.  I suspect he just doesn't like to grade tests and it is easier for him to look at the work you've done on his computer.

This week I have had another challenge – illness – that has interfered with my classwork and attendance.  Crafton Hills College is aptly named as it is in the hills between Redlands and Yucaipa and since my illness is a sinus infection, the change in altitude would be murder on my eardrums and not being able to hear well makes me feel like I’m in limbo-land and I can’t think straight about anything.  Thankfully, it is getting better and I am beginning to feel almost normal.  Now to catch up on the work.  I can do it – and enjoy the doing.  It would be more enjoyable without the pressure, but it’s still a pleasure.