Wednesday, September 14

This school week so far

...has been a stressful one since starting the new class (Web Design Techniques). Our first assignment for the week is about Microsoft Visual Studio, visual basic specifically, creating an "order entry application" using Visual Basic. 1st problem I've had: I don't have any Windows Visual Basic program to install on my computer. 2nd problem: The site the school sent me to, to download the program, has it, but the download just error's out. So no download. I downloaded a 30-day free trial of Windows Visual Studio 2010 Express yesterday, thinking I could get a little of the homework done. The textbook for the course teaches "VB 2005", which is different (I think) then VB 2010 Express, so I am totally unsure that what I'm trying to do is even possible with what I downloaded & installed. I talked to a support person at my school about not being able to download the program that the textbook says I need, but he knew nothing about any such site. I kept trying with a different browser, but the download failed the same way with it too. I digress, sorry.
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So anyway, I happen to be on a Facebook group with other Missouri ITT Tech graduates and students whom I told about my download issues. It was suggested that I go to a site called Microsoft DreamSpark, where students can get free downloads of software after they verify they are a student. It doesn't take long to get verified as long as you use a school (.edu) email address from one of the schools they list that qualifies for the program. So anyway, I'm in the process of downloading Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 but it's taking some time since it's a 2.19 GB download that is 25% (532 MB) d.loaded so far. We only have a 1.5M DSL connection that 4 people share, and one of those people is an online video gamer.
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Anywho, I got side-tracked again. Back to the school issues this week. Besides not having a program that I need, I'm a little stressed out because when I read the assignments for the week it seems like they're geared toward people who have at least a little experience with Visual Basic and/or coding, which I have zero, and it's already Wednesday afternoon/early evening and I have none of the homework done. Granted they're not due until Sunday night, but I got used to having one class's homework completely done by mid week, and most of the other class's. So being mid week with none of it done is causing me to wig-out. One more thing... I don't feel a connection with the instructor for this class. I sent him emails using the school email system on Monday around noon about my software issues but didn't hear anything back from him until this morning. He sent an announcement on Monday saying that he'd be in his office for a couple of hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. He said that he'll monitor his school email when he's not in his office though. I feel intimidated since in another introduction-announcement he told how he has something like 15 years (or more) of engineering and programming experience and I've go NO programming experience whatsoever.
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Wish me luck!
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http://ramblemans.blogspot.com

8 comments:

Paganangel92 said...

Good luck!!! I'm sure everything will work itself out. :)

Rain said...

Big hugs, sweetie!! I know you'll figure it out. :)

Todd said...

Thank you, you two. I know it will get better and I'll figure it all out. This dizziness & nausea thing just has me a bit frazzled. And I keep thinking how I've got 4 assignments due this week :-(

Lee said...

Hang in there! You can do it.

Anonymous said...

damn skippy you can do it! sic 'em!
Judi R

Todd said...

Thank you, Lee and Judy. I am Skippy and I will prevail! LOL. Also, yesterday was the first day I stopped taking 2 dozes of Ampyra twice a day (med 4 walking help that's ineffective) and maybe stopping completely wasn't a good idea. I'm going back to taking it, but only 1 dose a day for 7 days to see if that helps with the nausea & dizziness.

Anonymous said...

You will be okay!
First assignments are usually easy as can be to warm up most and to allow the kinks that always creep in at the beginning of school session (not enough books for students, students that start the class late, website problems, etc.) Your newer version of the program will certainly allow you to do the assignment meant for the older version.
I don't understand your issue with your instructor having 15 years programming experience--would you feel more comfortable with an instructor with 2 years?
I would be more concerned with how many instructing years he/she has.
I think it a good idea to not go cold turkey on your med.
Don't let school stress you so bad, it makes it harder.
They are not aware

Todd said...

I don't have a problem with Teach having 15 years of programming experience per se. It just hit me wrong when I started reading some of the later assignments which seem(ed) over my head and felt like he was thinking his students weren't beginners, that's all. I'm guilty of projecting my fears onto him. Just not feeling well in general and it worries me that I won't be able to handle it and school :-( I think once I get the 1st couple of assignments turned in and graded, and see how picky or not he is about the work, then I'll relax.

As for the meds, I've started retaking 50% of the one I quit cold turkey. So far not much change 2.5 days later (still dizzy if I move too quickly then get quickly nauseous). As long as I don't move much, I'm fairly okay.