Monday, April 21, 2008

I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.

I am not unique in the fact that I do not work in the field in which I received my degree. My undergrad degree is in psychology, and as much as I would have liked to go on and get my graduate degree, the lack of academic focus during my college years (all eight of them if that tells you anything), pretty much clinches the fact that graduate school is out of the question.

I currently work investigating and resolving billing issues for clients my company provides services for. It's cube dwelling at it's most glamorous, let me tell you. It's not horrible (much), and it certainly pays the bills, but it is by no means fulfilling, nor does it scratch any kind of creative itch I might have. So the question is always out there, just beyond my Monday through Friday grind; "What do you want to be when you grow up, Chanda?". I still don't know. Can Lady of Leisure be considered a career?

So, a year or so back I started looking into taking some computer classes at the local community college, more to up my skills and marketability than to branch out into something new. I found I could get a two year degree in something called Office Systems Technology ( I think that's just a fancy term for office manager, but it fit the bill in terms of what i needed in terms of skilz). So I signed up, sent in my registration, and picked the first two classes needed for the degree. I don't know if someone fat fingered my information or fate stepped in and said "no no, you're going to do THIS" , but two weeks before class was to start I got my schedule. I was a proud member of the Web Technologies program and howdeedoo, here are your first two classes. What?

I called the registrar's office and spoke to a very candid,very friendly woman who told me in no uncertain terms that yes I could change it back. All you have to do is come to campus, stop by the Registrar's office, get the appropriate paperwork, find your advisor, have him or her sign this and that,and bring it all back to the Registrar's office, and Honey,wouldn't it just be better to see if you liked Web Technologies? Point taken.

What the hell, I figured I would stay put for the time being, try something new, and see if my brain had atrophied or not since the last time I was in school. Turns out it had. I don't know if it's age or just the subject matter, but I found it all so much harder to absorb. I also discovered I resent the time I have to spend working on homework. It take much longer than I think it should, and it frustrates the hell out of me;and at the risk of sounding like my grandfather,these classes are all full of teenagers and twenty-somethings that have basically been weaned on inner mysteries of all things computer.

Welcome to the portion of the program where I drown in a giant pool of self inflicted insecurity.You knew it was coming,right? I've taken an introduction class to C++ ,an HTML class,and a Dreamweaver class, and Ive done well in all of them, but I don't feel like I've learned anything I can apply to actual web design. When does that start? When do I start to feel competent? This semester Im taking first of two graphic design classes, and Im both excited and trepidatious at the same time. I'm dying to learn the ins and out of Photoshop, how to make banners and buttons and learn how it all fits into designing a web sit. But these (online) classes move so quickly, I don't feel like I've mastered one skill before we're off on another. I've never had trouble learning anything before. I feel like the kid in the back of the class who eats paste.

Thoughts of quitting have crossed my mind more than once. It's usually what I do when something gets too hard, when I can't do something perfectly the first time out. How depressing is that? It's that realization that keeps me honest, at least where school is concerned. I may falter, whine, stomp my feet, drop a class, take a semester off,then whine some more; but I am determined to finish this, see where it take me, even if takes me nowhere at all.

So be prepared, class starts in August, and before you know it these pages will be full of bitches, gripes, tears, and of course your classic "I don't feel like working so I'm blogging posts". It could be worse, I could blog about cat vomit again.

7 comments:

Zephyr said...

I think with web design stuff, (or ANY programming stuff) you either love it or hate it. If you are enjoying it, then good for you... keep it up! Some of it (C++) is confusing (I took a class in it and got an A and was still lost, and I'm a programmer!)

As for not knowing what you want, I can totally relate. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, because (other than that lady of leisure option) I really want something creative.

And I'm really sick of programming. Though I've thought of taking web design classes myself... with my background, I think I'd pick up the stuff pretty quickly, and the graphics part of it would be fun for me.

I just don't have a clue how I could fit it into my already too busy schedule. *sigh*

HappyBlogChick said...

I have NO idea what I want to be when I grow up. Retired, maybe?

Going back to school completely intimidates me. And frankly, I think I'm too lazy.

we_be_toys said...

Now, I liked the post about cat vomit!
So you're going to saddle up the vitual horse again and ride that nag for another semester? Oh yeah, I can hear the bitching already!!! :P

FairiesNest said...

Maybe we don't ever really have to decide on one thing and can be as many things as we choose. And I don't plan on growing up anywho...I'll still be playing with dolls at 100!

Anonymous said...

I'm totally jealous of people who go back to school, and I'd love to learn more about computers -- this is all very exciting!

Of course, so is being a lady of leisure. Dammit.

Heather said...

Hey...bitch to me! I'm with you!

thailandchani said...

What a lovely site you have! :) That's evidence of creativity.

I vacillate between thinking anything can be an outlet for creativity or getting into a mindset that doesn't allow for much ~ only things outside the world of commerce (which I detest) allow for authentic creativity.

Something to think about, I suppose.