Pursuing the Jaunty Jackalope

I purchased a Dell Inspiron 1525 Notebook back in February because I needed a mobile machine for my school work. The thought was that if I could take my laptop with me anywhere, I could improve my school productivity. For the most part, being able to read my school text in a vehicle or write a term paper at the park while the kids are playing has been a huge success. One of the most important benefits for me, however, came when my Microsoft Operating System crashed.

After downloading one of the many required updates for Microsoft, my computer suddenly decided to freeze and stop working. I try to understand how computers work and have been somewhat successful in fixing minor bugs, but an OS crash was something I thought was beyond me. I couldn't get the OS to load and because I wasn't home, I couldn't simply insert a back-up boot disc. I asked a few computer-savvy friends at work and the suggestion that I switch to Linux was made. I considered myself somewhat capable of handling a new system, so I went ahead and burned myself a boot disc from another computer and inserted it into my disc tray.

Within minutes my new Operating System, Ubuntu, was up and running. My initial excitement slowly faded to sheer terror as the sudden realization that I would have to manually customize my entire OS before I would be able to run any of my school programs. The University of Phoenix does not allow the submission of documents that do not end in the .docx format that comes with using Microsoft Office 2007. Linux offers an open source office suite, but because of copyrights, .docx will be a Microsoft-only format. Linux offers a program called WINE that allows you to run some Windows-based programs on the Ubuntu OS. This program saved me from having to buy another Vista disc.

I am now two months into my experiment with Linux and have so far been impressed by how much Linux has to offer. It isn't an easy tool to pick up, but once you learn some of the ins and outs of Ubuntu, you will find it to be a rewarding experience. I am probably going to come back to this topic once in awhile. There are literally thousands of websites that allow newbies like me to become familiar with the program. I would invite anyone with any computer knowledge and general curiosity to try Ubuntu. You can always run the program next to Vista or XP without having to sacrifice your original OS. It takes time and at more than a few times I felt that understanding Linux was an exercise in sado-masochism, but in the end it has really been beneficial in that I now have a lot more control over my computer. Not only are the open-source programs mad eof excellent quality and work better than most Microsoft programs, they are all free and are fully customizable.

an Online Education

One of the most difficult aspects to juggling work, kids, and school is paying attention to detail. The automatic response to stress is to shut down and ignore the input that threatens to overload your senses.

I have had over a year's worth of college and already I can feel myself wearing out, wanting a break from reading, studying, and participating in class. I elected to go to college through the University of Phoenix through Axia. The temptation to disregard anyone who chooses to go to an online college can be overwhelming. The conventional thought is that one must put their life on hold and physically attend classes in a typical classroom. This opportunity provided by the University of Phoenix, however, offers a parent a chance to both attend college and provide for their family.

The benefit to working AND attending school are obvious to anyone who has considered it, but the fact remains that this is an accredited college that offers a real degree to anyone who makes the effort to graduate. There are times when I feel buried in study books, but there is usually someone available to me to help sort everything out. I have full time participation with classmates and instructors each and every week. The class layouts are easy to use and are filled with helpful information. Adapting to college-level work is easy with assistance of tutorials and easy to find guides.

The first step, for me, was to make the commitment. I decided to stop working at a dealership that I had been with for five years and get a degree in business. My next step was to contact Axia and let them know I was interested. I had someone with me who helped me through every step of the way. I received money back that was left over from the cost of my classes. I receive about $6,000 a year for going to school and I use this money to pay for electric bills, internet fees, and the laptop I am now using to write this post. All in all, it has been a great experience and I hope that more people take the opportunity to pursue a higher education.



The link for the school can be found right here.

One of the first things you'll have to do is apply for Federal Aid. You can start the process here and if you need, someone from Axia will gladly walk you through it.

Good luck!

The First Post

This is always the hard part, I imagine. I've actually had the blog for a few days, but I have been messing with fonts and images in my spare time. This blog is an idea I have been kicking around for awhile, but only now have I found the time to actually do it.

The plan is for me to graduate from college, gain some finance experience, and then pay off all my debts within 10 years. I am currently going to school full time for an Associates degree in Business. I never imagined that I would ever have an opportunity to go to college. Both of my parents barely graduated high school and I dropped out in the 11th grade. I have since received my GED, but it was a major roadblock in my life. I have always believed that education is the key to a better life in America. I let myself get sidetracked and instead focused on doing the wrong things in high school. I let that chance for a better life slip through my finger. I am now 30 and have a year of college under my belt.

This blog came about one day when I was working on the assembly line at the factory I work at. It would probably be better if I didn't disclose the name of this company, but it is actually one of the better companies I have ever worked for. The working conditions are fast-paced and highly stressful, but the people are helpful and the management seems genuinely interested in what's best for their people.

Anyways, I was working on the line along side an older man, probably in his 50's. I felt assured at first because I knew that I could work here for a long time; I have a lot of debts and feel like my time is running out to pay them off and get ahead in life. After the realization that I might very well have to work here until I'm 50 to pay off my bills, I felt choked by the weight of it all. I felt that while the work was honest, there was no way I would want to spend the rest of my life inside a factory. After selling cars for five years, I decided to take some time off and go to school. I liked the work, but it required a massive commitment of time in order for it to fully pay off. I had met a few finance managers in my time and felt impressed by their business sense. After seeing this man on the line after working at the same plant for 30 years, I realized I had to come up with a plan.

The plan is going to take a long time. I will use this blog to help stay focused. Whether or not anyone will actually read this blog is irrelevant; I am using this space for inspiration as well as a guide. I have always enjoyed writing, so I feel this would be the best way for me to combine all my strengths. During my time as a salesman, I came to understand the reason and the power of setting a goal. The potential here can relatively change my life as well as serve as a guide for anyone else with lofty aspirations.

So, thank you for reading my first message within the confines of the blogosphere and I enjoy hearing from you in the future.