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Nearing completion of degree; What did I learn if anything?

MinnesotaBrant said:
I do understand that you are some kind of mercenary so that makes sense for you but you have to understand there are so many things wrong with career choice for me.

1. I don't like guns
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Sergent-Chef Gaston will convince you that you are wrong

2. I don't think I can drive the bus.

3. I don't want to do basic again plus I am overage.

4. I have kids.

5. I don't want to die.

6. Foreign legion sucks

7. I have trouble with languages

8. I am watched.

9. I am fat

10. I am/not running away from my past.
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A few weeks of close personal supervision, some pleasant strolls with a 35 kilo pack and plenty of fresh air, restricted diet and little sleep will sweep these concerns away.....embrace the suck
 
jimbob said:
You can record macros or write code. That's two completely different ways that I can think of straight off the top of my head.
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I thought they got rid of the macro recorder?


ETA: Guess not, I just found it under the "View" menu of all things!!!
 
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The Man said:
I thought they got rid of the macro recorder?
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Nope you can still record macros in excel.

As far as strapping live grenades to your head. I heard thats what they used to do in the SS and that was perfectly safe to explode live grenades off your helmet.
 
Update. I dropped out of school and got a 16$ an hour job that doesn't require a lot of work, has good hours and good work environment; the operations director just walked up to me and told me that I am making my whole team look good. Situation is, I just check my school and I am still in it. Apparently my past grades kept my GPA up to the point where I am still on probation.

Anyways, there's a chance of me having my cake (having a job,) and eating it too, finishing my degree. Its a small chance of success but maybe I should apply for fall classes. My kid would have to go to all day daycare for probably til she goes to kindergarten but that, I guess, will have to be.

It's kind of a reminder to me that I should never stop learning.
 
MinnesotaBrant said:
Update. I dropped out of school and got a 16$ an hour job that doesn't require a lot of work, has good hours and good work environment; the operations director just walked up to me and told me that I am making my whole team look good. Situation is, I just check my school and I am still in it. Apparently my past grades kept my GPA up to the point where I am still on probation.

Anyways, there's a chance of me having my cake (having a job,) and eating it too, finishing my degree. Its a small chance of success but maybe I should apply for fall classes. My kid would have to go to all day daycare for probably til she goes to kindergarten but that, I guess, will have to be.

It's kind of a reminder to me that I should never stop learning.
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The question I would ask is, "What of my future?" Are there prospects for advancement and earning more than $16 an hour? If there are and you have a chance of becoming the operations director sometime in the next few years, then maybe aim for it and work hard to reach it. If not, then a degree might be worth something. Another option, if you just have a couple of credits to go, is to get them part time -- in evening and/or weekend classes. I've known people who have got complete degrees that way and I have have a huge amount of respect for them because it's not easy.

And remember, any advice you get, is worth every penny you pay for it. ;)
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
The question I would ask is, "What of my future?" Are there prospects for advancement and earning more than $16 an hour? If there are and you have a chance of becoming the operations director sometime in the next few years, then maybe aim for it and work hard to reach it. If not, then a degree might be worth something. Another option, if you just have a couple of credits to go, is to get them part time -- in evening and/or weekend classes. I've known people who have got complete degrees that way and I have have a huge amount of respect for them because it's not easy.

And remember, any advice you get, is worth every penny you pay for it. ;)
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Depending on whether I can get reasonably priced full day daycare, I will go for it, I probably can get some moneys from a Pell grant. I tentively signed up for statistics and algebra again. This time around I will be able to pay for some child care and possibly tutors.

Is it going to be life changing money if I finish my degree. Probably not, but if I do have to look for another job, finishing the degree will help.

He said that I am a really good employee. I have only been there a few months though so anything can happen.
 
Jrrarglblarg said:
I had to google Cramer's rule. I don't even understand the intro paragraph to the wiki.

A virtual high-5 for anyone that does. Woot.
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Excerpts of C++ code from my own Linear Math Library. This deals with Cramer's rule, Laplace Expansion, Inverse Matrix 'n' stuff.
Do I earn my virtual high five?

The OP sounds like a good software consultant ... Darwin123 has him nailed. He sounds like one of those Agile/Scrum affectionados.
Unfortunately in ICT nowadays those anti-intellectual people are in power to the detriment of those who really love tech.
That's why I hate my working in ICT, but I currently have no other option. I hope to overthrow the balance of Power in the world until I'm
Powerful enough to erect a field of crucifixion for them ...

template<int n>
inline double SquareMatrix<n>::getdeterminant() const
{
double dm=0;

for (int j=0;j<n;j++)
{
dm+=scalar[j]*pow(-(double)1,j)*getminor(0,j).getdeterminant();
}

return(dm);
}
template<>
inline double SquareMatrix<1>::getdeterminant() const
{
return(scalar[0]);
}

template<int n>
inline SquareMatrix<n-1> SquareMatrix<n>::getminor(int i,int j) const
{
SquareMatrix<n-1> temp;

int kl=0;

for (int il=0;il<n*n;il+=n)
{
for (int jl=0;jl<n;jl++)
{
if (il!=(i*n) && jl!=j)
{
temp.scalar[kl]=scalar[il+jl];

kl++;
}
}
}

return(temp);
}

template<int n>
inline SquareMatrix<n> SquareMatrix<n>::getadjugate() const
{
SquareMatrix<n> temp;

for (int i=0;i<n*n;i+=n)
{
for (int j=0;j<n;j++)
{
temp.scalar[i+j]=pow(-(double)1,(i/n)+j+2)*getminor(i/n,j).getdeterminant();
}
}

return(temp);
}

template<int n>
inline SquareMatrix<n> SquareMatrix<n>::gettranspose() const
{
SquareMatrix<n> temp;

for (int i=0;i<n*n;i+=n)
{
for (int j=0;j<n;j++)
{
temp.scalar[i+j]=scalar[(j*n)+(i/n)];
}
}

return(temp);
}

template<int n>
inline SquareMatrix<n> SquareMatrix<n>::getinverse() const
{
return(getadjugate().gettranspose()/getdeterminant());
}
 
Darwin123 said:
He made a plausible argument that technical skills are now obsolete.
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This is what consultants actually believe. And they pride themselves on the fact that they didn't have to learn so much, and can still be the boss
and order people around. They consider technical people pathetic and will try to find any excuse to bully them.
Career wise however, if you become a consultant you have no responsibility whatsoever, you don't have to know anything and you get to bully those
pathetic autistic tech people that are below you. Not a bad deal. The CS programs at the Universities even adapt to this trend by providing classes
in Agile/Scrum/Kanban/DevOps/Dingdong leading to even more pseudo science in academia! In fact, the Agile crowd gain their credibility by the heavy
use of meaningless Psychological terminology. So it's the pseudo science that is already in academia, the trojan, Psychology that makes this
abomination possible. And all the while the true techies suffer, and the path of consultancy seems to be the better deal.
Until they end up crucified in a field, that is. Let's teach them the Cross Product!
 
Sounds like a perfectly cromulent IT guy. In support he needs the ability to do from A to X, or J, or M, instantly. The deep end of support is folks who CANNOT TALK TO USERS. In his years here MinnesotaBrant has demonstrated that he is well-spoken, friendly, and perfectly capable of sussing out the user's problem, solving it, and if not escalating it to someone who can.

Welcome to Customer Service, kid. I'd hire you in a heartbeat, but don't expect to be paid much more than at McDonald's. :(
 
dropzone said:
Sounds like a perfectly cromulent IT guy. In support he needs the ability to do from A to X, or J, or M, instantly. The deep end of support is folks who CANNOT TALK TO USERS. In his years here MinnesotaBrant has demonstrated that he is well-spoken, friendly, and perfectly capable of sussing out the user's problem, solving it, and if not escalating it to someone who can.

Welcome to Customer Service, kid. I'd hire you in a heartbeat, but don't expect to be paid much more than at McDonald's. :(
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You probably couldn't afford me then. I recently got a job as a peer support specialist making 16$ an hour plus. It's a great job with real prospects. I recently noticed that I also have the opportunity to finish my degree as well. Like you are saying, I probably wouldn't do much better, but if anything happens to my job, having a degree will only help me get another. Pretty much the opportunity to finish my degree ends if I am not done by spring of next year or so.
 
True that. Kid, I had a job I was no more qualified for than a hundred other applicants. I later asked my boss why he had chosen me.

"You had a degree."

"My degree is in Anthropology, which has nothing to do with designing elevator control panels."

"It told me you have the 'stick-to-it-iveness' I was looking for."

My protestations that there was a shooting war going on and DeKalb, IL beat Vietnam were for naught, and I stayed there ten years.
 
[Continuing to ignore most everybody else] I deal with bad code every day. You have the means to ask pertinent questions, like, "Why is this 'Notes' field less than half a Tweet long," and, "Why do we care if this physical therapist or RN no longer works there? Don't we want to sign up THE ENTIRE FREAKING CLINIC, ignoring who quit ten years ago?"

ETA: Sorry, real life bled into my virtual life.
 
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dropzone said:
[Continuing to ignore most everybody else] I deal with bad code every day. You have the means to ask pertinent questions, like, "Why is this 'Notes' field less than half a Tweet long," and, "Why do we care if this physical therapist or RN no longer works there? Don't we want to sign up THE ENTIRE FREAKING CLINIC, ignoring who quit ten years ago?"

ETA: Sorry, real life bled into my virtual life.
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Its ok, want me to help you find a better job? Anybody? Whats weird about my current job is that here, considerable amounts of time and resources are used to find hard to employ people work but, if they actually succeed in finding work, they are pretty much on their own.
 
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MinnesotaBrant said:
I didn't realize that going into computers requires a certain mindset; It requires more technically apt, conventionally minded people with underdeveloped soft skills such as writing and art.
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I haven't made it through the whole thread yet, but I had to comment on this. It's BS.

First, a little bit of my background: I'm a programmer/database manager/biologist. My degree is in biology and I currently manage the databases and data validation operations for an environmental laboratory. I got my job because they wanted someone who had experience working in a lab and a science background. I'm a self taught visual basic programmer and SQL database designer/manager. I write all the programs for my lab.

I'm also a guitar player and songwriter, so I don't think I have underdeveloped skills in writing or art. In fact, thinking of the people I know who work in IT, there are an awful lot of musicians, artists, photographers, and writers. I can't think of any that fit your description.
 
TomB said:
I haven't made it through the whole thread yet, but I had to comment on this. It's BS.

First, a little bit of my background: I'm a programmer/database manager/biologist. My degree is in biology and I currently manage the databases and data validation operations for an environmental laboratory. I got my job because they wanted someone who had experience working in a lab and a science background. I'm a self taught visual basic programmer and SQL database designer/manager. I write all the programs for my lab.

I'm also a guitar player and songwriter, so I don't think I have underdeveloped skills in writing or art. In fact, thinking of the people I know who work in IT, there are an awful lot of musicians, artists, photographers, and writers. I can't think of any that fit your description.
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I wasn't talking about the geniuses. You do see those in class. I am talking about those people who want to do programming and want to skip over everything else. I guess one example is the amount of people in my C class who were complaining at having to make graphics using OpenGL, because it doesn't pertain to the basics of programming. My Java class insisted that the teacher skip over any kind of backstory regarding java, or the hardware limitations and go straight to programming. I failed both of them- Just my observations.
 
They didn't give me more financial aid so, I will have to find a way to pay for it if I want to complete it. I was not on academic probation just financial aid probation. Right now I probably should figure out how I am going to pay my student loans.
 
I started a new major yesterday. Community Health Education. I guess this degree pays 22 bucks an hour. After I dropped out, I took my partial training in computers, and got myself a job in social service.My financial aid has completely run out so I am paying for it myself.
Pluses.

8$ an hour child care
Its way cheaper to keep going to school than to start making my monthly student loan payments.
Its a tax write off, (I need to look into that.)
I am already in the industry so I wont have to look far to get a job.
I am probably going to go ahead and get my bachelors degree (Why not as long as I can continue to pay for it?) but I have to figure out what I will be. I want to be behavioral staff and, I am thinking drug rehab counselor wont work for me because I don't do drugs. Any ideas?

The last computer guru quit so I am the new appointed computer guru so my IT skills aren't completely useless. The lead thinks my computer skills are weak so you can only guess what the computer skills of the rest of the staff are. Good thing I am not doing it all day! Also, apparently even with the title "computer guru" the job still pays the same.
 
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I am taking a class on drug use and abuse next semester. I suppose I could learn enough to fake an addict in recovery. I am not sure I have to do that to become a behavioral staff though, I don't like the idea of having to get a masters in social work.
 
Hi,

I am looking at various student loan payment options and wondering what is the best deal. I am looking at about 35k in student loans right now. I started doing paperwork for the income related, long term student loan one but got stopped at the spouse cosigner part. So if I sign that does my wife get put on the hook for my debt. I do not live in a community property state.

Thanks,

Brant
 
You know I once found site online that split up all my views into a pie chart. Do they still have that. If so where would you find it
 
Hans said:
What school is really for is to prepare you for work

1. You have to show up
2. You have do what others tell you
3. You have to do stuff you are not interested in
4. You have to work with people
5. You have to do stuff on time
6. You have to write stuff
7. You have to do this for some time
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Doing all of that may or may not result in being educated but it may well produce a degree and some education may rub off along the way.

I loved EE and wound up as chief engineer at a tech company 3 years after college. One of the things I learned hiring people is to spend interviewing time finding out what a person knows and can apply to problems. That didn't correlate well with whether the person had a degree (outside of higher end colleges). Too may people assume a credential == capability. It too often doesn't. So I tended to give less weight to degrees. But good EEs have good math skills, especially things like linear systems (for analog types) and also reasonable facility with programming C/C++ for embedded stuff. Good programmers quite often lack degrees but good EEs tend to have degrees or at least picked up the necessary math skills before falling in love with coding and dropping out. Some of the best had done that.
 
My work actually kind of keeps me away from anything groundbreaking or controversial. I am like double insulated!
 
Thanks, How are you doing by the way. With my current job, the only time I got into trouble was early on where I inadvertently made a stereotypical comment about a Pakistani from my past. They had me sit at a table doing nothing for about a month. I spent that month mostly reading a reading and rereading a book on motivational interviewing. After a month they decided not to fire me and let me go back to work. What I am saying is that in my job I am seldom exposed to a situation where there is liability to either myself or the company at the job and if there is I wilt like a flower and immediately call a supervisor. My last job I was more on the edge this job doesn't even let me get close to it. Or maybe its just how I finally found my nitch in life.
 
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MinnesotaBrant said:
Thanks, How are you doing by the way. With my current job, the only time I got into trouble was early on where I inadvertently made a stereotypical comment about a Pakistani from my past. They had me sit at a table doing nothing for about a month. I spent that month mostly reading a reading and rereading a book on motivational interviewing. After a month they decided not to fire me and let me go back to work. What I am saying is that in my job I am seldom exposed to a situation where there is liability to either myself or the company at the job and if there is I wilt like a flower and immediately call a supervisor. My last job I was more on the edge this job doesn't even let me get close to it. Or maybe its just how I finally found my nitch in life.
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Fascinating. Sounds like a promising start to a career.
 
Darwin123 said:
Or FOR him! :jaw-dropp

The answer to the title question is that he learned how to manage a dysfunctional organization. He learned enough skills to manipulate technical people. He may even know enough to bully them if he decides too. However, he is not interested in whatever goals the organization has. His skill set seems adequate to create an illusion of accomplishment. Further, I think he both knows and is proud of it!

Maybe he is trying to be the Pointy Haired Boss (PHB) of Dilbert fame. I think that he is basically positioning us. His story is like a boast rather than a request for help. Believe it or not, there are people who emulate that sort of manager. I think his resume will look a lot like that of PHB.

He is boasting about his lack of curiosity. Scientists and technicians are supposed to have a curiosity. Managers are not supposed to have any curiosity. He hasn't told us what he wants to do with the degree. To be fair, none of us asked him what he wants to do with it. The other posters are assuming that he WANTS to produce something useful or interesting. However, he never said that.

There is in implicit statement about his loyalties. He will not value the intellectual or idealogical goals of technical people, or any coworker. In fact, he is making a promise that he won't get close or even pay attention to his coworkers. He is going to direct all extra energy that he has left after work to his family. Which means that he is going to act rather petty at work. He will do whatever provides the means to advance his family.

He made a plausible argument that technical skills are now obsolete. I think this was on purpose. The disconnect between question in the title and the questions in the main body of the message itself is a type of message.I think that he is testing us rather than asking for help. Maybe he is practicing some type of intimidation skills.

He told us how machines can perform much of what technicians and scientists consider 'basic skills'. Further, he informed us that his family is far more important to him than any gain in knowledge.

He asked for us to work for him. I am sitting here in awe of him. He is asking us to do his work for free.

If he really works for anyone, it will be a Machiavellian leader. Or maybe he will be a Machiavellian leader. He is picking us some rather potent social skills for that type of organization.

Is the PHB really that bad? :D
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My job is kind of like Prez Trumps, I get listened to to a certain extent, but if there is a problem that is too much for me, I usually can punt and let someone take responsibility for it.
 
I keep seeing Facebook ads for free advanced degrees available does anybody know about this or is it a scam.
 
Progamming, and especiallly C progamming, is either a love it or hate it thing. Some gravitate to it. One very good C programmer never went to college and picked up C from a hobby. He became very good at it and I recall him saying he couldn't believe he actually got paid to program. And he was paid quite well.

If you want to get an excellent understanding of how programmers work and feel about their work I highly recommend the book "Coders" by Clive Thompson.

The thing about programming is that it is addictive. Truly addictive. And if it isn't, it's one of the worst jobs in the world.

Take the C course and try to apply it to some problem elsewhere in your life. If you hate it don't go into any field where programming is a significant part. You'll be happier.
 
They kind of came and went on Facebook. I should have at least looked at it because Facebook ads sometimes has good stuff. I didn’t even get a name. Another problem with getting an advanced degree is that I don’t even have a proper degree to base it off of
 
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