I wrote my last exam on December 5th.
Using every flat surface to review notes from each of the 5 classes.
3-1/2 months of doing nothing in the evenings and into the wee hours of the morning but studying.
The dogs are my source of strength when I feel like I want to quit.
But even their patience has its limits. Dax, frustrated that we couldn't go running because I was staring at my notes after work decided to throw half of them to the ground.
The mug on him when I busted him in the act. He was MAD.
This semester almost got the best of me. The Marketing class left me with a better understanding and deeper resentment of advertising. The Corporate Finance class left me with greater appreciation for the world of economics and more scared of the stock market than before. Management saddened me because apparently flogging lazy employees isn't encouraged, somehow, I'm supposed to shower them with positive incentives. (I tried, not in my DNA, fired 3 people this Fall... better than getting arrested for flogging). Business Statistical Analysis was tough, but fun.
You can now give me data and I will spew out probability scenarios. Very, very cool. Plus, I love delving into complex formulas. Now that I'm uncomfortably close to being half a century old, treating my battered body to one physical challenge after another isn't as rewarding as it once was. I'm no longer able to make gains in the gym or improve my running times. Physical status quo maintenance is all that's left and it's dull and tedious. That's where learning has taken over in my realm of what can I challenge myself with next.
In many ways, it's exactly like preparing for an ultra marathon: yearlong, unrelenting training. I remember heading out at 2 AM to run 22 mile training runs before going to work. I miss those days, but now I can stay glued to my textbooks until 4 AM, soaking in all this cool stuff I never knew.
Life is such an adventure. I've passionately hated computers for 25 years, refusing to learn how to even cut and paste until a couple years ago. Rebuffed them outright. Guess which class has been my favorite? Data Analysis. I gleaned much enjoyment out of organizing data into different classes and finding correlations, that I completed ALL the extra credit projects.
99.8% final grade. I may be in the wrong department, but it's too late to jump ship. An accounting degree is where I'm headed... perhaps an IT degree can be next. In January, I begin my senior year. 4 tough Accounting classes and 1 IT class thrown in to keep me sane: Data Visualization with Tableau. I must know how to do this. Check out this video and tell me this isn't the most revolutionary manipulation of data. Geek out with me:
Move over all my marathon heroes, Prof. Rosling is in the house. I can watch all his Ted Talks over and over again. By the end of May I will have my industry certification to produce Tableau data manipulations. Send me your data and Dr. Frankenstein here will be able to make it come to life.
Christmas break is a long 5 weeks this year and I'm going to make the most of every evening applying for more scholarships. The aggravation is in the wait. It can be almost a year from application deadline to awarding of the scholarship. I'll be graduated by the time any money comes my way... if I win any.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've worked really hard for this 3.90 GPA (for you Canadians, that's 94%) grade. Just like my old racing days, my competitive nature kicks in and I put the pedal to the metal to pass everyone. (It's a sickness, but I enjoy the Hell out of it).
Time to retire Fall semester notes.
A solemn moment of silence for the ceremony.
