An educational update:

I finished spring quarter with some good grades, bringing my credit total to 20: 10 credits of math, 5 of English, and 5 of philosophy. I decided to take it easy in the summer quarter, and am taking two online classes, which means I am home for dinner every night (a big plus!).

One of the classes is beginning programming (CSC 110, JavaScript). I’ve been programming since I was a kid, so the JavaScript class is straightforward (although I have caught myself making big mistakes..). In order to complete an AS degree, I have to have at least 5 CSC credits, and “unfortunately” they do not allow you to test out. I put unfortunately in quotes because it’s actually pretty nice to take it a bit easier, and because it means I’ll be earning at least 10 CSC credits, which will probably look better should I transfer to a 4 year school some day. I am taking the opportunity to update my knowledge of XHTML, and just generally reinforce good coding practices.

The other class is introduction to logic (PHIL 106) and is pretty interesting. I’m learning how to read and comprehend arguments presented as symbols, and how to identify valid and invalid arguments. By taking this class relatively early on, I hope to use the skills in later classes, to ensure what I write is at least valid if not correct.

I wasn’t entirely sure that I was going to complete a degree when I first decided to take some classes. If I had not received good grades in the first quarter, I think it’s fair to say I would have stopped right then. Now I feel pretty sure that I am going to complete a 2 year degree, and I might do it in exactly 2 years. I was feeling ambitious, and registered for three classes in the fall: Java programming (CSC 142, online), calculus I (MATH &151), and sociology (SOC 101, online). If I finish all three, that’ll bring me to a total of 45 credits in my first year. Woo.