I love a play on words! I just got done reading a chapter in my Technology in Action book (acronym TNA, say it out loud, if you get why I love that then I love you) and it was full of definitions. I mean to the point of ridiculous. Every other word was in bold for geeze sake. Anyway, all those words flying around got my wheels turning and before you knew it things like "stick that in your port and RAM it!" were replacing "stick that in your pipe and smoke it!" (Shout out to my best friend Kimberly for all the times we over used that phrase. Ha!)
I am having a lot of fun with this computer stuff so far, computer stuff by the way is a very technical term. I have been able to relate everything to food, Golden Girls or a fun play on words. The book can be kind of boring with the programming examples they give. It's always how to build a chair...think about what options you need to give the user. Like what do they want their chair made of, color, size, rocker or no rocker etc...blah blah..in one ear and out the other.
In the fake book in my head the programming example is: If you were a Golden Girl (or Real Housewives of...you fill in the blank) which one would you be? Think about what options you need to give the user. Like a list of characters they can be, awesome Florida retirement furniture to pick from etc.
On a side note I got a 100 on my quiz for all that reading! YAY.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
¿Cómo¿ What?
I have one semester toward my future IT career [we hope :-)] under my belt. Well technically since only one of my classes was an actual computer class we will call it a 1/2 semester.
I started with Intro to Java and on my first day I was terrified. All my worst fears came true. The teacher started speaking and all I heard was Spanish. To make things worse everyone around me seemed to understand the Spanish he was speaking and actually call out answers! Now of course he wasn't really speaking in Spanish but he might as well have been because I don't know Spanish.
Lucky for me I quickly realized that the people in my class new this information for 2 reasons. Number one, some of them were smart and started with a CPT 104 class which apparently is the perfect prelude to this Java course. Number 2, some of them have been doing this IT stuff for years and are only coming to school to get the golden piece of paper that everyone wants you to have. So I put my fears aside cracked open my book and read a chapter. Before I knew it I was speaking Spanish and even calling out answers in class! I got an A in that course and have now started my second semester.
This time both of my classes are computer related: Object Oriented Programming with Visual Basics and Intro to Information Technology (the class I should have taken before Java). I again quickly realized that I was surrounded by men who already knew this stuff. My first day in Intro to IT and the guy next to me is playing pong but in a programming environment. We start a conversation and I learn his name is Benjamin (I happen to love that name. Shout out to my cat Ben!). Ben lets me know that he learned to program Pong and 5 other games in his high school computer class. ¿Cómo¿ What?
Sigh. I am already behind the new wave of students coming out of high school. It let me know I am going to have to work hard but I am ready for the challenge.
I started with Intro to Java and on my first day I was terrified. All my worst fears came true. The teacher started speaking and all I heard was Spanish. To make things worse everyone around me seemed to understand the Spanish he was speaking and actually call out answers! Now of course he wasn't really speaking in Spanish but he might as well have been because I don't know Spanish.
Lucky for me I quickly realized that the people in my class new this information for 2 reasons. Number one, some of them were smart and started with a CPT 104 class which apparently is the perfect prelude to this Java course. Number 2, some of them have been doing this IT stuff for years and are only coming to school to get the golden piece of paper that everyone wants you to have. So I put my fears aside cracked open my book and read a chapter. Before I knew it I was speaking Spanish and even calling out answers in class! I got an A in that course and have now started my second semester.
This time both of my classes are computer related: Object Oriented Programming with Visual Basics and Intro to Information Technology (the class I should have taken before Java). I again quickly realized that I was surrounded by men who already knew this stuff. My first day in Intro to IT and the guy next to me is playing pong but in a programming environment. We start a conversation and I learn his name is Benjamin (I happen to love that name. Shout out to my cat Ben!). Ben lets me know that he learned to program Pong and 5 other games in his high school computer class. ¿Cómo¿ What?
Sigh. I am already behind the new wave of students coming out of high school. It let me know I am going to have to work hard but I am ready for the challenge.
Glazed Over Looks
I have always wanted to do a Blog but always told myself I didn't have the time. As my friends around me with multiple children, husbands and jobs continue to keep up with their blogs and even start new ones, I have decided enough with the excuses. My friend at work (Cara) suggested I start a blog about being a woman trying to get into the IT field and I thought it was a great idea!
Since I have started going to school for a degree in Computer Information Technology I have noticed the definite lack of lipstick around me...meaning no women! Don't get me wrong, I do get the occasional girl in one of my classes but she is usually tomboyish and more introverted than I am. I have learned to expect this introverted behavior from the men in my classes. I was starting to wonder if being an extrovert should disqualify me from being in the field. The only thing that gives me hope is another friend of mine (John) one of the most extroverted IT people I know.
I chose the words "glazed over looks" as my blog address because it's the only kind of looks I get when I start in on what my friends call "Geek Speak." I get so excited about all the new things I learn in my classes about the IT world and programming that I just want to tell them all about it. It always starts well meaning...I think I am really breaking it down into the easy terms my teacher taught it to me in but then before you know it only a few minutes in...there it goes...the glazed over look in the eye that says I am just nodding and listening but I have no idea what your saying. That is okay though because it's the fact that they are pretending to follow along that makes them the best friends!
Since I have started going to school for a degree in Computer Information Technology I have noticed the definite lack of lipstick around me...meaning no women! Don't get me wrong, I do get the occasional girl in one of my classes but she is usually tomboyish and more introverted than I am. I have learned to expect this introverted behavior from the men in my classes. I was starting to wonder if being an extrovert should disqualify me from being in the field. The only thing that gives me hope is another friend of mine (John) one of the most extroverted IT people I know.
I chose the words "glazed over looks" as my blog address because it's the only kind of looks I get when I start in on what my friends call "Geek Speak." I get so excited about all the new things I learn in my classes about the IT world and programming that I just want to tell them all about it. It always starts well meaning...I think I am really breaking it down into the easy terms my teacher taught it to me in but then before you know it only a few minutes in...there it goes...the glazed over look in the eye that says I am just nodding and listening but I have no idea what your saying. That is okay though because it's the fact that they are pretending to follow along that makes them the best friends!
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