Ack! Ack! Ack! I can't handle two classes at once!

The lab work for the networking class had me dismantle my tower computer. Well, I could have dismantled one of theirs but as Eric said, mine was due for a cleaning anyway. I pulled a lot of compressed dust bunnies out of the CPU fan. I didn't take the drives out. I know what they are from the configuration on my System information. Thankfully, I left the dismantling for last and did all the diagnostics and checking things. I was hoping to get away with not taking the thing apart. I needed to look at the memory Simm to get the numbers off of it. So I put on the electronic static prevention bracelet and hooked myself to the computer frame and pulled the memory out. I was careful not to touch the bottom part that plugs into the socket. For some reason, it won't go back in all the way. My system won't boot. It beeps three times and stops. I've pressed it as hard as I dared and it just won't go. I can't get the latches to latch on the ends.

Tonight I'm supposed to be in the A+ class. I figured I'd do the lab work, study questions and quiz today. The lab work included inspecting the inside of my computer. Well! Isn't that handy? Then there was a lot of work to be done online and with system utilities. I wrote on the lab section: "This part is being done on my laptop. My desktop is down at the moment."

I had to download a utility program and go through a LOT of different things that took waaay too long. I had to examine different aspects of information about components on my system and describe them. Then I had to price a new computer, write down all of the components and see how much it would cost to build one just like it. It's cheaper to build one. Next I was supposed to design my dream machine for $1,200. I skipped that part because there wasn't any thing to turn in to show I'd done it. I was able to say how I'd save money if it came in over budget and what I'd add if I had another $200 to spend.

That was only chapter 1. Chapter 2 was all about Windows 98. I was supposed to create boot floppies for it then answer questions about it. FLOPPIES?? WTF? What is so difficult about burning a boot CD?? Nobody uses floppies anymore. That's nuts. New systems don't even have floppy drives unless you add them. I never use mine. I wrote across the top of the first Chapter 2 lab pages, "No Windows 98 machine available." It's a lie because I have my Win 3.1 machine and my Win 98 machines lined up under my desk. But they're not hooked up and I don't want to waste the time and energy making boot FLOPPIES. That's stupid.

By this time, it was time for class to start and I was still at home feverishly trying to push through the material. My notes said to do the study questions for chapters 3 and 4 and to take a quiz he'd given us.

I went to the book for the study questions. I typed one chapter's worth into Word and started answering them. Again, we got deeply into Windows 98. Huh? I checked the book to see when it was published. 2004. That's odd. Whatever. It's now 30 minutes into the class. Skip the questons... Then I looked for the quiz I was supposed to have. He never gave me a quiz. My notes say he'll give it to me, but I don't have it. Everything he gave me is in the pocket of my notebook. NO QUIZ. Screw this. I don't have time to do both classes in the same quarter AND look for a job AND go to Disneyland AND have surgery. I'm dropping this class.

My networking instructor said most people won't take another class from the A+ teacher. Wonder if it's because he's not keeping current or following the Cisco Academy program? He certainly expects too much. I don't think I'll be back.

I've still got access to the Cisco Academy my instructor at De Anza set up. The physical class was cancelled, but for some reason my class list shows the networking class and the A+ class. Maybe I'll go through that process without a teacher to learn what I need to know.

OK. Off to the networking lab to do the one part I can't do at home.

Eric is my hero!

I wasn't pushing hard enough on the memory simm to snap it into place. When I felt the motherboard bending, I stopped pushing. Visions of the motherboard cracking filled my head. When Eric took a look at it for me tonight, he pressed harder than I dared. "SNAP" it went in. My tower PC is ALIVE! YAY!

Lab was silly simple. The one part I had to do was to have a partner do something to a PC in the lab and I had to figure out what was wrong and fix it. Since the only person from my class in lab tonight had already turned his Lab 1 packet in, the lab instructor "broke" a PC for me as I stood outside in the hall. The first time he unplugged the monitor cable. The second time he unplugged the keyboard. LOL

Lab 3! I'm up to Lab 3! On the way to the parking lot, I had to walk through a very dark area on campus. A tall figure came from behind a construction fence, so using my self-defense training, I turned to look at them. It was too dark to see more than an outline. A female voice called out, "Hello!" and we walked up the hill to our cars together, chatting. I have a new friend. She's a teacher's aide in a private special Ed school system in Concord. We talked for a while and she wished I lived in Concord. They have openings in every classroom. She says they just were bought by an international educational group and she thinks they have schools in my area! She took my name and email address to let me know if they do. Way cool! We talked for about an hour. She still has to drive and hour and a half to get home. Hope she gets home all right.

I'm feeling so much better than I did before I went to lab. The decision to drop the A+ class has caused the headache I've had all day to leave.