One day last year I was moping and whining about not being able to get a job and I remembered something from school. During school I was so smug, bragging to my friends who were in general computer science degree programs that because I was in an honors program I was exempt from certain courses. For example the general students had to all four 3rd year half courses as well as a 3rd year math course. The honors students only had to take two of the four half courses and the math course wasn’t mandatory. I though I was clever… boy was I wrong.
I took the courses I wished to take which was fine, but I skipped several courses because I thought—and heard—they were boring or difficult like databases, numerical computing, AI 2, analysis of algorithms, and compiler theory.
After graduating with an honors degree in cs and a minor in psychology (a rare and exclusive program taken by few and completed by even fewer) I thought I was ready for the world. As it turns out, the world had already declared bankruptcy, closed shop, and left town. I couldn’t—and still can’t—find a job. In the two years since graduating I’ve had four temporary/part time/minimum wage jobs that were so awful I wanted to shoot myself every morning when I awoke. They were pointless, non; productive, constructive, acomplishiative, and mind-numbingly boring. I soon learned that my degree was worthless. If that weren’t bad enough I had have debt collectors harrassing me every day about my student loans even though I’ve explained 100 times to 50 people that I’m broke.
Anyway, so last year I was at some employment thing and I got to thinking about how few tech jobs there are in this stupid farm town and of the few, most are database jobs. I wished I had taken the database course. Then it hit me, WHY CAN’T I?! I figured I could just sit in on the class—I believe it’s called “auditing”—just like I used to; the only difference is that I’m not getting credit. Of course by then the school year was almost over.
This year I put my plan into action. I checked the calanders and put together a time-table. I selected several classes I wanted to take including film classes. I had to select the large classes so that I could blend into the crowd; I could not take small intimate courses, courses where attendance is taken, or where participation is required. I ended up having to drop a few courses and am now left with 4: Databases, CS Fundamentals (DFA/NFA, strings, etc), Project Management, and Intro to Film Studies. Except for the fundamentals course which is bloody boring and has a professor whom nobody can understand (heavy accent) the courses are good. I’m learning some stuff. In fact I should be able to add a few things to my resumé at the end of the term and hopefully wil expand my options.