It’s the end of my first semester here at CBU. Of course, anything with an ending always makes me nostalgic. Oh, the memories…
In retrospect, my Newspaper Productions class has probably taught me the most this past semester. And yes, I AM saying that because I know my professor will be reading this. Heck, it’s the flipping assignment. What’s wrong with a little grade insurance?
Tongue-in-cheek parody aside, I truly am grateful for what I have learned. My past journalism training has given me a bare overview of the subject: basic material, like lede writing and article organization. Journalism 215’s curriculum went much farther than I expected it to. We learned about freelancing, blogging, public relations, and a host of other topics. This course truly has built a strong foundation for my career.
The end of this semester marks a significant change in my life. We are nearing the end of this calendar year and are preparing to move on to another. I really view this as an opportunity to take inventory of my life and see what needs to be changed, what needs to be removed, and what I need to improve. Sure, it sounds rosy and cheerful (which I hate), but it's a fresh start (which I love). This new year is giving me the chance to, in a sense, start over with some areas of my life. I have an opportunity to do good and make a difference in people's lives. I know that I am a good writer, and I know that, when people listen, good writing changes things. It would be a shame for me not to jump at the chance to change someone's life for the better.
I've decided to carve my niche into the field of technology and computers. Anyone who has met me can tell that I’m a true geek at heart. If it involves long electrical cables, screens or technical systems, it just seems to click with me. Remember the annoying kid from high school that always helped your English teacher set up the projector screen? Yeah, that was me. There’s something about computers that just… well, I can’t describe it, but I’m sure you get the picture.
I still remember my first workstation. I was six at the time, far too young to be concerned with anything more than the cartoons on TV. There was something, though, something about that computer that hooked me. I can’t explain it. That computer and I shared a special connection. Her case was dusty, her hardware outdated. An undersized hard disk, middle-of-the-road Pentium 2 processor and less memory than an Alzheimer’s-ridden goldfish certainly weren’t the most impressive specs. She wasn’t much to look at, but she was mine. It was love at first DOS-command line code execution.
In a way, writing a blog about computers is my way of giving back to the technology community that I learn from. I am largely self-taught with regards to computers and technological systems. Much of what I have learned has come from online databases, forums, FAQ pages and computer-focused blogs. I know that people use these resources, so I figure, why can’t I be one of those resources? I firmly believe in the sharing, open-source community, both in the world of technology and the world at large, and that community revolves around sharing and cooperation. Who knew that what we learned in kindergarten would actually be useful? If only high school algebra was the same way…
I’m not sure exactly how I plan to structure my blog. I’d like to come out with regular posts that give helpful, meaningful advice to computer novices and experts alike. I know that I can make a positive impact on the computing community. Eventually, I’d like to be known as one the most helpful, informative sources of technological information around. Only time will tell…
