IS 101 - Finale

IS 101 has definitely been one of my favorite classes so far. Mr. Wu gave us more than just computer literacy lessons. The life lessons he gave us were some, that people still don't understand in their later years. Time management, persistence, and perseverance are just to name a few.
Although a lot of us never really spoke to each other, we still got to know each other through our blog post and Powerpoint presentations. We were able to post about life's crushing events,  achievements, and our future goals. No matter what the post was about, we showed support and gave advice.
I am truly grateful for Mr. Wu and this entire class. It wasn't easy but Mr. Wu was there to guide us the whole way through. I hope everybody stays persistent and achieves their goals. This class was full of good people that I know are going to make it no matter what field they chose. Good luck to everybody and I hope our paths cross again.

I will also try to post about my CCENT results if anybody is interested.

CCNA and Helpful Podcasts

Just passed my final for my CCNA class. Finished the class strong by getting an A. Now it's time to get ready for the real certification test. As much as I love fighting, I know I have to put that on the back burner for now until I get my certs. One of my good friends just got his today and I can't wait to feel that same sense of satisfaction.

On a side note, I'm not sure how many people here like to listen to podcasts but this is a great one if anybody needs that motivation or sense of direction to achieve your goals.

Listen to The Science Behind Setting and Achieving Big Goals from The BiggerPockets Real Estate Investing Podcast

College of Southern Nevada Student Services - Advising and Coaching

Once I got out of the military I had an idea of coming to CSN for 2 years and then transferring over to UNLV. At the time I wanted to become a social worker. I had no idea what the College of Southern Nevada had to offer when it came down to social work. As soon as I could, I met up with an adviser who really broke down what paths I could take in achieving a degree in sociology. Although my academic pursuits have changed since then, it was still a great help to sit down with an adviser and really see where I could be in a few years.

CCNA Internetwork Fundamentals

I passed my final skills test which consisted of building and subnetting a network. It was a little tough at first to remember some commands but that was nothing the "?" command couldn't help me with. I really am excited for the semester to end. Not for some time off from school but so I could really shift all my focus on earning these crucial certificates

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I really love the idea of a day where you take a moment to appreciate everything you have with the people around you. Even though we should be doing this every day, it's hard with the busy lives we live. This year I decided to step up and make the turkey. I used a Buzzfeed recipe which ended up being pretty good. I even made gravy out of the same recipe that went well with the mashed potatoes I made. Everyone enjoyed my food and that made me pretty thankful. I think I'm the designated turkey cooker now.

I hope everybody else had a great Thanksgiving!

Academic Pursuits

At this time I am currently pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Computing and Information Technology with an emphasis in Cyber Security - Network Security. With hard work and dedication, I'll achieve this goal by December 2020.

Although that seems a little far out, I'm still hitting the books hard to earn my CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certificate before February of 2019. I've been in the networking field for a few years now, but this the first time I'm getting the civilian side of networking. As a network technician in the Marine Corps, the true knowledge of why we do what we do gets lost in the daily struggles of being a well rounded Marine. I was more on the layer one side of the field, so I understood cabling and a few commands on the switch but I wasn't aware of the true potential of networking. Now I see how interesting it is to build and maintain a network. I know to be a true Cyber Security Engineer you must have a thorough understanding of the network itself. Along with the pursuit of my degree, I will continue to work towards Cisco certifications, beginning with CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician) which I will earn during the month of December.

Another Exam Down

Good evening class. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I was happy to hear that all of us that took the exam passed. I hope everyone who attempts it on a later date passes with ease. This meme came up on my timeline so I figured I'd share it with the class. It sort of reminds of Mr. Wu because he really does have a way with Word....

Halloween

This year's Halloween was a lot calmer than last years. Last year I went to Wal-mart and came up with the best costume $15 dollars could buy. I dressed up as a Sith lumberjack. Which later turned into the brawny guy because I lost my lightsaber as we were party hopping. This year I took it easy. Spent my time doing assignments and studying for my CCNA certification. I hope everyone else had a great Halloween and got to enjoy some candy :)

One Major Thing I Forgot About MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

One thing I forgot to mention was how much of stress reliever mixed martial arts can be. That's actually one of the biggest reason I got into it. All the frustrations that built up throughout the day/week just get released with every technique I learn and use during sparring. Plus you end up so tired you don't even remember what was bugging you in the first place. I really do recommend everyone to give it a try :)

Concert Aftermath

The concert was beyond amazing. It was definitely the stress reliever I needed. Just cutting loose and moshing to some of my favorite songs. What else could I ask for? Too bad I broke my only pair of glasses. Good thing Pearl Vision had an amazing sale going on where you get 3 pairs of glasses for $200 - $300 dollars depending on the frame. Groupon coming in clutch again! I do regret not being able to stay for all the presentations. I really wanted to see the rest of the classrooms interest. I'm sure they were great.

System of a Down Concert

This Friday is the System of a Down concert and I cannot wait! SOAD is up there with one of my all time favorite bands. They hardly toured before they broke up and when they announced tour dates it was a real surprise. I really don't know what to expect but I hope it's a great show.

Fight Night

UFC 229 is finally upon us. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor has been a long anticipated fight for anyone who watches MMA. There's a lot of drama behind this bout but I'm more excited about the technical skills of both fighters. Khabib's wrestling will be a true test for Conor who gets a lot of criticism for his wrestling abilities. While Conor's unorthodox boxing style will be a true test for Khabib's jaw. Especially with Conor's one punch knock ability. All in all it will be a great fight and I hope it lives up to the hype.

The Little Things

This week has been one of the roughest. But in times like these, it's always good to embrace the little things in life. I passed the LO test on the first try, I meant my aunt for the first time, and Tha Carter V dropped today. Hope everyone has a great week and enjoys tomorrow's class.

Word Lesson Project

I am pretty grateful we had the Word document project this week. I say this because this provided a few tricks to help me write a document on why I deserved a pay raise. My boss asked for a list of the responsibilities I had when I first started the job and the responsibilities I  have now. This was the perfect way to put my new skills to use. I took advantage of what I learned and applied it to the document my boss asked for. I submitted the document yesterday and I am currently waiting on a response back. I should know the results by next week. Wish me luck guys.

Work Place Immaturity

In my career field, we get a lot of people that are looking for a fresh start. Newcomers come to this field at the age of 40+ years old. So being the young manager doesn't give you much leverage with these old folks that feel life experience is more valuable than actual work experience. I know life experience is valuable, but learning happens at all ages. So why not learn from the guy who's been in the job field longer.

I go on this mini rant because often millennials get criticised for being lazy, self-entitled crybabies. When in my experience, it's quite the opposite. It is mostly the old geezers that feel they are self-entitled to the world. Most millennials I know keep their eyes focused on what they want and work hard for it. Just this week one of our new guys did not show up for his shift. He claims he was not informed when a few days before they told him what time to come in. Instead of asking questions and reassuring himself, he just didn't show up. With his 46 years of life experience, you would think he'd know better. Well, I was wrong. When confronted, instead of taking ownership of his mistake, he just cried, whined, and shot out excuse after excuse. This is only one of many examples where situations like this have occurred with the older generation.

I know not everybody is like this. It is wrong to categorize an entire generation by the flaws of one or 2 people. Which makes me wonder why the media does that to my generation.

IS101 First Impression

At first, I thought this class was going to be an easy A. Especially when I asked former students who did not share the same instructor. As the instructor described the course on the first day, it became clear that this class will take a lot of work. But there is also a lot to gain from this class. I know I will gain a new set of skills that I will be able to apply both in my career and private life. As we move forward into the class, I look forward to working with the instructor and the students around me.