As this semester begins to wind down, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some lessons learned, difficulties faced, frustrations overcome, and new hobbies over the past few months.
- Database management skills
- Recently finished my CIS 3730 Database Management class with a focus on SQL Server 2008 and surprisingly learned a lot. I knew SQL before class, so that wasn’t something new to me. What was new was the concept of a conceptual and logical model. I never had to create a conceptual model for a database; one that includes relationships, table attributes, and cardinality. I can now see the importance of creating one, something I couldn’t before. Normally I just dive headfirst into a project and feel my way around until I find a solution. But with a conceptual model already in place, it was simple as plug-and-chug. There was no guess work or missteps. Everything had already been thought out and approved before any work on the database ever began. Powerful information that will help me in the IT career whether or not I focus on databases.
- Difficulty of group work
- This semester presented me with a number of group projects. Let me rephrase that: a number of dreaded group projects. Of my 4 classes, I had 3 group projects. Say wha?! 3/4, 75%, .75/1 of my classes had group projects. That’s 3 times as many people to coordinate. That’s 3 times as many meetings to attend. That’s 3 times as many late nights spent finishing a project because some kid decided to skip class for 2 weeks in a row. (True story). But, as the group lead in all 3 projects I did learn a trick or two about managing remote teams. I now know the frustrations faced by remote managers and developed solutions to ease the pain. Never underestimate the power of instant communication and deliverable reviews.
- Not all professionals make good teachers
- I appreciate the professional community giving back to students. I really do. <Rant> But don’t think that your Excel spreadsheet skills automatically make you a great a teacher or even a teacher at all. My MGS 3100 teacher is, sadly, the worse teacher I’ve had a Georgia State University. Her inability to present concepts in a clear, concise manner made class a drag. Her lack of respect for the students made her rude and ignorant. And her constant ADD made lessons difficult to follow. If you would like to give back to your community, there are more productive and less painful ways than to become a business teacher. I think Georgia State University should require prospective teachers to take a Teaching College 101 class. </Rant> I have managed to make good grades in this class by being a self-motivator, reviewing the materials before tests, and taking full advantage of the 1-page approved cheat sheet for each test. 🙂
- Golf
- I bought a set of brand new Ping G-15 irons, a Nike VR Tour driver, and a Ping putter. Golf is quickly becoming a favorite past time of mine. I easily play it twice a week but want to play more. If anyone wants to play, let me know. I’ll be happy to shoot a round with you. I consider Candler Park Golf Course my home course because of its student discount ($6.50 during weekdays) and the 5 minute drive. Cant’ be that.