It has been nearly three months since my last post. Really though, not a whole lot has been going on. There has been work, more work, school and of course the wee man. Continue reading
It sure is cold out, and dead around here…
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Changing schools
For the past year I have been attending Fountainhead College of Technology as a distance education student. I graduated in April with an Associate Degree in Computer Programing, and was pursuing a BAS in Application Development. That is no longer the case.
During my time at FCT I had grown incredibly frustrated with the school. They have been incredibly disorganized, fairly un-impressive for a “technology” school, and really didn’t understand the different needs of a distance student compared to a residential student. After exploring options, I found a better choice for my continued education.
That choice is Strayer. They have impressed me since I first contacted them, and overall they abe been a pleasure to deal with. Program options, course selection, faculty, it is emensely better than Fountainhead. Oh, and they offer a MBA/MS program should I wish to continue that route.
I will be earning a BAS in Information Systems with a major in Database Development and a minor in Computer Programming. Classes start up in October which gives me a much needed break from school and some extra time to do stuff around the house and of course some family time.
The decision to change schools will mean it will take me a bit longer to earn my degree, but in the end I think it will be the most beneficial for me.
I shall call him mini-me
In continuing tradition, it has been a while since I posted anything on here. Needless to say, things have been a bit different around the McDaniel house. On June 26, at 11:24 pm my wife gave birth to our first son, Liam Keith McDaniel.
He will be 10 weeks old tomorrow, and so far he has been a great baby. He gets a tad fussy at night, but he usually sleeps pretty much all night long. He is constantly smiling, giggling, and looking around. I’m enjoying every minute I have with him.
Make sure you check out Farrah’s blog for the whole delivery story, and photos of Liam are on both of our Facebook pages.
You can call me a PMP now.
No, there isn’t an “I” missing from that, though that is usually the first thing everyone thinks of when they see “PMP.” It stands for Project Management Professional, and is my latest certification triumph.
Out of all the certifications I have earned so far, this one I am perhaps the most proud of. It is a globally recognized certification that says not only do I know a little about project management, but I also have the experience to back it up.
The test itself was hard… it took me two hours out of an allotted four. While I nearly fell asleep during the test, I still did pretty well. Though maybe the hardest part was the actual application to take the test in the first place. Without a degree, I had to prove that I had at least 7,500 hours in project management as well as 35 hours of project management education. While I was able to best both requirements, you have to do a total hour breakdown in each of the project management knowledge areas. To top it off, there is a chance that your application could be audited at any time, which means your hours need to be spot on. You wouldn’t want PMI to come back and strip you of your qualification after all the time and money you put into something like this.
Now, I just have to keep this certification maintained. 
Previously on this blog…
Almost three months since I updated my blog? Say it isn’t so!
Last time I posted, I mentioned that I had doubled up on classes and would be graduating soon. That happened in April and I earned my first degree, a Associate in Computer Programming. In May I was back in class working on a BS in Application Development.
So, I’m still in school. Not much really to say. I’ve got a finance class, history II, public speaking, and cultural studies. Nothing really fun or exciting, and the history instructor is having us write essay after essay after essay.
The semester will wrap up in mid-August and I am just trying to make it through till then. Hopefully school won’t be as time consuming after this semester. I need a break, but I know if I stop now, I’ll never start back again. Been there once already when I was working on my EET degree in 2000.