You are the Change

I spent most of my academic days trying to figure it out. The situation of self and the realization of “having career opportunities” with qualifications. I am not going to lie to a teenager like most educators trying hard to keep a facade, Schooling does not necessarily make you who you want to become.

In school, I tried many courses they offered. I tried a bit of information technology, elective mathematics and creative writing. For all the years, I even tried a lot of history courses. Of all the years and hours spent at home and at school beat myself over the head with homework I learned very little which is relevant. Of all all the things I learned, I know for certain is algebra is only thing which has solid applications as a course. Everything else is a basis on opinion and extrapolation. Essay writing can help build an organized opinion. History helped with developing critical thinking. Of all the English classes, I can say I can write and describe experience in words. History (aside knowing the United States had a very bloody past) has given me an opinion about and idea of where I live and what it means to be here. The end goal regardless whatever the course was a grade; hopefully a passing grade.

Though I am not a success story, I still have much to learn but there is what I know for sure. Of all the things I’ve learned, none of that matters to what I do. No one really wants me to write essays or do a lot of calculations. Getting out of school, it seems most work places just require you to follow instructions and maximize productivity within the position you are hired. “Able to follow instructions, verbally and visually” is the primary concern for employers. You start lower than what you know. Kind of depressing when every expectation of you is surmised into a sentence as seen from an employer.

Don’t be discouraged, we all started somewhere. We never become what we want, it’s the matter of determination and commitment to where we want to end up. It’s not just taking the education of where you want to go but what you do as a career. You will realize you will start on the very bottom where your career will seem irrelevant and you will have to build your way up. Sure you can be an academic, but most of the work comes from actual experience of both in and our of the career. The end goal in never really the what you wanted but how you have experienced everything.

Isn’t the trip only as good as the journey?

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Back To School, Here’s Some (not so bad) Advice

Probably around that time again when teens are going back to school. For some, it will be going through the motions. Some will be getting out of it while some are going to go into it with a fresh pair of eyes. But this week I want to focus on high school because I remember how crazy high school can be for me. Okay, it was fairly tame but I’ve seen people go through some heavy stuff.

If you are entering this year as a niner or a freshman, welcome to your teen years and congrats for making it this far. There is no trophy for making it to high school. As the 13 or 14 year old, you will likely be spending the next 4 years in a place I equate to a very liberal prison. From my years, here’s a few things I picked up. You might arrive at this place with some friends; in honesty, they won’t be your friends for long. Well, you may get lucky with the one friend that would stick it through with you for the entire time. However I’ve seen people’s social structures change through 4 years. So consider all your childhood friends to be a nice little stepping stone to reach out to the entire school. It’s good to meet new people and try new things because at this point in time, you cannot be faulted to finding a bit of your adulthood within those walls. Sure you may have a plan going in, but coming out you may need a back up plan. In my case I had a back up, back up, back up plan. Shortly and surely that little taste of adult life will shock you to consequences. As scary as it sounds; for me, it keeps me grounded. Understand the limits, ask and scrutinize everything. If you have a choice on the subjects you can learn, I don’t think I could recommend anything you can personally do yourself. You know what you want in the here and now. I never figured out what I want through high school. As a 20-something, winging it sometimes doesn’t yield the best results. However the subjects I took helps me keep my eyes open and head held high. I guess I have my history teachers to thank.

To those would-be sophmores, you are well versed and well adjusted in school. As well adjusted you can be, I guess. No less, there are a few things you should be aware of too. Mostly puberty; laugh and giggle, hormones are no joke. This is the one thing I hated going through and I’m a dude! Sometimes I would just be borderline angry and sometimes I just wanted to curl up into a ball and leave the world to its devices. All I can say the chemicals are a perfect storm for learning the extent of your personality. Are you a risk taker? Romantic? Creative thinker? Lots of things will grow out physically and personally, hold on tight and ride the waves. Growing up is complicated but it doesn’t mean you are growing into adulthood. You are more growing to learn to be yourself, keeping what you have and leaving some of it behind. I use to be blank canvas and even now, that canvas is constantly changing. I never liked reading in school, I now read a bit at a time. I might even read a graphic novel. Give it time to let it all sink in; be out there and explore the frontiers of what it is to be yourself. Remember: why should you run in the rain when you know when arrive, you will still be wet?

Juniors, you guys are almost at the end. Like one more year, nearly there. Time for your exit strategy, what are your plans for the next couple years. As you refine your academia, remember to pack your portfolios with something. In some places, 16 years old is the minimum working age. It’s a good time to explore those back up options. Those these options may never come back to you, you could get into them and it will just look good on a resume. Just go out there and gain the experience you want, learn how to work and manage yourself. When I was 16, I explored a back up option for post-high. Apparently out of all the options I could have, it is the one I am still into because I like the environment. Rather to disclose you what I do now; let’s say just go out there and find your backup options, you will be surprised what sort of jobs you can pick up and just love.

As for the seniors, I haven’t forgotten you. Whether you want to take an additional year in high school or leaving after 4 years, the upcoming years will set the stage for adventure. As much as you want to explore and learn from it, keep in mind to create a balance of curiosity and livelihood. You may be entering university or college, perhaps into a workplace full-time; regardless where the next 4-10 years will send you, remember to make friends and have a little fun. Life is about enjoying the fragmented moments. The joy and anguish, the angst and exhilaration that your life will take you. Be yourself. Make friends. Life is best spent with those you care about and the ones your love. Do not dwell on the actions you could have taken for all your mistakes will be forgiven in time. Trust me, there were a few people I wish I could have been honest. The “only if” statements I have given to myself the past half decade could fill another post. The big ones involved a few girls I still like and a few changes I wish I could’ve have embrace. I am who I am because I created myself, therefore I could still change if I’m willing. The you here and now is not your final form, still a long ways to figure it out but this is the transformation to being an adult version of you.

Until next time; be the best you, you can be this year.

Alternatives.

As some of you read previously, I’ve upgrade my laptop to Windows 10; still having some teething issues, but I’m starting to settle with it. Like with Windows 7 when I first got it, I’m back into the routine of reinstalling every program I need. My laptop serves as a mobile blogging and internet platform; regardless of it’s hefty weight.

Though at the moment, the store provided by Microsft does provide some means of receiving some programs. However I dislike most of their offerings which has reverted me to my old programs. Defraggler and CCleaner to lighten the load off my computer. Chrome and Firefox or my browsers; yes, I have both. Science purposes, I promise. Of course, Windows Live Writer for my blogging tool. Though for some unforeseen conditions, I cannot for the life of me get Writer to work properly now.

I thought at first, I thought it would be easy. Just download and install it onto my computer, add my credentials and off we go. No doubt a few set backs have put me into a situation where I’m scouring the internet of solutions. At first I looked into other applications and even using the WordPress online writer off of my own account. As hand dandy the net is with online solutions, I much prefer some things remaining offline. Especially for the fact my home connection is not the average in the world nor this country and city. As antiquated the idea is, our dependency on instant and online has opened my eyes on how easy we have it compared to just a decade ago.

As many of you probably come out of high school or even at my age, there are very few things we install anymore that can really be considered a program. Though the rebrand to "apps" may be apt, the only two apps I could ever download is games and even with games, most of the save data is not going to the cloud. As convenient and space saving as it, it’s relying on a tether; the internet. As much as I am pro-net, there are some things left to what many would think is antiquated. Call me old all you want but when you have no Internet, I’ll be listening to my entire MP3 music library while you search for a strong signal for Spotify or Pandora.

The world may go around telling the new is what’s now; but when it comes to reliable computing, I think of offline and local. I think of keeping my information close to me and my devices closer. Never outsourced unless it is for sharing beyond conventional distances. I remember simpler days when Steam connected me to other players rather being the center to get my games. In honesty some services are handy for being online, some seem very cumbersome. Say for example app stores; as much as I appreciate each mobile OS to have their app store, the problem is exclusive access. You need a certain phone to access it to buy the goods and services on it. In the early days of the game store, it was the one and only place you could buy games reliably. The one shop locally you can buy any game for any console. The game analogy being the app and the console being the phone’s OS. There are many games I would like to play on my Blackberry Playbook and Android device from iOS, I am not willing to put out more money into a device I already own. Which creates a divide and as the console debate rages to this day, we could see the same. Rather than console versus PC (PC Master Race!); we could see the future (if not now) a heated debate, Android or Apple? As fun as pitching an argument, ubiquity in my opinion is a necessity than exclusivity.

So to hell with your app store, Windows 10. I will stand my ground until I find what I need. My install is fresh like a rapper’s rhymes and I seek it to fill my drive with what I need and not to a service you make me want. Much like I prefer a map and compass, my hard drive is where my "cloud" is and it’s a damn small but personal one.