Introductions are over

So, now to the meat of things.

I have registered for classes at the local community college. I have all but one of my textbooks. (If I could get Rainy City Books at Amazon to ship the book I need, or even respond to emails, I'd be happy.)

I need a good backpack that will carry the large textbooks and my laptop, and my trolley (aka bus) pass. (Gotta save money any way I can. $25 for trolley is cheaper than the gas I'd be using.)

Also need notebooks, pens, pencils, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. :)

I'm excited about going back to school. This is my third attempt at actual college (fourth attempt at training if you count the Sign Language class I took via a continuing education program 15 years ago.)

First attempt - East Carolina - ran out of funding after the first two semesters. Was majoring in Music Therapy for the first semester, demoted to Gen Ed second semester due to more time in computer lab than practice room. I probably would have ended up in the Computer Science Department if I'd stayed.

Second attempt - The aforementioned Sign Language classes. The community college offered six levels of classes in Sign Language, and completion of all six and some independent study would have give me what I needed to take the certification exams. However, most students were just in it for the basics, so by the time I got to the fifth level there were only 3-4 of us left. Not enough to "make" the class, so it was canceled.

Third attempt - Computer Programming at community college. Cut short by a very bad car accident before midterms of my first semester. Between recovery from that (broke every bone in one leg, and one in the other), and my mother being diagnosed with cancer, I never went back.

That last attempt was in 1995. Now I am headed back to Community college (different state) for Networking Services Technology. In theory I will end up with multiple certifications (Going for Network+, A+, Security+ at least.)

I currently have two children, aged 13 and almost 11. I have a husband. I have a very large chosen family, and a supportive biological family as well. They're all just as broke as I am however, hence the need to find a way to pay bills while I'm devoting so much energy to training.

If you have ideas (that don't involve spam, feel free to share. :) )

Adventures in Unemployment

I am one of the many (9.8% of Americans - only counting people "in the system" of course) who are unemployed.

I am one of the few who doesn't want to run out and get a job. Instead, I'm taking the get my derriere to school and train for a new career route, in the hopes that things will be picking up enough that I'll actually be able to get a job when I get my A.A.S. and Certifications in a couple years.

How I'm going to pay bills in the meantime? Well, that's an unknown. I have a severance package, and I qualify for unemployment, and for the time I am actively in school I'll get a very small stipend, but it will barely be a drop in the bucket of what I was making.

So, maybe I'll try to build this up. Is there much of a market for people reading about a 36 (next week) year old with two kids who is becoming a full time student again?

Of course, I can always learn how to sling beer and try to become a bartender. :)

Does anyone else have any ideas for me?