Justin Lloyd's Thinkering

Somebody needs to think about this stuff...

Studying

This is a listing of the subjects I've studied either in college/university, Open University, random classes at various businesses and also online classes through websites such as Lynda.com, Udacity and the Gnomon graphics school.

Sometimes there is a reason to the subject I am studying, e.g. marketing or project management, and other times I just take a class in because the subject intrigues me.

Thanks to the wonders of the modern web, MOOCs and other online course ware I am able to indulge myself as much as I choose too. I prefer self-paced classes where the subject matter, tests and course work is not gated in any particular way.

I also tend to self-paced study because I am not too smart and get frustrated when the rest of the students in the class have raced ahead of me and done their assignments and I am still struggling to understand a fundamental concept or cannot do all the required reading in a timely manner. It is not fair to other people that I slow the class down or hold them back.

Over the years, since I first started to actively track and understand what I was doing, I've taken close to 400 different classes, and taken a stab at a few degrees and diplomas along the way. Some I've passed. Some I've failed.

The thing is, no matter how much I study I'm never going to be smart and I'm never going to be as educated or as literate as everyone else.

I'm always going to be below average in intelligence and education and I'm always going to be slower than everyone else in class.

It doesn't make me stop trying though.

Studying – German

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This month I am studying “German”

6 months part-time local college non-credit course.  4th month

Studying – German

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This month I am studying “German”

This is the 3rd month of a 6 month part-time, in-person, non-credit college course.

Update: No, seriously, fuck your verbs!

Studying – German

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This month I am studying “German”

Second month of a six month part-time local college non-credit course

Fuck your verbs!

Studying – German

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This month I am studying “German”

My first month studying German in a six month, part-time, local college, non-credit course

Update: Guten tag! Wie geht’s?

Studying – Pencil drawing

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This month I am studying “Pencil drawing”

Decided to take some of my accumulated holiday (stupid “use it or lose it” policy) from Activision and use that time to improve my pencil drawing.

This is an in-person five half-day workshop.

Update: Logged 20 hours of study and practice. 16 hours of class time, four hours of extra practice.

 

Studying – European art history

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This month I am studying “European art history”

MOMA has another one of those exhibits, decided to indulge in a one day workshop

This is a one day instructor lead workshop at the MOMA

Update: My mistake, it is actually a four week, two nights a week in-person, instructor lead class.

Update #2: Slow paced class. Mostly reading and discussion. Should have picked something else to study alongside this. Thank goodness it is only a four week (two nights a week) class.

Studying – Fundamentals of art history

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This month I am studying “Fundamentals of art history” and also continuing with the third month of “Female character drawing”

MOMA is having a special exhibit, along with a couple of workshops.

The “Fundamentals of art history” is a one day instructor lead workshop at the MOMA. 3rd month of “Female Character Drawing”

Studying – The great photographers

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This month I am studying “The great photographers” and also “Female character drawing”

On-line study, with instructor lead discussions. I am combing this area of study with the female character drawing as the drawing class is too slow for my tastes.

Four, two hour sessions plus some self study for the photographers class. My 2nd month of “Female Character Drawing”

Studying – Software project management

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This month I am studying “Software project management”

Have done project management for quite a few software projects so far but I think some formal training in the subject wouldn’t hurt.

Open University has a non-credit course being offered and best of all, I don’t have to watch any of those terrible videos from the 1970’s.

This is an on-line class delivered via a website (ooh! fancy!) and some interactive conference calls with the instructor and other class members.

It is three months long, but none of the material is gated. There are no team based project assignments from what I can see. Just a bunch of reading, a couple of essays and two multi-choice exams. This should be pretty easy in terms of workload.

There is a five-day optional residency that goes with the course I am going to take as well.

Update: Done with all the class work. Will take the residency in late August and then I am done.

Studying – Painting the sea in oils

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This month I am studying “Painting the sea in oils”

Oil painting.

Because we all want to be Bob Ross — or Nancy if you are British and grew up in the 80s.

This is four separate half-day, in-person workshops.

Update: Oil painting is freaking messy.

Update: I think I am done with oil painting. I might return to it in the future as a hobby but it’s not something that interests me right now.

Log update: 20 hours spent in class, and another 7 hours for a total 27 hours of study and practice.

Studying – Fundamentals of oil painting

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This month I am studying “Fundamentals of oil painting”

I enjoyed the oil painting class last month enough I’d like to try doing some more. Not sure I am going to make a hobby out of it though.

A series of four, one day (six hours a day if you don’t count coffee and lunch) workshops.

Update: 24 hours of class time, 3 hours of extra practice.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Sports therapy massage”

2nd month of a 6 months part-time, in-person (of course) class.

Update: I have no idea why I am continuing to study massage therapy. I have learnt all I want to know. I think it was just habit and momentum that kept me enrolling in new classes.

Looking at my logs I’ve accumulated 329 hours of massage therapy classes. I think I know enough to be going on with.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Shiatsu massage”

2nd month of 3 month class

Update: Building up strength in my hands. Not sure I want to continue practicing though.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Advanced massage”

This is months 5 month and 6 month of a part-time 6 month in-person class. I am attending two separate classes in parallel to increase my exposure and hands-on (no pun intended) experience.

Update: 18 people.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Advanced massage”

This is the 3rd month and 4th month of the advanced class.

24 people still going. Doubled up on the advanced class on the nights per week. Should finish in 4 months.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Advanced massage”

2nd month of a 6 month class.

Update: Seems a bit slow. I wonder if I can accelerate this a bit by signing up for another class.

Update: 27 people left.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Advanced massage”

1st month of a 6 month class

Update: More people joined, we’re back up to 34 people. I think two classes merged together from the alternative nights of the week.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Intermediate massage”
2nd month and 3rd month of 3 months part-time

Six people remain. They run the intermediate class on alternate nights. I have increased my attendance (after talking to the instructor) and I can go through the programme faster.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Intermediate massage”

1st month of 3 month class.

Update: Just seven of us left now in the intermediate class. Six from the original group, plus a newcomer who took the basic class last year.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage Therapy – Beginning Massage”

This is the 3rd month of a 3 month part-time, in-person class.

Update: Wow!

More than half the class has dropped out since the first week.

I think we started with more than fifty people and there’s only eight of us left.

It’s not that the class is hard. And the instructors are really good.

Apparently this is less than the normal drop-off rate.

People just signing up for class to see how it is perhaps?

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Beginnning massage”

This is the second month of a 3 month long, part-time, in-person class.

Update: Two months in. Class seems a little slow-paced for my liking.

Update: The cat is getting a lot of practice massages. He doesn’t seem to be complaining.

Studying – Massage therapy

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This month I am studying “Massage therapy – Introduction to massage”

Every girl I’ve dated (not many) and spoken too (many more) has always wanted a good massage from their boyfriend or husband, and lamented the fact they cannot get one.

I intend to rectify that problem for whichever girl I end up in a relationship with.

This is a 3 month long, part-time, in-person class over at the local massage school on Santa Monica Blvd just at the bottom of Amherst.

Studying – Woodworking

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This month I am studying “Woodworking”

This is the 11th month of studying a formal class with no formal schedule.

Update: Okay one more month – had a woodworking project I needed to finish up.

Studying – Woodworking

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This month I am studying “Woodworking”

The 10th month

I am enjoying the woodworking, but I am finding that I am not enjoying the classes. So I have decided to make this the last month I attend class.

Studying – Woodworking

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This month I am studying “Woodworking”

4th month of an in-person class with no formal class schedule. I am averaging about 20 hours per month in attendance and hands-on workshop time.

Studying – Woodworking

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This month I am studying “Woodworking”

Update: Sliced my hand on a chisel. Not badly. Just gushed like a son of a bitch. Somebody had left a chisel on the bench amongst a pile of rags. I didn’t see it, reached over to grab the rag to wipe up some squeeze out glue. Sliced hand.

Studying – Woodworking

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This month I am studying “Woodworking”

1st month of a class with no definite end and no particular formal learning structure. Turn up, get hands-on time with an expert woodworker who can guide you and teach you.

Studying – MSc Computer Science

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This month I am studying “MSc Computer Science”

Update: I am terminating my Masters at this time.

Two reasons:

1. Finances (college is expensive in the US) and

2. I just learned what “accreditation” means.

Well… fuck me.

America, your educational system is seriously fucked up.

An over-priced piece of paper that isn’t even valid and won’t be taken seriously. I don’t need that.

First time I’ve ever considered the fact that a college can exist (that isn’t an obvious diploma mill) and actually be allowed to get away with.

How can people justify charging $40,000+ for a MSc that isn’t even worth the paper its printed on?!?

Studying – MSc Computer Science

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This month I am studying “MSc Computer Science”

Starting the 2nd month.

Update: Easy stuff.

Easier than my Bachelor’s.

Only reason I am not going through the coursework faster is because:

1. They won’t let me and,

2. I work for a start-up and my work schedule is crazy.

Studying – MSc Computer Science

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This month I am studying “MSc Computer Science”

An on-line school (kind of like OU) is offering a Master’s in Computer Science.

Two years of study, with a project option instead of a thesis.

Update: I like it.

Also a good chance to experience the difference between UK uni and US uni even if it is on-line.

Studying – Japanese Language & Literature

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This month I am studying “Japanese Language & Literature”

This is the 9th month of a 48 month part-time, in-person class.

Update: My US visa is in process, just have to buy my plane ticket.

This will be my last month studying Japanese at college.

Studying – Japanese Language & Literature

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This month I am studying “Japanese Language & Literature”

Update: I don’t like sushi.

We had to take a “cultural” class.

I chose sushi.

Basic sushi making skills, etc.

This is where Justin learns he doesn’t like salt water fish, squid or shellfish.

Switched to the vegetarian class option instead.

Studying – Japanese Language & Literature

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This month I am studying “Japanese Language & Literature”

This is the 7th month of a 48-month part-time B.A. in Japanese.

Update: It looks like I have landed a job at a start-up in California.

Don’t know when it will start but I will be giving up my Japanese language studies very soon.

Will continue in class at least until I know I am going.

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