Tenth Semester

My Tenth semester (Spring 2013) (start of my fourth year)

Since I finished all the classes I needed for the Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology (EECT) last semester this semester I took classes for Computer Information Services (CINS) degree. I only had 9 credit hours until I reached my Maximum Time Frame (more about that later) I could only take 9 credit hours. Which would normally be enough, unless someone else is paying for it, and my classes where being paid for again this semester. This would be the last semester that was paid for, for two reasons. The first one because the scholarship was due to end after two years, and second because I reached the maximum time frame.

 The Maximum Time Frame says you cannot take more than 150% of credits needed for a degree. Since I needed 62 credit for my EECT degree 62 * 150% is 93 credit hours. This does not start over after you get a degree; this is for all of your time at Ivy Tech. What they are trying to do is keep people from getting financial aid, by just keep getting degrees. But they allow 30 credit hours of developmental coursework to be excluded. Developmental coursework are classes you need to bring you up to college level classes. Which is fine, but they should just change the limit to 200%, if I was going to cheat the system, would I not just test low so I could get my 30 extra hours. Plus they do not take into consideration who paid for the classes. I paid for the first five semesters myself, $4,114.25 (37 credit hours) and those count against me.

Classes:

CINS 125          Database Design and Management (Wednesday 1:00-3:50)

This was an interesting class, because I use databases all of the time, and even create them, I do not use SQL for either. I need to learn SQL since it is used for accessing and creating databases on a lot of other systems, and can even be used on the AS400, but does not have to be used.  

We used both Microsoft access and MySQL. This was good, since I need to become familiar with both of them. Access because it is a Microsoft product and no matter how good or bad they are people use them just because they are a Microsoft product. And MySQL because it is an open source SQL engine that follows the standards of SQL. Using MySql is different from most of the other CINS125 classes, so I am glad I took this one.

The concepts used in this class where not hard for me, but I had to get used to the syntax of SQL, and that took a little bit of work.

The instructor was a no-nonsense type of instructor. He did not give you anything you had to earn it. I think he did grade a little hard on some of the work. (But that might just be me, because I think the Java instructor did also.) He wanted you to learn the concepts about Databases and even added a review session, and dropped the paper (yeah) we were supposed to have written.

CINS 136          Introduction to Java Programming (Online Lawrenceburg-K2)

This was a slow paced class, and would make a good summer class. We read a chapter one week and did the work the next week. We learned Java applications and Java applets, the difference is applications run from your PC and applets run from a web browser.

Since I know programming the concepts were not hard, but Java is weird in that it runs on so many devices which means it runs on different operating systems. And since the devices can have small screens or large screens you do not just place controls (buttons, etc.) where you want them, you have to use layout managers, which I hate and could not get to work like I wanted them to work and look. 

CINS 237       Advance Visual Basic Programming (Online Muncie-F1)

This was the first class that did not use a standard text book, it used a book anyone might buy and use to learn to program visual basic.

Since it was an advance class we had to interact with features outside the standard self-contained program. Like Microsoft sequel sever and a web service that provided weather information, neither of which worked like it was supposed to work the first time. The Microsoft sequael server I did get to work by Goggling my problems, but the web service was free service that did not look like it as being maintained, so for that one the assignment was changed

And it was not terribly advanced; we did learn some new features that you would use frequently in a business environment.

Graduation

I walked in graduated after the end of this semester.  My official graduation date is December 15 2012, but they only hold graduation once a year. It is long and a little boring, but I am glad I did it. Since most people go to Ivy Tech on their own schedule you do not graduate with everyone you meet in the classes you take. More people graduated last year that I had in classes than this year; I did have everyone that graduated this year in a class except one. And a couple of people did not show up. There were 11 graduating from EECT this year.

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