So in keeping stride with the mode I have been in as of late I decided to have a repeat of sorts of the confident and brash approach I have taken to the studying and exams that I have purposely omitted thus far in my Penn Foster learning curriculum for my Business Courses.

I got an 80% on an examination I took the other day and I figured “hey – If it works once it juuuuuuust might work twice, right !?!?!?!” Well at least that is what I TOLD myself. I mean the back story to my 80% test score from the previous day is this. I had rushed on the last bunch of questions because I had a few “motherhood” duties that I had to attend to(like dinner for the family that was cooking on the stove and the oven, the dryer buzzer going off because one load of clothes were done and another load of clean wet ones was ready to go in, my son and daughter bickering at each other over what show they wanted to watch on the television….you know “the USUAL” plethora of responsibilities on any given day !!! LOL !!!)

So when I took into account that I was able to get an 80% despite the fact that I rushed at the end and faltered a bit that I was confident that if I could take my next exam without any of those peripheral distractions that it would bode well for me. Well…I LOVE IT WHEN I AM RIGHT !!!! I just took another one of the exams that I had purposely skipped, after I reviewed my accompanying Business Course Study guide of course, and got a 90% ! Now how is THAT for distraction free study efforts !!!

I feel so vindicated !!!! I feel so  accomplished !!! I feel like I just “slayed the dragon” ! And most of all and most importantly I feel so happy and so proud and sooooooo RELIEVED !!!! LOL !!!

Okay so I had not taken a test in the longest time for any of my Undergraduate courses for my Associates Degree in Human Resources Management here at Penn Foster. I had been content with doing my reading and feeling the information impact me in the manner in which it was because I really and truly felt that I was seeing the “business world” like how Neo saw the Matrix in the movie !!!! Well for anybody who may NOT have seen “The Matrix” (and I am sure that is a vast MINORITY) the Matrix is a computer generated reality of computer codes and formulas that requires a very unique perspective or “key” to translate or breakdown so that one could see it in its proper and intended format. At least that is how it was presented to us fans and movie goers at the movies !! LOL !!!

In any event the more I read without the stress or worry associated with test taking the more I really felt myself TRULY understanding the material I was discovering – so much so that I found direct and immediate application in the workplace and my everyday life ! Well, as the saying goes people, “the proof is in the pudding”. I reviewed the summarized information in my Study Guide for one of the testing sections I skipped over, took the examination and got an 80 !!!!! I am so ELATED I just can’t tell you !!!!

So I was feeling very confident and sure of myself when I woke up this morning. So much so I was even feeling so bold as to “step outside of myself” (if you will…lol…) to take some chances and try some things on a whim that I normally would not. How so ?

Well those that know me know that I kind of sort of have a phobia about test taking. And I do not know why !!! I mean it is kind of silly when I think about it. I mean as old as I am why in the world would I or should I be concerned about taking tests ? I guess it stems from when I was younger. I mean I have never been a fan of deadlines or the closed in “results now” environment. It makes me feel very uncomfortable, kind of like someone has a gun to my head and is forcing me to do something that I do not like or want to do.

Well with that being said I have decided on this boldest of days that I am in the midst of to go back and review my Study Guide so that I can take a few of these tests and exams that I have been procrastinating on out of fear and angst. I mean I do all of my reading but I just put off taking the tests for fear of failure…I guess…

Isn’t that BAD ??? I should be so ashamed of myself. In any event I am about to ride the wave of confidence I have been feeling and see how this learning curve I have been on is actually paying off. Let’s see what happens…..

Okay so my life has been in hell….well as far as school and social life is concerned….which I guess just abut encompasses EVERYTHING right !?!?!?! LOL !!! You see I do not know how it happened or where I got it from but I recently found out that my laptop has what is called a "Trojan virus" on it from something that my virus software could not detect or remove and it has been making my laptop act very strange. When I try to open up my Internet Explorer to look at things online from my Penn Foster class stuff, to my Facebook Account and even to check my email my laptop will freeze up and it will force me to shut down and restart my computer.

Some days it works fast and some days it works slow. And on top of that sometimes when I have applications open for school it will freeze up my laptop and I will be forced to Control+Alt+Delete my laptop to restart it and a couple of times I have lost some notes and information I had been trying to save from my Penn Foster studying and reading !!! GRRRR !!!!!

 I will likely now have to send it to the technician people as it is still under warranty and hope that they can diagnose the issue, remove the virus and repair my laptop so that I can get back to my Penn Foster schooling life and social networking life as usual. I will likely have to use my seemingly ANCIENT desktop for the "meantime in between time". So I am sure you can imagine that I AM NOT HAPPY right about now….GRRRRR……

Hopefully it will be back in just a few days like the last time I had to have it fixed, but that is just a HOPE at best….GRRRRRR……

Okay so my Contemporary Business textbook for my business courses for my Undergraduate Degree in Human Resources Management here at Penn Foster was on the subject of discussing hardware and software – you know the differences between the two and the different types and the benefits of each.

Well coincidentally my Hunni Bear recently bought a new laptop for some business needs he has, which according to my textbook would qualify as HARDWARE(yes, yes yes – I DO LEARN….lol !!!!) and he really likes it from what I see. However he was quite upset when he found out that it did not come preloaded with Microsoft Office. That pretty much messed up much of the use he had intended for it and he did not feel like spending $400 plus dollars to go buy the Operating System at the store. Fortunately for him he was able to buy the BRAND NEW Microsoft Operating System through his job for just $10 !!! Can you believe that !?!?!? A $473 package for just $10 !!! And yes people according to my textbook that would officially qualify as SOFT WARE !!! LOL !!!! And I must say the new versions of MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint not to mention all of the other application is QUITE cool if I must say so myself !!!! No wonder Bill Gates and Microsoft are so successful and this software has become a MUST HAVE item in the world around us !!!!

I guess I have to keep on progressing through these study courses so I can attain my degree and invent some gadget or gizmo that the world will just HAVE TO HAVE like good old Mr. Gates did, right ? You never know….ANYTHING is possible right !?!?!??!?

Wow !!!!! The more I read about Management Information Systems the more and more I wonder if we humans are going to be running companies and making decisions twenty or so years from now or are the machines !?!?!?!!?

I mean from what I am reading about and learning about, some of which I now use day in and day out for my own job, it really boggles the mind when you consider what things are in place so that we do not have to make any decisions !!!! I mean they have Decision Support Systems, Executive Information systems and Expert Systems all of which regulate such tasks and presentations such as retrieval, simulation, imitating human thinking and decision making and presentation of vitally important information.

It is funny because I was watching Terminator 3 the other night on television. It is a very popular film series which depicts a possible future as conceived by the writers where computers learn at a geometric rate and become so SMART that they achieve consciousness and become self aware and decide to wipe out humans because they do not need them anymore to function. Terminator 3 was actually showing the genesis of the day that theoretically that machines became "self aware" in that the computers after having performed so many regulatory tasks over a long period of time became smarter the farther it went along until it actually reached CONSCIOUSNESS and took over the world !!!! Is that what we are setting ourselves up for in this world with all of these computers and software programs !?!?!?!? After all of this Penn Foster reading on this computer stuff I am scared…….

Okay so me and my friend have started some daily "pow–wows" to kind of encourage each other in this whole online learning quest we are on to better ourselves. I must admit that although we do not study at the same school, the energy we have definitely makes me feel better and helps me feel better on days when I have not felt like studying as of late. So she was telling me how so many of her classes have deadlines for her homework, projects and exams/tests. Many times she tells me that professors set such deadlines at dates which have been EXTREMELY inconvenient to her in the context of family, work and life in general. Oh and can I tell you how JEALOUS that she is that I could not "appreciate" where she was coming from in that regard as I do not have that same issue on "my side of the fence" here at Penn Foster !?!?!?!?

I mean I know it would have been mean to laugh out loud but I must admit I did feel SO grateful and blessed and I could not help but to smile from ear to ear on the other end of the phone – I mean after all it was not like she could actually SEE my smiling, right ?(Although she knows me well enough to say that I was probably smiling on the other end of the phone !! LOL !!!! Is that bad or WHAT !?!?!?!?)

In any event things always seem to happen in the course of my days and travels to make me appreciate how good that I have it here at Penn Foster !!!!! Thank You !! Thank You !!! Thank You !!!!

Wow !!!! I swear the more and more that I talk to my girlfriend about her own experience and learning feel she is getting from her current schooling situation with her particular online educator the more and more I realize how good that I have it here at Penn Foster !!!!

My friend was telling me that her professors, and two in particular, which she has to interact with via email and also on message boards are such JERKS that it really ruins her want and desire to ask them questions at times for fear that "if they did not take their Prozac" on that particular day that she will be "shot down" and made to feel stupid or incompetent much like they have done to her previously. Can you believe that !?!?!?!? I have never EVER been made to feel from anyone I have spoken to or interacted with on any level here at Penn Foster like I could not approach them or reach out for help if need be and honestly RECEIVE meaningful help if I required it. That is AMAZING TO ME !!!!!

Everyone I have talked to has even taken it a step further and went so far as to tell me that if I ever needed ANYTHING to please do not hesitate to reach out to us and that they are here to help or assist me in whatever way that they could. I felt so bad for my friend that that issue and concern was impacting her learning experiencing and ultimately impacting her education. Isn't that so unprofessional and unfair that a student is made to feel that way !?!?!?!

If that was me I think my temper would get the best of me and I would probably tell those people where it is that they can go with their attitude !!! Grrrrrr…….

So I was talking to my girlfriend again this evening after our hearty and funny conversation about school that we had yesterday evening. She was still SO tickled about how I just let her go on and on about "life in school as a distance learner" and how she described all of the ins and outs about the advantages to online learning for like 24 minutes of our conversation, all in an effort to encourage me to do the same for myself, just to find out at the end that I was ALREADY enrolled in classes online here at the "wonderful world of Penn Foster" !!!! LOL !!!! (I must admit that I am still laughing about this myself !!! Those who know me know that I am very playful and a real jokester at times I tell ya….. )

So we started talking again about school and the "ins and outs" if you will as I was the only person in her circle of contacts that she knew who had re-enrolled in school in the online platform. You know she had been DYING to talk to someone about it and no one else she knew had taken courses through an online college !?!?!? Everyone else she knew either had or currently was enrolled in a "brick and mortar" learning institution that was vastly different then her own experience being able to work from home and stuff.

I must admit that sometimes as an independent learner in an online format a major difference from a brick and mortar school is the seeming "loneliness" if you will from not having the interpersonal connectivity in the classroom with other students. With that being said it really does feel SO GOOD to be able to "vibe", if you will, with a close friend about her own experiences in a learning format so similar to mine here at Penn Foster !!!!

So I was talking to an associate of mine whom I have not had a chance to talk to in some time and we had such a good conversation about life, work and most surprisingly school !!! You see she recently decided to head back to school as well to take some course classes to enhance her skills for her workplace and her career going forward.

She, like me, is also a single mother and the delicate balance she has between being a parent and a working professional really spreads her time, energy and LIFE as a whole pretty thin. So she was telling me how for the longest time she had wanted to return but she could not find the time. And you know what the funny thing is ?

She decided to enroll in a school that had an online apparatus in a distance learning format !!!! She was telling me all about her experience and how different it was for her having attended a "brick and mortar" higher learning institution in the past. I was just sitting there on the phone and talking to her and saying "Mmmhmmm" and "yes" and "Uh-huh" as she talked and went on and on about school and the classes she was taking and how much she likes it and how convenient it is.

Then she got to the part where she said "Girl, I am TELLING you, I think this would be good for YOU to do as well !!!" I LAUGHED SO HARD !!! I went on to tell her that I was ALREADY enrolled in a distance learning platform with Penn Foster and I already knew all about it !!! She said "Girl then why did you let me run my mouth the whole time if you already knew !?!?!?!" We both laughed so hard that our stomachs HURT ! Isn't that funny !?!?!?!?

This section in my textbook about Computers and Information Technology really has me appreciating and thinking about such a wide variety of things that are so commonplace that we are so spoiled that we do not even stop to think about on a given day !!!

For instance where would we be without email !?!?!? Without email we would be seemingly back in the "stone age" and have to send everything out via the USPS Parcel Post and take days at a time to send or receive information that we are able to send electronically in just seconds ! Not to mention we have the convenience in a personal or professional environment to send the same email or information multiple people instantaneously. Do you remember back when at work we would have had to really take the time out to sit and call each and every person we were trying to communicate with !?!?!? that could take a day or two when you consider the mass mailing lists so commonplace in emails like what we use at my job !!!

And let's talk about operating systems. Where in the world would the business world and the world at large be without Microsoft Office ????  The Operating System whether it be for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint or whatever is so necessary in today's world that computers come with them pre-installed. And for the few that do not have it it is nearly impossible to download, open or understand the document attachments so commonplace and necessary in the working world and world around us in general that is disseminated all day everyday !!!

I am able to do my notes on my laptop that I take from my reading of my study guides and textbooks and group them and organize them accordingly on Microsoft word and save them and always be able to come back and reference them at a later time for when I take my exams or just need a quick refresher of the information I have studied on that particular day, week or month in my regiment of coursework for my Penn Foster studies.

Wow !! When I think about it we have become so dependent on so many technological advances that I can not imagine life at this point without the access and use of them !!! Isn't that AMAZING !?!?!?!

You know as my textbook delves into all of these business and social aspects and benefits as respects technology the question was posed by the author to consider what difference that computer technology has made on my life over the past ten years. I stopped and I thought about everything from email as opposed to sending everything from pictures, cards, letters and bills through the regular USPS mail to the speed and interconnectivity that is provided and the access one can have to the world around us where you used to have to go to the library or order a magazine or encyclopedia set to get access to so much data and information.

However probably the most recent and profound life change that has occurred is one that slipped my mind until now. This entire platform of learning as an Independent Online Learner would not be possible without the advancements in technology !!! I would not have the time or resources at my disposal to attend a brick and mortar school for the same level of education that I am so fortunate to be receiving here at Penn Foster !!!

I am so blessed and thankful that technology has advanced enough where I can sit in the privacy of my own home and bed and do everything from my reading, studying, homework and exams all right from my own bed and at my own pace !!!! It is truly amazing how easily and how quickly we all can become so spoiled and unappreciative of just how good that we have it with the resources at our fingertips n our lives each day. It is very important that we take time to reflect upon such things and appreciate them from time to time to truly be sure that we make the most of them ! Thank you for making me think about this today Penn Foster !!!!!

So my contemporary business textbook is on to the technology phase of the Information sector and it is really making some profound observations. The author is talking about how new technology is appearing everyday and how much that influences our everyday lives.

That is so true. It seems like even if you get the newest cell phone that seemingly the next week or month that it is outdated and that a newer and more advanced one is produced seemingly overnight. Nowadays I do not know what I would do if I could not check my email accounts mobilely on my cell phone or even chat online on Facebook through my cell phone. Isn't that amazing though !?!?!? I remember a time when it was only possible to do that at home on your computer or laptop. Now I can do everything from surf the internet or even check my email and open up document attachments through my phone and reply !!!! My phone even has a GPS that talks to me and that I use like all the time to provide me directions as to where I am going each and every time that I drive and I am not 100% sure as to which route that I should take. I mean it is better to be safe then sorry, right ?

I even write my blogs sometimes while I am at work and an idea or subject inspires me and I can not wait until I get home to type it out !!! I can even open up the PDF version of my study guide on my cell phone and get some reading done when I do not have my laptop or hard copies of my books handy !!! Don't you just LOVE the computer age we are presently in the midst of enjoying and living within !?!?!??!

Wow !!!! This new regiment of exercise and study I am currently involved in is absolutely positively FABULOUS I tell ya !!!!! The information I am learning and studying about is just flowing through me at such a great rate. And the knowledge that I am actually getting fit, in shape and healthier AT THE SAME TIME is such a rewarding and positive feeling to me !!!!

At the gym I have worked myself up to a solid hour of cardio. I am doing 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, 20 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and 20 more minutes on the stationary bike. The hour goes by SO FAST with the information I am able to read from my Contemporary Business Textbook that it feels like it is over and done with right when I get started !!!!! I am finding that the system that is working great for me as of today is for me to get all of the reading done that I can in the hour or so I am working out on the cardio equipment then I "digest the information" throughout my work day then when I come home I review what I have learned through my reading sessions in my accompanying study guide to truly ensure that I have a total and complete understanding of the subject material being conveyed to me.

I can not tell you how empowering and GOOD a feeling it is to know you are strengthening your mind, body and improving your health all at once !!! And you know what ? It really DOES SHOW both in the mirror and in the brain !!!! I should write a book about my study approach and the results !!! LOL !!! Or maybe I will just keep blogging about it instead !!!

So I am always seeking new ways to be productive and multi-task in my everyday life. I like getting two things done at the same time or, as the famous saying goes" I like to "knock out two birds with one stone" !!!

Well in the line of that reasoning and rationale I have discovered yet another way to be more efficient in that regard. You see a good portion of my new exercise and fitness and wellness campaign I have been on to improve my vigor and health and overall energy level and performance has been my commitment to return to the gym to exercise. Well you see a good portion of my workout is spent doing cardio. I do a lot of time on the stationary bike – usually 30 – 45 minutes which I have been trying to buildup to an hour between the stationary bike, elliptical machine and the treadmill.

Well for those of you who know the gyms usually have an apparatus on the display screen for things like your MP3 player, water bottle OR, in my case, a magazine or book that one would like to read. Well guess what I have started to read while I workout ? That is right !!! You guessed it !!! My Penn Foster textbook and study guides !!!! Can I tell you how fast my time on the cardio equipment flies by when I have something to focus on like that !?!?!?!? Now I am able to get my reading done in the early morning, think and ponder on it during the day and then come home and do further studying and work at night.

Don't you just LOVE it when a plan or goal you push yourself to do comes together in the end in an even better way then you originally envisioned !?!?!? Yea for me !!!!